Is a Muslim rewarded for excelling in studies?

Excellence is required from a Muslim, and he should intend by it to raise the word of Allah and benefit people with his knowledge, so that it may be in the balance of his good deeds. For, "The most beloved of people to Allah Almighty are those who are most beneficial to people," and "The most beloved of deeds to Allah Almighty is a joy you bring to a Muslim, or a distress you relieve from him, or a debt you pay off for him, or a hunger you dispel from him. And for me to walk with a brother to fulfill a need is more beloved to me than to seclude myself in this mosque — meaning the mosque of Madinah — for a month." Thus, academic excellence is a manifestation of the strength that a Muslim must acquire, because "A strong believer is better and more beloved to Allah than a weak believer, and there is good in both. Be keen on what benefits you, seek help from Allah, and do not be helpless."