Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

The Scholar

The Scholar-العالِمُ

  1. The scholar is one whose actions attest to the veracity of his words.

1ـ اَلعالِمُ مَنْ شَهِدَتْ بِصِحَّةِ أقْوالِهِ أفْعالُهُ.

  1. Scholars are strangers [in their own land] because of the large numbers of ignorant people.

2ـ اَلعُلَماءُ غُرَباءٌ لِكَثْرَةِ الجُهّالِ.

  1. The scholar is one who is not satisfied with [his] knowledge nor does he allow himself to be satiated by it.

3ـ اَلعالِمُ مَنْ لايَشْبَعُ مِنَ العِلْمِ، وَلايَتَشَبَّعُ بِهِ.

  1. The scholar recognizes the ignorant one because he used to be ignorant [himself] before.

4ـ اَلعالِمُ يَعْرِفُ الجاهِلَ لأنَّهُ كانَ قَبْلُ جاهِلاً.

  1. The scholar who is truly a scholar, is one who does not prevent the servants from having hope in the mercy of Allah and [at the same time] does not give them false security from the scheme of Allah.

5ـ اَلعالِمُ كُلُّ العالِمِ مَنْ لَمْ يَمْنَعِ العِبادَ الرَّجاءَ

لِرَحْمَةِ اللّهِ ولَمْ يُؤْمِنْهُمْ مَكْرَاللّهِ.

  1. The scholar and the student are partners in reward; there no good in anything between this.[^1]

6ـ اَلعالِمُ والمُتَعَلِّمُ شَريكانِ فِي الأجْرِ، وَلاخَيْـرَ فيما

بَيْنَ ذلِكَ.

  1. Scholars are the purest of people in character and the least rooted in [vain] desires.

7ـ اَلعُلَماءُ أطْهَرُ النّاسِ أخْلاقاً، وأقَلُّهُمْ فِي المَطامِعِ

أعْراقاً.

  1. The scholar is a living [person] among the dead.

8ـ اَلعالِمُ حَيٌّ بَيْـنَ المَوْتى.

  1. Be careful not to disparage scholars, for indeed this will degrade you and make others think ill of you and expect evil from you.

9ـ إيّاكَ أنْ تَسْتَخِفَّ بِالعُلَماءِ، فَإنَّ ذلِكَ يُزْري بِكَ،

ويُسِـيءُ الظَّنَّ بِكَ، والمَخِيلَةَ فيكَ.

  1. The most learned among you are the most fearful of you.

10ـ أعْلَمُكُمْ أخْوَفُكُمْ.

  1. The people who are most deserving of the [guidance of the] Prophets are those who have the most knowledge about what they came with.

11ـ أوْلَى النّاسِ بِالأنْبِياءِ، أعْلَمُهُمْ بِما جاؤُا بِهِ.

  1. The most learned person is the one who is most infatuated with knowledge.

12ـ أعْلَمُ النّاسِ اَلمُسْتَهْتَرُ بِالعِلْمِ.

  1. The most learned of people about Allah, the Glorified, are the most fearful of Him.

13ـ أعْلَمُ النّاسِ بِاللّهِ سُبْحانَهُ أخْوَفُهُمْ مِنْهُ.

  1. The most learned of people about Allah, the Glorified, are the most satisfied with His decree.

14ـ أعْلَمُ النّاسِ بِاللّهِ أرْضاهُمْ بِقَضائِهِ.

  1. The greatest of people in knowledge are the most intense in [their] fear of Allah, the Glorified.

15ـ أعْظَمُ النّاسِ عِلْماً أشَدُّهُمْ خَوْفاً لِلّهِ سُبْحانَهُ.

  1. The most learned of people about Allah are those who are most fearful of Him.

16ـ أعْلَمُ النَّاسِ بِاللّهِ أكْثَرُهُمْ خَشْيَةً لَهُ.

  1. The most hated of servants in the sight of Allah is the haughty scholar.

17ـ أبْغَضُ العِبادِ إلَى اللّهِ سُبْحانَهُ العالِمُ المُتَجَبِّرُ.

  1. Those with the greatest burden among the people are the scholars who exceed the limits.

18ـ أعْظَمُ النّاسِ وِزِراً اَلعُلَماءُ المُفَرِّطُونَ.

  1. The most regretful of all people at the time of death are the scholars who don’t act on their knowledge.

19ـ أشَدُّ النّاسِ نَدَماً عِنْدَ المَوْتِ العُلَماءُ غَيْرُ

العامِلِينَ.

  1. The most learned of people is one whose doubt does not dispel his certainty.

20ـ أعْلَمُ النّاسِمَنْ لَمْ يُزِلِ الشَّكُّ يَقينَهُ.

