1340 - فَضلُ العِلمِ عَلَى العِبادَةِ

1340. THE SUPERIORITY OF KNOWLEDGE TO ACTS OF WORSHIP

4464.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : قَليلُ العِلمِ خَيرٌ مِن كَثيرِ العِبادَةِ .¹

4464.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘A little knowledge is better than a lot of worship.’²

4465.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : نَومٌ مَعَ عِلمٍ خَيرٌ مِن صَلاةٍ عَلى‏ جَهلٍ .³

4465.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘To sleep having knowledge is better than to pray in ignorance.’⁴

4466.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : إنَّ فَضلَ العالِمِ عَلى العابِدِ كفَضلِ الشَّمسِ عَلى الكَواكِبِ ، وفَضلُ العابِدِ عَلى‏ غَيرِ العابِدِ كفَضلِ القَمَرِ عَلى الكَواكِبِ .⁵

4466.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘Verily the knowledgeable man is superior to the [mere] worshipper as the sun is to the stars, and the worshipper is superior to the one who does not worship as the superiority of the moon to the stars.’⁶

4467.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : ساعَةٌ مِن عالِمٍ يَتَّكِئُ عَلى‏ فِراشِهِ يَنظُرُ في عَمَلِهِ ، خَيرٌ مِن عِبادَةِ العابِدِ سَبعينَ عاماً.⁷

4467.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘An hour spent by a knowledgeable man lying on his bed thinking about his deeds is better than seventy years spent by the worshipper performing acts of worship.’⁸

4468.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : فَضلُ العالِمِ عَلى العابِدِ بِسَبعينَ دَرَجَةً ، بَينَ كُلِّ دَرَجَتَينِ حُضْرُ الفَرَسِ سَبعينَ عاماً ؛ وذلكَ أنَّ الشَّيطانَ يَضَعُ البِدعَةَ لِلنّاسِ فيُبصِرُها العالِمُ فيَنهى‏ عَنها ، والعابِدُ مُقبِلٌ عَلى‏ عِبادَتِهِ لا يَتَوَجَّهُ لَها ولا يَعرِفُها .⁹

4468.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘The knowledgeable man is superior to the [mere] worshipper by seventy degrees, the distance between two degrees spanning the gallop of a horse for seventy years; and this is because Satan plants an innovation amongst people which the knowledgeable man notices and prohibits, whilst the worshipper attends to his worship neither taking any notice of it nor recognising it.’¹⁰

4469.رسولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللَّه عليه وآله : وَالّذي نَفسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدهِ ! لَعالِمٌ واحِدٌ أشَدُّ عَلى‏ إبليسَ مِن ألفِ عابِدٍ ؛ لأِنَّ العابِدَ لِنَفسِهِ والعالِمَ لِغَيرِهِ .¹¹

4469.The Prophet (SAWA) said, ‘By the One Who holds Muhammad’s soul in His Grasp! Verily one knowledgeable man is more difficult for Satan to bear than seventy worshippers, for the worshipper serves himself whilst the knowledgeable man serves others.’¹²

4470.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : تَذاكُرُ العِلمِ ساعَةً خَيرٌ مِن قِيامِ لَيلَةٍ .¹³

4470.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘Revising knowledge for an hour is better than staying up the whole night in worship.’¹⁴

4471.الإمامُ الباقرُ عليه السلام : عالِمٌ يُنتَفِعُ بِعِلمِه ، أفضَلُ مِن سَبعينَ ألفِ عابِدٍ .¹⁵

4471.Imam al-Baqir (AS) said, ‘The knowledgeable man who is beneficial [to others] as a result of his knowledge is better than seventy thousand worshippers.’¹⁶