Hadeeth Says Seek Knowledge even if you have to go to China. Religious or Worldly Knowledge?

One Hadeeth Says that Seek Knowledge even if you have to go to China. Is this Religious or Worldly Knowledge? - Dr Zakir Naik

RMNSQA-9

Questioner: Assalamu Alaikum! My name is Go-ha, I’m an accountant. Just very quickly it’s a pleasure to hear Dr. Zakir Naik. Since first time I heard him it was my ambition to come and see you MashaAllah. You gave a lovely talk. My question is there is a famous Hadith saying about Prophet (pbuh) that we should seek knowledge unto China. Now I have talked to a lot of brothers about this and my perspective on it even though I haven’t researched is that this knowledge does not speak about religious knowledge because religious knowledge at that time was in Saudi Arabia where the Prophet (pbuh) was and people all over the world were coming to see him at that time for religious knowledge.

Bashir Sattar: Brother What is your question brother? What is the question?

Questioner: My question is that this Hadith does it relate to religious knowledge or knowledge of the Dunya, Science, Maths, etc.?

Dr. Zakir: Brother asked a question that the Prophet said seek knowledge even if you have to go to China because religious knowledge was in Saudi Arabia, it was worldly knowledge so does it mean you can go to China for worldly knowledge. Point no. 1 brother, according to Shaikh Nassirud Deen Al Albani this Hadith is a Mawdhu Hadith. It’s a fake Hadith, It’s not a correct Hadith because the center of education even at that time, that time, wasn’t China. This Hadith is a fake Hadith but that doesn’t mean your question is not valid. You have to use other Hadith to prove your question. The first guidance given by Allah (swt) to the whole of humanity was not to pray, was not to give Zakaat, it was Iqra in Surah Al Alaq ch. 96 verse no. 1 “Iqra” and our beloved prophet Muhammad (saws) said its mentioned in Baihaqi, it is obligatory on every Muslim, man or woman to acquire knowledge. So acquiring knowledge is Fard in Islam, it’s compulsory. It includes the more obligatory is the Deen knowledge but that does not mean you cannot go and travel even for worldly knowledge. You can as long as you fulfill the criteria even for worldly knowledge you can as long as it benefits you, it gets you closer to Allah (swt). Hope that answers the question.