Three Groups Seek Knowledge
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3-270 حدثنا محمد بن موسى بن المتوكل رضي الله عنه قال: حدثنا علي بن الحسين السعد آبادي قال: حدثنا أحمد بن أبي عبد الله البرقي، عن محمد بن سنان، عن أبي الجارود زياد بن المنذر، عن سعيد بن علاقة قال: قال أمير المؤمنين عليه السلام: طلبة هذا العلم على ثلاثة أصناف ألا فاعرفوهم بصفاتهم وأعيانهم: صنف منهم يتعلمون العلم للمراء والجهل، وصنف منهم يتعلمون للاستطالة والختل، وصنف منهم يتعلمون للفقه والعقل، فأما صاحب المراء والجهل تراه مؤذيا مماريا للرجال في أندية المقال، وقد تسربل بالتخشع وتخلى من الورع، فدق الله من هذا حيزومه وقطع منه خيشومه أما صاحب الاستطالة والختل فانه يستطيل على أشباهه من أشكاله ويتواضع للاغنياء من دونهم، فهو لحلوانهم هاضم، ولدينه حاطم، فأعمى الله من هذا بصره، وقطع من آثار العلماء أثره. وأما صاحب الفقه والعقل تراه ذا كأبة وحزن، قد قام الليل في حندسه، وقد انحنى في برنسه ، يعمل ويخشى خائفا وجلا من كل أحد إلا من كل فقيه من إخوانه، فشد الله من هذا أركانه، وأعطاه يوم القيامة أمانه
3-270 Muhammad ibn Musa ibn al-Mutevakil - may God be pleased with him - narrated that Ali ibn al-Hussein al-Sa’ed Abady quoted Ahmad ibn Aba Abdullah al-Barqy, on the authority of Muhammad ibn Sin’an, on the authority of Abil Jarud Zyad ibn al-Monzar, on the authority of Sa’id ibn Alaqat that the Commander of the Faithful Imam Ali (MGB) said, “Those who seek knowledge can be classified into three groups. You can distinguish them from each other by their characteristics and signs. There are those who seek knowledge due to their haughtiness and ignorance. There are those who seek knowledge so that they may rebel and deceive others. There are also those who seek knowledge to learn and become intelligent. Those who seek knowledge due to their haughtiness and ignorance disturb the people with their acts when they are in a group. They have a God-fearing outer look, while they are void of any piety. May God break their backs and cut off their noses! Those who seek knowledge due to their haughtiness and ignorance always rush ahead of their colleagues and make a lot of noise. They bow down to those who are lower themselves but are wealthy. They always feed on them and sell their religion. May God make them blind and uproot them. Those who seek knowledge to learn and become intelligent do not look so well and are sad. They wake up during the darkness of the night to pray. They will bend down while wearing their nightwear. They act with fear and avoid everyone except their brethren to whom they are accustomed. May God strengthen them and save them on the Resurrection Day.”