The Prophet used to invoke Allah saying:
اللهم انفعني بما علمتني
و علمني ما ينفعني
و زدني علما
(At-Tirmithi, Authenticated by Al-Albani)
اللهم انفعني بما علمتني
Allah is the one who teaches us everything we learn. In this part of the dua, we are asking Allah to benefit us by this knowledge (i.e. To make us act upon it)
و علمني ما ينفعني
Then we ask Allah to teach us what benefits us (i.e. To teach us a knowledge that benefits us in our religion, corrects us, reforms our heart, affairs, etc.)
What is the relationship between the two statements? According to scholars, whoever acts upon the knowledge he learns, Allah will grant him knowledge of what he doesn't know.
و زدني علما
It is important for the person who tasted the flavor and delight of the knowledge to ask Allah to increase him in it. This is the attitude of the person who is truthful when seeking knowledge. He isn't satisfied with what he knows, he always yearns for more knowledge.
This is restricted to religious knowledge.
Ibn Uthaymeen said, "Allah didn't command the Prophet to ask Allah to increase him in anything except knowledge"
With regards to the worldly pleasure, it's not recommended to ask Allah to increase you in it. You should instead thank Allah for it, ask Him to bless you in it, and preserve it.
If Allah opened the gate of understanding a verse, a Hadith, a name of Allah, or you learn anything new in the religion, then invoke Allah with this دعاء.
In another narration in An-Nasaa'i, the same wording of the dua is mentioned with an addition:
وارزقني علما تنفعني به
This shows us that knowledge is a رزق. Allah provides for everyone generally, the non-Muslims and Muslims. But there are special رزق of Allah; like knowledge, إيمان, understanding the Qur'an, which He doesn't bestow on everyone.
You aren't asking Allah for just any knowledge, but a knowledge which Allah will benefit you of. Entailed in this is asking Allah to make the means of acquiring knowledge and acting upon it easy for you.
Since knowledge is a رزق, it means that sometimes the gate could be closed on you, and made difficult, due to a wisdom from Allah.
-> Allah may be testing you. What will you think at that moment? - are you thinking good or evil of Allah? Will you beg Allah to make it easy for you? Or will you give up and say, 'Allah doesn't want me to learn, so I won't study anymore'?
E.g. A person argues with you about a certain matter, and you know that she is wrong. But you can't remember the evidence to refute her. Allah is withholding this knowledge from you at that moment for a reason. Perhaps you might have felt arrogant, proud, self-conceited, if you refuted her, so Allah prevented you from remembering that evidence for the benefit of yourself.
Just as money, and other forms of رزق may be prevented from us by Allah to test us, so will knowledge. You have to think good about Allah.
But whoever asks Allah to increase him in knowledge should take the means of acquiring knowledge. It is foolish to ask Allah to increase you in knowledge, and then sit at home and do absolutely nothing.
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