Quran verses about knowledge

1. ٱقۡرَأۡ وَرَبُّكَ ٱلۡأَكۡرَمُ ﴿٣﴾ ٱلَّذِي عَلَّمَ بِٱلۡقَلَمِ ﴿٤﴾ عَلَّمَ ٱلۡإِنسَٰنَ مَا لَمۡ يَعۡلَمۡ ﴿٥﴾

   ³Read: And your Lord is the Most Generous. ⁴He who taught by the pen. ⁵Taught man what he never knew.

   Part of the first revelation, these verses repeat the command to read and describe Allah as the Most Generous, who taught by the pen and taught people what they did not know.

2. فَتَعَٰلَى ٱللَّهُ ٱلۡمَلِكُ ٱلۡحَقُّۗ وَلَا تَعۡجَلۡ بِٱلۡقُرۡءَانِ مِن قَبۡلِ أَن يُقۡضَىٰٓ إِلَيۡكَ وَحۡيُهُۥۖ وَقُل رَّبِّ زِدۡنِي عِلۡمٗا ﴿١١٤﴾

   Exalted is Allah, the True King. Do not be hasty with the Quran before its inspiration to you is concluded, and say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”

   The Prophet ﷺ is told not to rush the Quran and to pray that his Lord increase him in knowledge.

3. أَمَّنۡ هُوَ قَٰنِتٌ ءَانَآءَ ٱلَّيۡلِ سَاجِدٗا وَقَآئِمٗا يَحۡذَرُ ٱلۡأٓخِرَةَ وَيَرۡجُواْ رَحۡمَةَ رَبِّهِۦۗ قُلۡ هَلۡ يَسۡتَوِي ٱلَّذِينَ يَعۡلَمُونَ وَٱلَّذِينَ لَا يَعۡلَمُونَۗ إِنَّمَا يَتَذَكَّرُ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ﴿٩﴾

   Is he who worships devoutly during the watches of the night, prostrating himself and standing up, mindful of the Hereafter, and placing his hope in the mercy of his Lord? Say, “Are those who know and those who do not know equal?” Only those possessed of reason will remember.

   The Quran asks whether those who know and those who do not know can be equal.

4. يَـٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓاْ إِذَا قِيلَ لَكُمۡ تَفَسَّحُواْ فِي ٱلۡمَجَٰلِسِ فَٱفۡسَحُواْ يَفۡسَحِ ٱللَّهُ لَكُمۡۖ وَإِذَا قِيلَ ٱنشُزُواْ فَٱنشُزُواْ يَرۡفَعِ ٱللَّهُ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُواْ مِنكُمۡ وَٱلَّذِينَ أُوتُواْ ٱلۡعِلۡمَ دَرَجَٰتٖۚ وَٱللَّهُ بِمَا تَعۡمَلُونَ خَبِيرࣱ ﴿١١﴾

   O you who believe! When you are told to make room in your gatherings, make room; Allah will make room for you. And when you are told to disperse, disperse. Allah elevates those among you who believe, and those given knowledge, many steps. Allah is Aware of what you do.

   Allah raises in rank those who believe and those who have been given knowledge.

5. وَمِنَ ٱلنَّاسِ وَٱلدَّوَآبِّ وَٱلۡأَنۡعَٰمِ مُخۡتَلِفٌ أَلۡوَٰنُهُۥ كَذَٰلِكَۗ إِنَّمَا يَخۡشَى ٱللَّهَ مِنۡ عِبَادِهِ ٱلۡعُلَمَـٰٓؤُاْۗ إِنَّ ٱللَّهَ عَزِيزٌ غَفُورٌ ﴿٢٨﴾

   Likewise, human beings, animals, and livestock come in various colors. From among His servants, the learned fear Allah. Allah is Almighty, Oft-Forgiving.

   After describing the variety of colors in nature and people, the verse says it is those with knowledge among Allah's servants who truly hold Him in awe.

6. وَعَلَّمَ ءَادَمَ ٱلۡأَسۡمَآءَ كُلَّهَا ثُمَّ عَرَضَهُمۡ عَلَى ٱلۡمَلَـٰٓئِكَةِ فَقَالَ أَنۢبِـُٔونِي بِأَسۡمَآءِ هَـٰٓؤُلَآءِ إِن كُنتُمۡ صَٰدِقِينَ ﴿٣١﴾ قَالُواْ سُبۡحَٰنَكَ لَا عِلۡمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمۡتَنَآۖ إِنَّكَ أَنتَ ٱلۡعَلِيمُ ٱلۡحَكِيمُ ﴿٣٢﴾

   ³¹And He taught Adam the names, all of them; then He presented them to the angels, and said, “Tell Me the names of these, if you are sincere.” ³²They said, “Glory be to You! We have no knowledge except what You have taught us. It is You who are the Knowledgeable, the Wise.”

