In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
“Is he who payeth adoration in the watches of the night, prostrate and standing, bewaring of the Hereafter and hoping for the mercy of his Lord, (to be accounted equal with a disbeliever)? Say (unto them, O Muhammad): Are those who know equal with those who know not? But only men of understanding will pay heed.” (39:9)
The Splendors of Knowledge according to the Sages.
By Dr. Hamzah Ibn Fayi' Al Fathi.
May Allah preserve him.
The Spans of Knowledge.
Imam 'Amir al-Sha'bi, may Allah the Exalted have mercy upon him, said:
He who passed away in the year 103 AH.
Knowledge consists of three spans.
Whoever attains the first span,
Becomes arrogant and thinks he has attained it all.
And whoever attains the second span,
Becomes humble before himself and realizes he has attained nothing.
As for the third span,
Alas, no one ever attains it.
Knowledge is both a trial and a gift.
It is a gift for the pious,
And a trial for the wretched,
Those who do not grasp its lessons,
And do not take heed of its etiquette.
Among its most important etiquettes,
Is not to be deluded,
To remain humble within it,
And to be certain of its vastness and depth.
Therefore, as some have said:
Do not be a "man of one span,"
Meaning that arrogant person who has memorized a matter or two,
Then goes about,
With his nose held high,
Looking down upon his brothers,
Devoid of all manners, forbearance, and mercy.
Thus, al-Sha'bi, may Allah have mercy on him, warns against these spans of knowledge.
The first is the beginner who is arrogant.
The second is the one who humbles himself,
Realizing he has neither reached the goal nor achieved the objective.
He is akin to the truly humble,
Who has studied fiqh but does not claim to be a jurist,
And has learned,
Yet deflects the role of the seeker out of humility and compassion.
The third span is the best and highest of them,
Where one realizes he knows nothing at all.
He believes in a state beyond humility,
Always highlighting his own ignorance and shortcomings,
Knowing that what he possesses is but a meager amount,
A superficial understanding,
And limited insight.
He sits the way the humble poor sit,
He greets everyone,
And does not distinguish himself with titles or ranks,
Or specific signs or symbols.
That is the scholar in truth,
And the jurist in sincerity,
For those who reach it or touch its branches.
Peace.