Excellence of knowledge

Book 1. THE BOOK OF WORSHIP

Part I. Knowledge 

Ch 1. Knowledge, learning and teaching

Excellence of knowledge

God says: God, angels and those learned men who stand on justice bear testimony that there is no deity but He - 3: 18. Now look, dear readers, how God began attestation first by Himself, then by His angels and then by the learned. It is understood from this verse that the rank of the learned and their honour are much high. 

Hadith: He said: The learned are the heirs of the prophets. From these, it is understood that there is no rank above the rank of prophethood and there is no honour higher than its inheritance. 

Sayings of the sages: Hazrat Ali said to Kamil: 0 Kamil, knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge guards you but you are guarding wealth. Knowledge dispenses justice, while wealth seeks justice. Wealth decreases with expense while knowledge increase with expense. He said: A learned man is better than one who prays and fights in the way of God. When a learned man dies, such a calamity befalls on Islam which cannot be removed except by his successor.