  1. The person who is most learned about Allah is he who asks from Him the most.

21ـ أعْلَمُ النّاسِبِاللّهِ أكْثَرُهُمْ لَهُ مَسْئَلَةً.

  1. Verily the narrators of knowledge are many, but those who are careful of [acting upon] it are few.

22ـ إنَّ رُواةَ العِلْمِ كَثِيرٌ، ورُعاتَهُ قَليلٌ.

  1. Verily the people who are most deserving of the [guidance of the] Prophets - peace be upon them - are those who have the most knowledge about (or act upon) their teachings.

23ـ إنَّ أوْلَى النّاسِ بِالأنْبِياءِ ـ عَلَيْهِمُ السّلامُ ـ

أعْلَمُهُمْ (اَعْمَلُهُم) بِما جاؤُاْ بِهِ.

  1. The scholar is honoured because of his knowledge, the elderly because of his age, the doer of good because of his goodness and the king because of his kingship.

24ـ يُكْرَمُ العالِمُ لِعِلْمِهِ، والكَبيرُ لِسِنِّهِ، وذُو

المَعْرُوفِ لِمَعْرُوفِهِ، وَالسُّلْطانُ لِسُلْطانِهِ.

  1. The scholars are judges over the people.

25ـ اَلعُلَماءُ حُكَّامٌ عَلَى النّاسِ.

  1. The scholar is alive even when he is dead.

26ـ اَلعالِمُ حَيٌّ، وإنْ كانَ مَيِّتاً.

  1. The scholar is one who knows his [own] status [and worth].

27ـ اَلعالِمُ مَنْ عَرَفَ قَدْرَهُ.

  1. The scholar sees with his heart and his mind while the ignorant one sees with his eyes and his eyesight.

28ـ اَلعالِمُ يَنْظُرُ بِقَلْبِهِ وَخاطِرِهِ، اَلجاهِلُ يَنْظُرُ

بِعَيْنِهِ وَناظِرهِ.

  1. The scholar is a person who does not get weary of gaining knowledge.

29ـ اَلعالِمُ الَّذي لايَمُلُّ مِنْ تَعَلُّمِ العِلْمِ.

  1. Scholars live on as long as the day and night remains.

30ـ اَلعُلَماءُ باقُونَ ما بَقِيَ اللَّيْلُ والنَّهارُ.

  1. The concealer of knowledge is not certain of being correct in it.

31ـ اَلْكاتِمُ لِلْعِلْمِ غَيْـرُ واثِق بِالإصابَةِ فيهِ.

  1. Only he is a scholar whose knowledge calls him to piety and God-wariness, to abstinence from the pleasures of the transient world and to infatuation with the heavenly abode.

32ـ إنَّمَـا العالِمُ مَنْ دَعاهُ عِلْمُهُ إلَى الوَرَعِ والتُّقى،

والزُّهْدِ في عالَمِ الفَناءِ، والتَّوَلُّهِ بِجَنَّةِ المَأْوى.

  1. The bane of scholars is love for leadership [and authority].

33ـ آفَةُ العُلَماءِ حُبُّ الرِّياسَةِ.

  1. When you see a [true] scholar, be a servant to him.

34ـ إذا رَأيْتَ عالِماً فَكُنْ لَهُ خادِماً.

  1. Congratulations to the scholar who knows and thus restrains himself [from sin], and who fears the sudden coming [of death] so he prepares himself and gets ready. If he is questioned he articulates, and if he is left he remains silent; his speech is accurate and his silence is not because of his inability to give an answer.

35ـ بَخّ بَخّ لِعالِم عَلِمَ فَكَفَّ، وخافَ البَياتَ فَأعَدَّ

واسْتَعَدَّ، إنْ سُئِلَ أفْصَحَ، وإنْ تُرِكَ سَكَتَ (صَمَتَ)، كَلامُهُ صَوابٌ، وسُكُوتُهُ عَنْ غَيْـرِ عَيّ عَنِ الجَوابِ.

  1. Sit in the company of scholars and you will be felicitous.

36ـ جالِسِ العُلَماءَ تَسْعَدْ.

  1. Sit in the company of scholars and you will increase your knowledge.

37ـ جالِسِ العُلَماءَ تَزْدَدْ عِلْماً.

  1. The beauty of a scholar is [in] his acting upon his knowledge.

38ـ جَمالُ العالِمِ عَمَلُهُ بِعِلْمِهِ.

  1. Sit with the scholars and your knowledge will increase, your etiquette will improve and your soul will become purified.

39ـ جالِسِ العُلَماءَ، يَزْدَدْ عِلْمُكَ، ويَحْسُنْ أدَبُكَ، وتَزْكُ

نَفْسُكَ.

