Chapter on Giving Knowledge as Charity

قَرَأْتُ فِي كِتَابِ عَلِيٍّ ع إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمْ يَأْخُذْ عَلَى الْجُهَّالِ عَهْداً بِطَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ حَتَّى أَخَذَ عَلَى الْعُلَمَاءِ عَهْداً بِبَذْلِ الْعِلْمِ لِلْجُهَّالِ لِأَنَّ الْعِلْمَ كَانَ قَبْلَ الْجَهْلِ.

“I read in the book of Imam Ali (a.s.) that Allah had no commitment from and covenant with the ignorant people to seek knowledge before having a commitment from and covenant with the scholars to give knowledge as charity to the ignorant ones because knowledge existed before ignorance.”

لِيَكُنِ النَّاسُ عِنْدَكَ فِي الْعِلْمِ سَوَاءً.

about this verse. “Do not scornfully turn your face away from people. .” (31:18) ‘so that people would all be equal in matters of knowledge.’”

زَكَاةُ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ تُعَلِّمَهُ عِبَادَ اللَّهِ.

“Zakat, the tax, on knowledge is teaching it to the servants of Allah.”

قَامَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ ع خَطِيباً فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ فَقَالَ يَا بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لَا تُحَدِّثُوا الْجُهَّالَ بِالْحِكْمَةِ فَتَظْلِمُوهَا وَ لَا تَمْنَعُوهَا أَهْلَهَا فَتَظْلِمُوهُمْ.

“Jesus, son of Mary (a.s.) once stood up to speak to the Israelites saying, ‘O Israelites, do not speak the words of wisdom to the ignorant people because you will be doing injustice to them (words of wisdom). Do not keep them (words of wisdom) from those who deserve lest you will do injustice to them (deserving people