   Allah teaches Adam the names of things, and the angels admit they have no knowledge except what Allah has taught them.

7. إِنَّ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ وَٱخۡتِلَٰفِ ٱلَّيۡلِ وَٱلنَّهَارِ لَأٓيَٰتٖ لِّأُوْلِي ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ﴿١٩٠﴾ ٱلَّذِينَ يَذۡكُرُونَ ٱللَّهَ قِيَٰمٗا وَقُعُودٗا وَعَلَىٰ جُنُوبِهِمۡ وَيَتَفَكَّرُونَ فِي خَلۡقِ ٱلسَّمَٰوَٰتِ وَٱلۡأَرۡضِ رَبَّنَا مَا خَلَقۡتَ هَٰذَا بَٰطِلٗا سُبۡحَٰنَكَ فَقِنَا عَذَابَ ٱلنَّارِ ﴿١٩١﴾

   ¹⁹⁰In the creation of the heavens and the earth, and in the alternation of night and day, are signs for people of understanding. ¹⁹¹Those who remember Allah while standing, and sitting, and on their sides; and they reflect upon the creation of the heavens and the earth: “Our Lord, You did not create this in vain, glory to You, so protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”

   In creation and the alternation of night and day are signs for people of understanding, who remember Allah and reflect on how the heavens and earth were made.

8. يُؤۡتِي ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ مَن يَشَآءُۚ وَمَن يُؤۡتَ ٱلۡحِكۡمَةَ فَقَدۡ أُوتِيَ خَيۡرٗا كَثِيرٗاۗ وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّآ أُوْلُواْ ٱلۡأَلۡبَٰبِ ﴿٢٦٩﴾

   He gives wisdom to whomever He wills. Whoever is given wisdom has been given much good. But none pays heed except those with insight.

   Allah gives wisdom to whom He wills, and whoever is given wisdom has been given much good.

9. وَتِلۡكَ ٱلۡأَمۡثَٰلُ نَضۡرِبُهَا لِلنَّاسِۖ وَمَا يَعۡقِلُهَآ إِلَّا ٱلۡعَٰلِمُونَ ﴿٤٣﴾

   These examples—We put them forward to the people; but none grasps them except the learned.

   The Quran's parables are set out for people, but only those with knowledge truly grasp them.

10. فَوَجَدَا عَبۡدٗا مِّنۡ عِبَادِنَآ ءَاتَيۡنَٰهُ رَحۡمَةٗ مِّنۡ عِندِنَا وَعَلَّمۡنَٰهُ مِن لَّدُنَّا عِلۡمٗا ﴿٦٥﴾ قَالَ لَهُۥ مُوسَىٰ هَلۡ أَتَّبِعُكَ عَلَىٰٓ أَن تُعَلِّمَنِ مِمَّا عُلِّمۡتَ رُشۡدٗا ﴿٦٦﴾

    ⁶⁵Then they came upon a servant of Ours, whom We had blessed with mercy from Us, and had taught him knowledge from Our own. ⁶⁶Moses said to him, “May I follow you, so that you may teach me some of the guidance you were taught?”

    Moses meets a servant of Allah who has been given knowledge from Allah, and asks humbly to follow him and learn.

11. وَلَا تَقۡفُ مَا لَيۡسَ لَكَ بِهِۦ عِلۡمٌۚ إِنَّ ٱلسَّمۡعَ وَٱلۡبَصَرَ وَٱلۡفُؤَادَ كُلُّ أُوْلَـٰٓئِكَ كَانَ عَنۡهُ مَسۡـُٔولٗا ﴿٣٦﴾

    And do not occupy yourself with what you have no knowledge of. The hearing, and the sight, and the brains—all these will be questioned.

    People should not follow what they have no knowledge of, because hearing, sight and the heart will all be questioned.

12. وَيَسۡـَٔلُونَكَ عَنِ ٱلرُّوحِۖ قُلِ ٱلرُّوحُ مِنۡ أَمۡرِ رَبِّي وَمَآ أُوتِيتُم مِّنَ ٱلۡعِلۡمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلٗا ﴿٨٥﴾

    And they ask you about the Spirit. Say, “The Spirit belongs to the domain of my Lord; and you were given only little knowledge.”

    When asked about the spirit, the Prophet ﷺ is told to say it belongs to his Lord, and that people have been given only a little knowledge.

The Quran treats learning as worship and humility as part of it. The prayer in 20:114 is short enough to say before you study, read or start work. And 17:36 is a good check in a world full of opinions: before you pass something on, ask whether you actually know it.