Chapter on the quality of knowledge its virtue and the virtue of the scholars

دَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص الْمَسْجِدَ فَإِذَا جَمَاعَةٌ قَدْ أَطَافُوا بِرَجُلٍ فَقَالَ مَا هَذَا فَقِيلَ عَلَّامَةٌ فَقَالَ وَ مَا الْعَلَّامَةُ فَقَالُوا لَهُ أَعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِأَنْسَابِ الْعَرَبِ وَ وَقَائِعِهَا وَ أَيَّامِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ وَ الْأَشْعَارِ الْعَرَبِيَّةِ قَالَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص ذَاكَ عِلْمٌ لَا يَضُرُّ مَنْ جَهِلَهُ وَ لَا يَنْفَعُ مَنْ عَلِمَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ص إِنَّمَا الْعِلْمُ ثَلَا

“Once Rasulullah (sw) entered the Mosque and found a group of people gathered around a man. He asked, 'Who is he?'. It was said that he was a Allamah. He then asked them, 'What is that?'. They replied that he is the most learned man about the genealogy, the chronology, and the history of the pre-Islamic days of darknes

إِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَ ذَاكَ أَنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُورِثُوا دِرْهَماً وَ لَا دِينَاراً وَ إِنَّمَا أَوْرَثُوا أَحَادِيثَ مِنْ أَحَادِيثِهِمْ فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِشَيْ‌ءٍ مِنْهَا فَقَدْ أَخَذَ حَظّاً وَافِراً فَانْظُرُوا عِلْمَكُمْ هَذَا عَمَّنْ تَأْخُذُونَهُ فَإِنَّ فِينَا أَهْلَ الْبَيْتِ فِي كُلِّ خَلَفٍ عُدُولًا يَنْفُونَ عَنْهُ تَحْرِيفَ الْغَالِينَ وَ انْتِحَالَ الْمُبْطِلِينَ وَ تَأْوِيلَ

“The scholars are the heirs of the prophets because the prophets did not leave any Dirham or Dinar, (units of money) as their legacy. What they left was certain pieces of their statements. Those who acquired anything of these pieces of their statements they have certainly gained a large share. You must be very careful,

إِذَا أَرَادَ اللَّهُ بِعَبْدٍ خَيْراً فَقَّهَهُ فِي الدِّينِ.

'If Allah (swt) wants goodness for a servant, he will teach him the jurisprudence (fiqh) of religion.'

قَالَ: الْكَمَالُ كُلُّ الْكَمَالِ التَّفَقُّهُ فِي الدِّينِ وَ الصَّبْرُ عَلَى النَّائِبَةِ[4] وَ تَقْدِيرُ الْمَعِيشَةِ.

'The most perfect of all perfection is a good understanding of religion, exercising patience during affliction and setting up of means of living.'

الْعُلَمَاءُ أُمَنَاءُ وَ الْأَتْقِيَاءُ حُصُونٌ وَ الْأَوْصِيَاءُ سَادَةٌ وَ فِي رِوَايَةٍ أُخْرَى الْعُلَمَاءُ مَنَارٌ وَ الْأَتْقِيَاءُ حُصُونٌ وَ الْأَوْصِيَاءُ سَادَةٌ.

'The scholars are the trustees [of religion], the pious ones are the strongholds [of religion] and the successors (of the Prophet) are the masters [of religion].' In an another hadith it is said, 'The scholars are the light houses [of the religion], the pious ones are the strongholds [of the religion] and the successor

قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع‌ لَا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ لَا يَتَفَقَّهُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا يَا بَشِيرُ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ مِنْهُمْ إِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَغْنِ بِفِقْهِهِ احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِمْ‌[1] فَإِذَا احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَدْخَلُوهُ فِي بَابِ ضَلَالَتِهِمْ وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْلَمُ.

'There is no goodness in our people who do not learn fiqh (jurisprudence), oh Bashir. Indeed, when a man from them does not suffice himself with [knowledge] of fiqh, he becomes dependent on them (i.e. the non-shias). And when he becomes dependent on them, they lead him into the door of their misguidance, and he does no

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ص‌ لَا خَيْرَ فِي الْعَيْشِ إِلَّا لِرَجُلَيْنِ عَالِمٍ مُطَاعٍ أَوْ مُسْتَمِعٍ وَاعٍ.

'There is no goodness in life except for two kinds of people, a scholar who is obeyed or an audience who listen carefully.'

عَالِمٌ يُنْتَفَعُ بِعِلْمِهِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ سَبْعِينَ أَلْفَ عَابِدٍ.

"A scholar whose knowledge benefits others is better than seventy thousand worshippers."

قُلْتُ لِأَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ع رَجُلٌ رَاوِيَةٌ لِحَدِيثِكُمْ يَبُثُّ ذَلِكَ فِي النَّاسِ وَ يُشَدِّدُهُ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ وَ قُلُوبِ شِيعَتِكُمْ وَ لَعَلَّ عَابِداً مِنْ شِيعَتِكُمْ لَيْسَتْ لَهُ هَذِهِ الرِّوَايَةُ أَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ قَالَ الرَّاوِيَةُ لِحَدِيثِنَا يَشُدُّ بِهِ قُلُوبَ شِيعَتِنَا أَفْضَلُ مِنْ أَلْفِ عَابِدٍ.

"I asked Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) (as), 'There is a man who narrates your hadiths, spreads them among people, and ties them to their hearts and the hearts of your Shi'a. Also, there is perhaps a worshipper among your Shi'a who does not have your narrations. Which of the two is better?' He said, 'The one who narrates ou