فَضلُ العِلمِ The Virtue of Knowledge

1ـ رسولُ اللهِ‏ِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): ذَنبُ العالِمِ واحِدٌ ، وذَنبُ الجاهِلِ ذَنبانِ.

1– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘When committing a sin, the knowledgeable man is guilty of the one sin whereas the ignorant man is guilty of two [i.e. the sin itself and the sin of ignorance].’[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 28784]
 

2ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): العِلمُ رَأسُ الخَيرِ كُلِّهِ ، والجَهلُ رَأسُ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ.

2– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Knowledge is the root of all good whereas ignorance is the root of all evil.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 77, p. 175, no. 9]
 

3ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): طَلَبُ العِلمِ فَريضَةٌ عَلى كُلِّ مُسلِمٍ... بِهِ يُطاعُ الرَّبُّ ويُعبَدُ ، وبِهِ تُوصَلُ الأرحامُ ، ويُعرَفُ الحَلالُ مِنَ الحَرامِ ، العِلمُ إمامُ العَمَلِ والعَمَلُ تابِعُهُ ، يُلهَمُ بِهِ السُعَداءُ ، ويُحرَمُهُ الأشقِياءُ .

3– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The quest for knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim… by virtue of it the Lord is obeyed and worshipped, consanguinal relations are maintained, and the lawful is distinguished from the prohibited. Knowledge leads to action and action follows it. The fortunate ones are inspired by it whereas the wretched ones are deprived of it.’[Amali al-Tusi, p. 488, no. 1069]
 

4ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): أكثَرُ النّاسِ قيمَةً أكثَرُهُم عِلما ، وأقَلُّ النّاسِ قيمَةً أقَلُّهُم عِلما .

4– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The worthiest of people are those who have the most knowledge, and the least of them in worth are those with the least knowledge.’[Amali al-Saduq, p. 27, no. 4]
 

5ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): أقرَبُ النّاسِ مِن دَرَجَةِ النُّبُوَّةِ أهلُ الجِهادِ وأهلُ العِلمِ .

5– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The people who are closest to the rank of prophethood are the people of knowledge and striving.’[al-Mahajjat al-Baydha, v. 1, p. 14]
 

6ـ رسولُ اللهِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ): يُوزَنُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ مِدادُ العُلَماءِ ودِماءُ الشُّهَداءِ فيَرجَحُ مِدادُ العُلَماءِ عَلى دِماءِ الشُّهَداءِ.

6– The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘On the Day of Resurrection, the ink of the scholars will be weighed up against the blood of the martyrs, and the ink of the scholars will preponderate over the blood of the martyrs.’[Tafsir al-Durr al-Manthur, v. 3, no. 423]
 

7ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): رَأسُ الفَضائلِ العِلمُ ، غايَةُ الفَضائلِ العِلمُ.

7– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The fountainhead of all virtues is knowledge and the peak of all virtues is knowledge.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 5234]
 

8ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العِلمُ قائدٌ ، والعَمَلُ سائقٌ ، والنَّفسُ حَرونٌ.

8– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge commands, action drives, and the carnal soul is the obstinate mount.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, no. 208]
 

9ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العِلمُ مِصباحُ العَقلِ .

9– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is the lamp of the intellect.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 536]
 

10ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العـِلمُ نِعـمَ الدَليلُ .

10– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is indeed a good guide.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 837]
 

11ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العِلمُ أشرَفُ الأحسابِ .

11– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is the noblest source of repute.’[Kanz al-Fawa’ id li al-Karajiki, v. 1, p. 319]
 

12ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العِلمُ ضالَّةُ المُؤمِنِ .

12– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is the lost property of the believer.’[`Uyoun Akhbar al-Ridha (AS), v. 2, p. 66, no. 295]
 

13ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): كَفى بِالعِلمِ شَرَفاً أن يَدَّعِيَهُ مَن لا يُحسِنُهُ ، ويَفرَحَ بِهِ إذا نُسِبَ إلَيهِ ، وكَفى بِالجَهلِ ذَمّاً يَبرَأُ مِنهُ مَن هُوَ فيهِ .

13– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is such a dignified thing that he who is not proficient at it claims to be so, and one is pleased for it to be attributed to him. And ignorance is such a rebuked thing that even the one who possesses it claims to be free of it.’[Munyat al-Murid, p. 110]
 

14ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا كَنزَ أنفَعُ مِنَ العِلمِ .

14– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There is no treasure more profitable than knowledge.’[al-Kafi, v. 8, p. 19, no. 4]
 

15ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا شَرَفَ كَالعِلمِ .

15– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There is no source of dignity like knowledge.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 113]
 

16ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): كُلُّ وِعاءٍ يَضيقُ بِما جُعِلَ فيهِ إلّا وِعاءَ العِلمِ ؛ فإنَّهُ يَتَّسِعُ بِهِ .

16– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Every container becomes cramped by what is placed therein, except the container that holds knowledge, for verily it expands because of it.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 205]
 

17ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إذا أرذَلَ اللّه‏ُ عَبداً حَظَرَ عَلَيهِ العِلمَ .

17– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘When Allah wishes to repudiate someone, he deprives him of knowledge.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 288]
 

18ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العِلمُ حَياةٌ.

18– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is life.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 185]
 

19ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ العِلمَ حَياةُ القُلوبِ ، ونورُ الأبصارِ مِنَ العَمى ، وقُوَّةُ الأبدانِ مِنَ الضَّعفِ.

19– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Verily knowledge is the life of the hearts, the light of the eyes from blindness and the strength of the bodies against weakness.’[Amali al-Saduq, p. 493, no. 1]
 

20ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ لِكُمَيلٍ لَمّا أخَذَ بِيَدِهِ وأخرَجَهُ إلَى الجَبّانِ فلَمّا أصحَرَ تَنَفَّسَ الصُّعَداءَ وقالَ ـ: يا كُمَيلُ ، العِلمُ خَيرٌ مِنَ المالِ ، العِلمُ يَحرُسُكَ وأنتَ تَحرُسُ المالَ ، والمالُ تَنقُصُهُ النَّفَقَةُ ، والعِلمُ يَزكو عَلَى الإنفاقِ ، وصَنيعُ المالِ يَزولُ بِزَوالِهِ.

20– Imam Ali (AS) once took Kumayl out to the desert, and when they reached the desert, he let out a deep sigh and said, ‘O Kumayl, knowledge is better than wealth for wealth is reduced by spending whereas knowledge causes your spendings to flourish, and any good product of wealth ceases when it ceases to exist.’[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 147]
 

21ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): هَلَكَ خُزّانُ الأموالِ وهُم أحياءٌ ، والعُلَماءُ باقونَ ما بَقِيَ الدَّهرُ ، أعيانُهُم مَفقودَةٌ ، وأمثالُهُم فِي القُلوبِ مَوجودَةٌ .

21– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The treasurers of wealth perish during their own lifetimes, whereas the knowledgeable ones remain alive for all time, their individual selves may pass away, but the likes of them continue to remain in the hearts.’[Nahj al-Balagha,]
 

22ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): العالِمُ حَيٌّ وإن كانَ مَيِّتاً ، الجاهِلُ مَيِّتٌ وإن كانَ حَيّاً.

22– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The scholar is alive even when he is dead, whereas the ignorant man is dead even though he may be alive.’[Ghurar al-Hikam, no. 1124-1125]
 

23ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): إنَّ العُلَماءَ وَرَثَةُ الأنبِياءِ .

23– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Verily the scholars are the heirs of the prophets.’[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 32, no. 2]