Rabbi Zidni Ilma – Seeking religious knowledge with a measure of being able to carry out the commands of worship and its prohibitions is obligatory for all Muslims who have reached puberty.
To facilitate us in seeking religious knowledge, we are encouraged to pray. One of the popular prayers to be given knowledge by Allah is Rabbi Zidni Ilma. A prayer that only consists of 3 sentences (Arabic), but has a very broad meaning.
Just by reading the title of the article, we are sure you have memorized this prayer. We hear this prayer very often, either after prayer or at the study site. Not only we often hear but also short and easy to memorize.
Also see: Dua for Shifa – Dua for Healing the Sick
This prayer is a part of the verse of the Qur’an that was revealed to the Prophet Muhammad, to be precise it is contained in Surah Thaha or 114. The translation of this Ayah is:
“So high [above all] is Allah, the Sovereign, the Truth. And, [O Muhammad], do not hasten with [recitation of] the Qur’an before its revelation is completed to you, and say, “My Lord, increase me in knowledge.”
ربِّ زِدْنِي عِلْماً
My Lord, increase me in knowledge.
The prayer of Rabbi Zidni Ilma, not only to strengthen IQ, but more than that, can be given a complete and strong personality with good knowledge in his soul spiritually, intellectually and financially.
The development of one’s personality and psyche is an important key to being able to get to His heaven. It is not only knowledge that we need, but the maturity of the soul, manners and morals are also very important to achieve His (Allah) pleasure.
See too: Definition of Education: Definition
Now with the rapid development of technology, we can enjoy science easily, quickly but now there is a very dangerous deficiency in our soul, this is lazy to study. We are now lazy to explore knowledge, lazy to learn religious knowledge, even many elementary school age children cannot read the Koran. So, by this dua “Rabbi Zidni Ilma” or by adding “Warzuqni Fahma”, we hope that it will be easy for us to absorb knowledge, easy to learn universally because knowledge comes from learning.
We don’t lack knowledge, but what we lack is a willingness to learn. (See too: Dua For Safar (Prayer for Traveling))
In this life there are many problems and obstacles. But know it’s all not a problem if we want to think clearly. All obstacles come to raise us, mature our souls so that we understand how life really is in the world. So, with every problem that exists, we pray to Allah and one of them is the prayer of Rabbi Zidni Ilma, this includes asking God for help to guide us in solving every problem in life.
We don’t need to be afraid of difficulties, but we need a lot of skills to solve difficulties. We don’t need to be afraid of problems, because we have to be stronger and bigger than those problems.
Also see: Hadith About Studying
Hadith About Increasing Knowledge
Narrated by Abu Hurairah:
That the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
وَمَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَلْتَمِسُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ
Meaning: “Whoever takes a path upon which to obtain knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him.”
Grade: Sahih (Darussalam)
Reference: Jami At-Tirmidhi 2646 Book 41, Hadith 2
English translation: Vol. 5, Book 39, Hadith 2646
Allah made it easy for him the way to heaven, this is something very noble. So, the meaning of knowledge is not all types of knowledge. The purpose of the hadith is the knowledge of Islam, the ILMU (knowledge) that explains the procedures for worshiping Allah. There are three foundations of knowledge that must be learned in Islam (mandatory individually), the Tauheed, the Fiqh and the Sufism or Tasawuf. So, whoever seeks this knowledge, Allah will make it easy for him the way to heaven, as well as religious knowledge on the other hand (fard kifayah), after he understands the knowledge that is obligatory individually.