  1. Be close to the scholars and you will perceive.

40ـ جاوِرِ العُلَماءَ تَسْتَبْصِرْ.

  1. Many a scholar is killed by his knowledge.

41ـ رُبَّ عالِم قَتَلَهُ عِلْمُهُ.

  1. Many a person who claims to have knowledge is not a scholar.

42ـ رُبَّ مُدَّع لِلْعِلْمِ لَيْسَ بِعالِم.

  1. Many a scholar does not benefit [from his knowledge].

43ـ رُبَّ عالِم غَيْرُ مُنْتَفِع.

  1. The rank of a scholar is the highest of ranks.

44ـ رُتْبَةُ العالِمِ أعْلَى المَراتِبِ.

  1. The lapse [and misguidance] of a scholar corrupts entire worlds.

45ـ زَلَّةُ العالِمِ تُفْسِدُ عَوالِمَ.

  1. The lapse of a scholar is like the breaking up of a ship, it sinks and causes others to sink along with it.

46ـ زَلَّةُ العالِمِ كَانْكِسارِ السَّفينَةِ، تَغْرَقُ، وتُغَرِّقُ

مَعَها غَيْـرَها.

  1. The lapse of a scholar is a serious offence.

47ـ زَلَّةُ العالِمِ كَبِيرَةُ الجِنايَةِ.

  1. It is upon the scholar to learn that which he does not know and to teach the people what he has learnt.

48ـ عَلَى العالِمِ أنْ يَتَعَلَّمَ مالَمْ يَعْلَمْ، وَيُعَلِّمَ

النّاسَ ما قَدْ عَلِمَ.

  1. It is the duty of the scholar to act upon what he knows and then seek to learn that which he does not know.

49ـ عَلَى العالِمِ أنْ يَعْمَلَ بِما عَلِمَ، ثُمَ يَطْلُبُ تَعَلُّمَ

ما لَمْ يَعْلَمْ.

  1. A scholar who opposes you is better than the ignorant person who assists you.

50ـ عالِمٌ مُعانِدٌ خَيْـرٌ مِنْ جاهِل مُساعِد.

  1. Every scholar is fearful [of Allah].

51ـ كُلُّ عالِم خائِفٌ.

  1. How many a scholar is corrupt and [how many] a worshipper is ignorant, so be wary of the corrupt among the scholars and the ignorant among the worshippers.

52ـ كَمْ مِنْ عالِم فاجِر وعابِد جاهِل، فَاتَّقُوا الفاجِرَ مِنَ

العُلَماءِ، وَالجاهِلَ مِنَ المُتَعَبِّدينَ.

  1. It is enough of ignorance for a scholar that his actions contradict his knowledge.

53ـ كَفى بِالعالِمِ جَهْلاً أنْ يُنافِيَ عِلْمَهُ عَمَلُهُ.

  1. Be either a knowledgeable speaker or a keen listener, and beware of being the third type.

54ـ كُنْ عالِماً ناطِقاً، أوْ مُسْتَمِعاً واعِياً، وإيّاكَ أنْ

تَـكُونَ الثّالِثَ.

  1. Be knowledgeable about the truth and act upon it, [and through this] Allah, the Glorified, will save you.

55ـ كُنْ عالِماً بِالحَقِّ، عامِلاً بِهِ، يُنْجِكَ اللّهُ سُبْحانَهُ.

  1. If the people of knowledge were to carry it as it deserves to be carried, Allah and His angels would surely love them, but they bear it in order to seek worldly gain, so Allah, the Exalted, is displeased with them and they are thus abased by it.

56ـ لَوْ أنَّ أهْلَ العِلْمِ حَمَلُوهُ بِحَقِّهِ لأحَبَّهُمُ اللّهُ

ومَلائِكَتُهُ، ولكِنَّهُمْ حَمَلُوهُ لِطَلَبِ الدُّنيا، فَمَقَتَهُمُ اللّهُ تَعالى وهانُوا عَلَيْهِ.

  1. One who has knowledge asks good [and pertinent] questions.

57ـ مَنْ عَلِمَ أحْسَنَ السُّؤالَ.

  1. One who knows must act upon his knowledge.

58ـ مَنْ عَلِمَ عَمِلَ.

  1. One who gains knowledge (or acts [upon his knowledge]) is rightly guided.

59ـ مَنْ عَلِمَ (عَمِلَ) ِهْتَدى.

  1. One who wastes his knowledge [by not acting upon it] faces turmoil.

60ـ مَنْ أضاعَ عِلْمَهُ اِلْتَطَمَ.

