288 - العلم‏

288. KNOWLEDGE

1339 - فَضلُ العِلمِ‏

1339. THE VIRTUE OF KNOWLEDGE

(قُلْ هَلْ يَسْتَوِي الَّذِينَ يَعْلَمُونَ وَالَّذِينَ لا يَعْلَمُونَ إِنَّما يَتَذَكَّرُ أُولُوا الأَلْبابِ) .¹

“Say, ‘Are those who know equal to those who do not know?’ Only those who possess intellect take admonition.”²

(يَرْفَعِ اللَّهُ الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا مِنْكُمْ وَالَّذِينَ أُوتُوا العِلْمَ دَرَجاتٍ وَاللَّهُ بِما تَعْمَلُونَ خَبِيرٌ) .³

“Allah will raise those of you who have faith and those who have been given knowledge in rank, and Allah is well aware of what you do.”⁴

4440.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : ذَنبُ العالِمِ واحِدٌ ، وذَنبُ الجاهِلِ ذَنبانِ .⁵

4440.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].’⁶

4441.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : العِلمُ رَأسُ الخَيرِ كُلِّهِ ، والجَهلُ رَأسُ الشَّرِّ كُلِّهِ .⁷

4441.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Knowledge is the root of all good, whereas ignorance is the root of all evil.’⁸

4442.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : 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 .⁹

4442.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The quest for knowledge is incumbent upon every Muslim… by virtue of it the Lord is obeyed and worshippped, 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.’¹⁰

4443.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أكثَرُ النّاسِ قيمَةً أكثَرُهُم عِلماً ، وأقَلُّ النّاسِ قيمَةً أقَلُّهُم عِلماً .¹¹

4443.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.’¹²

4444.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : أقرَبُ النّاسِ مِن دَرَجَةِ النُّبُوَّةِ أهلُ الجِهادِ وأهلُ العِلمِ .¹³

4444.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The people who are closest to the rank of prophethood are the people of knowledge and striving.’¹⁴

4445.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : يُوزَنُ يَومَ القِيامَةِ مِدادُ العُلَماءِ ودِماءُ الشُّهَداءِ فيَرجَحُ مِدادُ العُلَماءِ عَلى‏ دِماءِ الشُّهَداءِ.¹⁵

4445.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.’¹⁶

4446.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : رَأسُ الفَضائلِ العِلمُ ، غايَةُ الفَضائلِ العِلمُ .¹⁷

4446.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘The fountainhead of all virtues is knowledge and the peak of all virtues is knowledge.’¹⁸

4447.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : العِلمُ قائدٌ ، والعَمَلُ سائقٌ ، والنَّفسُ حَرونٌ‏¹⁹.²⁰

4447.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge commands, action drives, and the carnal soul is the obstinate mount.’²¹

4448.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : العِلمُ مِصباحُ العَقلِ .²²

4448.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is the lamp of the intellect.’²³

4449.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : العِلمُ نِعمَ الدَليلُ .²⁴

4449.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is indeed a good guide.’²⁵

4450.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : العِلمُ أشرَفُ الأحسابِ .²⁶

4450.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is the noblest source of repute.’²⁷

4451.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : العِلمُ ضالَّةُ المُؤمِنِ .²⁸

4451.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is the lost property of the believer.’²⁹

4452.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : كَفى‏ بِالعِلمِ شَرَفاً أن يَدَّعِيَهُ مَن لا يُحسِنُهُ ، ويَفرَحَ بِهِ إذا نُسِبَ إلَيهِ ، وكَفى‏ بِالجَهلِ ذَمّاً يَبرَأُ مِنهُ مَن هُوَ فيهِ .³⁰

4452.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.’³¹

4453.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لا كَنزَ أنفَعُ مِنَ العِلمِ .³²

4453.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There is no treasure more profitable than knowledge.’³³

4454.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : لا شَرَفَ كَالعِلمِ .³⁴

4454.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘There is no source of dignity like knowledge.’³⁵

4455.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : كُلُّ وِعاءٍ يَضيقُ بِما جُعِلَ فيهِ إلّا وِعاءَ العِلمِ ؛ فإنَّهُ يَتَّسِعُ بِهِ .³⁶

4455.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.’³⁷

4456.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : إذا أرذَلَ اللَّهُ عَبداً حَظَرَ عَلَيهِ العِلمَ .³⁸

4456.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘When Allah wishes to repudiate someone, he deprives him of knowledge.’³⁹

4457.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : العِلمُ حَياةٌ .⁴⁰

4457.Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Knowledge is life.’⁴¹

4458.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : إنَّ العِلمَ حَياةُ القُلوبِ ، ونورُ الأبصارِ مِنَ العَمى‏ ، وقُوَّةُ الأبدانِ مِنَ الضَّعفِ .⁴²

4458.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.’⁴³

4459.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام - لِكُمَيلٍ لَمّا أخَذَ بِيَدِهِ وأخرَجَهُ إلَى الجَبّانِ‏⁴⁴ فلَمّا أصحَرَ تَنَفَّسَ الصُّعَداءَ وقالَ - : يا كُمَيلُ ، العِلمُ خَيرٌ مِنَ المالِ ، العِلمُ يَحرُسُكَ وأنتَ تَحرُسُ المالَ ، والمالُ تَنقُصُهُ النَّفَقَةُ ، والعِلمُ يَزكو عَلَى الإنفاقِ ، وصَنيعُ المالِ يَزولُ بِزَوالِهِ .⁴⁵

4459. 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 knowledge guards you while you guard wealth, and wealth is reduced by spending, whereas knowledge increases by spending it, and any good produced by wealth [respect and honour] ceases when it ceases to exist.’⁴⁶

