3-257 Abul Hassan Muhammad ibn Ali ibn ash-Shah narrated that Abu Ishaq al-Khavas quoted Muhammad ibn Yunus al-Kadimi, on the authority of Sufyan ibn Vaki’a , on the authority of his father, on the authority of Sufyan al-Sowri, on the authority of Mansoor, on the authority of Mujahid, on the authority of Komayl ibn Zyad, “Ali ibn Abi Talib (MGB) came to me, took my hand and took me out to the desert (outside of the town of Kufa). He sat down. I sat down, too. Then he (MGB) raised his head up and told me, ‘O Komayl! Remember what I will tell you. The people are in three groups: divine scholars; students seeking to be saved; and the pests in the air which fly in whichever direction the wind blows. They are the ones who have not benefitted from any rays of knowledge and have not sought refuge in any strong base. O Komayl! Knowledge is better than wealth. Knowledge will guard you, but you must guard your wealth. Wealth will be reduced once spent, but knowledge will increase when it is spread. O Komayl! Expressing love by the students for the scholars is in return for what they have borrowed from them (i.e. their knowledge). Students must obey their teachers for as long as they are alive and should honor their names after their death. There will be no return of wealth once it is lost. O Komayl! Those who hoard up wealth are the living dead! The scholars are the ones who are alive. They shall even survive after their death to the end of time. Their bodies shall perish, but their teachings shall be living in the people’s hearts. Yes, there exists in here (while he was pointing to his heart) an endless treasure of knowledge. I wish I could find good students who deserved to receive it. I have a student who learns it, but is not trustworthy. He uses the religion as a tool to gain worldly benefits. He oppresses the servants of God using God’s Proofs and overcomes them using God’s Blessings. He does so to gather the weak and uneducated people around himself to support him, and oppose the true Friend of God. I have another student who is a sincere follower of his teacher, but he is not wise enough to be able to retain his knowledge. He starts to doubt things with the slightest bit of doubt in his heart. I have another student who is neither like the former nor like the latter. However, he delves into pleasure-seeking. He is extremely lustful and in love with worldly treasures. Neither of these can propagate the religion. They are more or less like the four-legged animals. Therefore, knowledge will vanish upon the death of the one who possesses it. I swear by God that the Earth shall not be left void of God’s Proof . It will either be apparent, but oppressed by the oppressors, hidden behind curtains, on deep waves and invisible to the eyes so that God’s Proofs and His Clear Signs do not get destroyed.How many of them are there? They are small in number, but are always of the highest rank. It is through them that God will retain His Proofs and Clear Signs so that they may entrust them to worthy men like themselves; and can foster them in the hearts of those who are similar to themselves. They have delved deeply into the affairs of the world and have attained the utmost level of certitude. What is extremely difficult for the lovers of this world is easy for them. They are accustomed to what the illiterate ones evade. Their bodies are in this world, but their souls are eager for the heavens. O Komayl! Your masters are God’s successors and the ones who invite others to His Religion. O I am very eager to see them. I beseech God’s forgiveness for both you and I.”The compiler of this book - may God be pleased with him - said, “I have reported this tradition in many various ways in the book Kamal ad-Din wa Itamam an-Ne’mat Fi Isbat al-Qaybat va Kashf al-Hayrat.”