  1. One who reveres a scholar has revered his Lord.

61ـ مَنْ وَقَّرَ عالِماً فَقَدْ وَقَّرَ رَبَّهُ.

  1. Whoever does not nurture his knowledge in solitude, it humiliates him among the people.

62ـ مَنْ لَمْ يَتَعاهَدْ عِلْمَهُ فِي الخَلإِ فَضَحَهُ فِي المَلإِ.

  1. One who claims to have reached the end of knowledge has manifested the highest level of ignorance.

63ـ مَنِ ادَّعى مِنَ العِلْمِ غايَتَهُ فَقَدْ أظْهَرَ مِنْ جَهْلِهِ

نِهايَتَهُ.

  1. It is necessary for every scholar to secure his sides with piety and to extend his knowledge to the one who seeks it.

64ـ مِنَ المَفْرُوضِ عَلى كُلِّ عالِم أنْ يَصُونَ بِالوَرَعِ جانِبَهُ،

وأنْ يَبْذُلَ عِلْمَهُ لِطالِبِهِ.

  1. Considering your knowledge (or action) as little is from the excellence of your knowledge.

65ـ مِنْ فَضْلِ عِلْمِكَ اِسْتِقْلالُكَ لِعِلْمِكَ (لِعَمَلِكَ).

  1. He who does not act upon his knowledge has not truly gained knowledge.

66ـ ما عَلِمَ مَنْ لَمْ يَعْمَلْ بِعِلْمِهِ.

  1. How many are those who gain knowledge but do not follow it!

67ـ ما أكْثَرَ مَنْ يَعْلَمُ العِلْمَ وَلا يَتَّبِعُهُ.

  1. Allah, the Glorified, did not make it incumbent upon the ignorant one to learn until He had made it incumbent upon the learned to teach.

68ـ ما أخَذَ اللّهُ سُبْحانَهُ عَلَى الجاهِلِ أنْ يَتَعَلَّمَ حَتّى

أخَذَ عَلَى العالِمِ أنْ يُعَلِّمَ.

  1. Only two [types of] people have broken my back: the impudent scholar and the ignorant worshipper. One drives people away from the truth by his immorality and the other invites people to falsehood with his devotion.

69ـ ما قَصَمَ ظَهْري إلاّ رَجُلانِ: عالِمٌ مُتَهَتِّكٌ وجاهِلٌ

مَتَنَسِّكٌ، هذا يُنَفِّرُ عَنْ حَقِّهِ بِهَتْكِهِ، وهذا يَدْعُو إلى باطِلِه بِنُسْكِهِ.

  1. The competition (or argumentation) of the scholars results in their gaining benefit and their earning merits.

70ـ مُنافَسَةُ (مُناقَشَةُ) العُلَماءِ تُنْتِجُ فَوائِدَهُمْ،

وتَكْسِبُ فَضائِلَهُمْ.

  1. The keepers of material treasures are annihilated while they are [still] alive while the scholars remain as long as the nights and days remain. Their bodies are lost but their examples [and teachings continue to] remain in the hearts.

71ـ هَلَكَ خُزّانُ الأمْوالِ وهُمْ أحْياءٌ، والعُلَماءُ باقُوْنَ ما

بَقِيَ اللَّيْلُ وَالنَّهارُ، أعْيانُهُمْ مَفْقُودَةٌ وأمْثالُهُمْ فِي القُلُوبِ مَوْجُودَةٌ.

  1. Never disrespect a scholar, even if he is lowly.

72ـ لاتَزْدَرِيَنَّ العالِمَ وإنْ كانَ حَقيراً.

  1. There is no lapse more serious than the lapse of a scholar.

73ـ لازَلَّةَ أشَدُّ مِنْ زَلَّةِ عالِم.

  1. A scholar is not a true scholar until he stops being jealous of one who is above him, does not demean one who is below him and does not take in return for his knowledge anything of the vanities of this world.

74ـ لايَكُونُ العالِمُ عالِماً حَتّى لايَحْسُدَ مَنْ فَوْقَهُ،

ولايَحْتَقِرَ مَنْ دُونَهُ، وَلايَأْخُذُ عَلى عِلْمِهِ شَيْئاًمِنْ حُطامِ الدُّنيا.

  1. The knowledge of a man should surpass his speech and his intelligence should prevail over his tongue.

75ـ يَنْبَغي أنْ يَكُونَ عِلْمُ الرَّجُلِ زائِداً عَلى نُطْقِهِ،

وعَقْلُهُ غالِباً عَلى لِسانِهِ.

  1. The bane of the masses is a corrupt scholar.

76ـ آفَةُ العامَّةِ العالِمُ الفاجِرُ.

[^1]: Meaning there is no good in anyone other than the scholar and the student.