4460.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : هَلَكَ خُزّانُ الأموالِ وهُم أحياءٌ، والعُلَماءُ باقونَ ما بَقِيَ الدَّهرُ ، أعيانُهُم مَفقودَةٌ ، وأمثالُهُم فِي القُلوبِ مَوجودَةٌ .⁴⁷

4460.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 [remembering them] continue to remain in the hearts.’⁴⁸

4461.الإمامُ عليٌّ عليه السلام : العالِمُ حَيٌّ وإن كانَ مَيِّتاً ، الجاهِلُ مَيِّتٌ وإن كانَ حَيّاً .⁴⁹

4461.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.’⁵⁰

4462.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : إنَّ قَلباً لَيسَ فيهِ شَي‏ءٌ مِنَ العِلمِ كالبَيتِ الخَرابِ الَّذي لا عامِرَ لَهُ .⁵¹

4462.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, Verily a heart that does not have any knowledge is like a ruined house that has no inhabitants. ⁵²

4463.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : إنَّ العُلَماءَ وَرَثَةُ الأنبِياءِ .⁵³

4463.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Verily the scholars are the heirs of the prophets.’⁵⁴

287 - الاعتكاف‏

287. RETREAT IN THE MOSQUE (itikaf)

1338 - الاعتِكافُ‏

1338. RETREAT IN THE MOSQUE

(وَإذْ جَعَلْنا الْبَيْتَ مَثابَةً لِلنَّاسِ وَأمْناً وَاتَّخِذُوا مِن مَقامِ إبْراهِيمَ مُصَلَّى وَعَهِدنا إلَى‏ إبْراهِيمَ وَإسْماعِيلَ أنْ طَهِّرا بَيْتِيَ لِلطَّائِفِينَ وَالْعاكِفِينَ وَالرُّكَّعِ السُّجُودِ) .¹

“And [remember] when We made the House a place of spiritual reward for mankind and a sanctuary, [declaring], ‘Take the venue of prayer from Abraham’s Station.’ We charged Abraham and Ishmael [with its upkeep, saying], ‘Purify My House for those who go around it, for those who make it a retreat and for those who bow and prostrate.”²

4436.كنز العمّال : كانَ [ النَّبِيُّ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله ] إذا كانَ مُقيماً اعتَكَفَ العَشرَ الأواخِرَ مِن رَمَضانَ ، وإذا سافَرَ اعتَكَفَ مِنَ العامِ المُقبِلِ عِشرينَ .³

4436. Anas narrated: ‘The Prophet (SAWA), if he was in town, would retreat in the mosque the last ten nights of the month of Ramadan, and if he was travelling, would retreat in the mosque twenty nights the following year.’⁴

4437.كتاب من لا يحضره الفقيه عن مَيمون بنِ مِهرانَ : كُنتُ جالِساً عِندَ الحَسَنِ ابنِ عَلِيٍّ عليهما السلام فأتاهُ رَجُلٌ فقالَ لَهُ : يَابنَ رَسولِ اللَّهِ ، إنَّ فُلاناً لَهُ عَلَيَّ مالٌ ويُريدُ أن يَحبِسَني ، فقالَ : وَاللَّهِ ما عِندي مالٌ فأقضِيَ عَنكَ . قالَ : فَكَلِّمْهُ ، قالَ : فلَبِسَ عليه السلام نَعلَهُ ، فقُلتُ لَهُ : يَابنَ رَسولِ اللَّهِ ، أنَسِيتَ اعتِكافَكَ ؟ فقالَ لَهُ : لَم أنسَ ، ولكِنّي سَمِعتُ أبي عليه السلام يُحَدِّثُ عَن (جَدّي) رَسولِ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله أنَّهُ قالَ : مَن سَعى‏ في حاجَةِ أخيهِ المُسلِمِ فَكَأنَّما عَبَدَ اللَّهَ عَزَّوجلَّ تِسعَةَ آلافِ سَنَةٍ ، صائماً نَهارَهُ ، قائماً لَيلَهُ .⁵

4437. Man La Yahduruhu al-Faqih narrates from Maymun b. Mihran, ‘I was once sitting in the presence of al-Hasan b. Ali (AS) when a man came to him, saying, ‘O son of the Prophet of Allah, verily x is claiming money from me that I owe him and he wants to arrest me.’ So he replied, ‘By Allah, I do not have money to pay your debt on your behalf.’ So he asked, ‘Then talk to him.’ So he (AS) put on his sandals, whereupon I asked him, ‘O son of the Prophet of Allah, have you forgotten the fact that you are in a state of retreat?’ So he replied, ‘No, I have not forgotten, but I have heard my father (AS) narrating from the authority of [my grandfather], the Prophet of Allah (SAWA) that he had said, ‘He who strives to fulfil a fellow Muslim brother’s need is as if he has worshipped Allah, Mighty and Exalted, for nine thousand years, fasting during the day and standing in prayer at night.’⁶

4438.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : كانَ رَسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله إذا كانَ العَشرُ الأواخِرُ [ يَعني مِن رَمَضانَ ]اعتَكَفَ في المَسجِدِ ، وضُرِبَت لَهُ قُبَّةٌ مِن شَعرٍ ، وشَمَّرَ الميزَرَ وطَوى‏ فِراشَهُ .⁷

4438.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘The Prophet (SAWA) used to retreat in the mosque the last ten nights [of Ramadan], where a tent of fur would be pitched for him, and he would roll up the skirting and lay out his bedding.’⁸

4439.الإمامُ الصّادقُ عليه السلام : لَا اعتِكافَ إلّا في مَسجِدِ جَماعَةٍ قَد صَلّى‏ فيهِ إمامُ عَدلٍ بِصَلاةِ جَماعَةٍ .⁹

4439.Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘Retreat can only be in a congregational mosque wherein the congregational prayer is led by a just Imam.’¹⁰