“Whoever wants to be an inheritor of the prophets, and a cultivator in their farmlands, let him learn beneficial knowledge—and that is the knowledge of the religion.
[It occurs] in the ḥadīth, ‘The scholars are the inheritors of the prophets.’ And let him attend the sittings of the scholars as they are gardens of Jannah.
And whoever wants to know what his portion is from the care of Allāh, let him look into his portion from understanding the religion. [It occurs] in the ḥadīth, ‘Whoever Allāh wants good for, He grants him understanding of the religion.’
And whoever asks about a path that will lead him to Jannah, let him go to the sitting of knowledge. [It occurs] in the ḥadīth, ‘Whoever treads a path through which he seeks knowledge, Allāh will lead him to a path to Jannah.’
And whoever wants that [the rewards for] his deeds do not cease after his death, let him spread knowledge by writing and teaching. [It occurs] in the ḥadīth, ‘When a person dies, [the rewards for] his deeds cease, except for three: a continuous charity, a knowledge which is being benefitted from, or anything righteous child who prays for him.’
And [it occurs] in the narration from ʿAlī bn Abī Ṭālib, may Allāh be pleased with him: ‘When the scholar dies, a hole is made in Islām, and no one seals it except a successor like him.’
And from Abū Al-Aswad, who said: ‘The kings are the rulers of the people, while the scholars are the rulers of the kings.’
And Fatḥ Al-Mawṣilī said: ‘Does the patient not die when he is deprived of food, drink, and medication?’ It was said to him, ‘Of course.’ He said, ‘Same is the heart. When it is deprived of knowledge and wisdom for three days, it dies.’
And ʿUmar bn Al-Khaṭṭāb, may Allāh be pleased with him, said: ‘Whoever narrates a ḥadīth and it was acted upon, he will have a reward similar to that action.’
And Al-Ḥasan said: ‘If not for the scholars, the people would have become similar to animals.’
O you whom Allāh created as a human, do not make yourself an animal due to [your] little knowledge, and compete in raising your value with knowledge. Whoever does not have knowledge has no value.
Seize [the opportunity of] seeking knowledge and attend its sittings. For whoever is not a scholar nor a seeker of knowledge is in the status of an animal and his fiṭrah (natural disposition) is not sound.”
Reference: At-Tadhkirah pp. 55–56
