Part of Rawnaq Al-Ilm (series completed)
· Lesson 1 of 50
The book of the elegance of knowledge among the wise | Episode (1) | The trade-off between knowledge and money
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Transcript
Machine translation — may contain errors
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
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“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)
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The Splendor of Knowledge according to the Sages.
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By Dr. Hamzah ibn Fa'i' al-Fathi.
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May Allah preserve him.
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The Superiority of Knowledge over Wealth.
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Ali ibn Abi Talib, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
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Knowledge is better than wealth.
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For you must guard wealth, whereas knowledge guards you.
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Wealth is diminished by spending,
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While knowledge grows through dissemination.
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Knowledge is a ruler,
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While wealth is ruled over.
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The hoarders of wealth have died while still alive,
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While the scholars remain as long as time endures.
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Their physical forms are lost,
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But their traces remain present in the hearts.
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Wealth deceives many,
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And they are tempted by it.
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It is the reason why groups of them turn away from knowledge,
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And immerse themselves in the worldly life, accumulating and pursuing it.
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It is regrettable
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That they believe all glory and pride lie in wealth,
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Forgetting the glories of knowledge and its high status,
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And that its glory surpasses all wealth and adornment.
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Even kings and the wealthy seek it,
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Wishing they could reach the ranks of its people,
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Or attain even a small portion of it.
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Ali, may Allah be pleased with him, said in excellent poetry:
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True pride belongs only to the people of knowledge, for they
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Are guides to the truth for those who seek guidance.
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Among the reasons for its superiority over wealth
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Is that you must guard wealth,
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While knowledge guards you.
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Wealth is dissipated by spending,
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While knowledge is blessed by sharing.
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Knowledge is a ruler, and wealth is ruled over.
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The people of wealth have died while still alive;
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They have neither mention nor glory.
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But the scholars are alive,
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Even if their physical forms have departed,
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For knowledge has immortalized them,
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And a good reputation has kept them alive.
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Look at the great scholars of Islam,
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And what their heritage contains,
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And the biographical dictionaries regarding them and their achievements;
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You will find something truly wondrous.
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Like the four jurists:
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Abu Hanifah and Malik,
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And al-Shafi'i and Ahmad.
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And the six Imams of hadith,
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Such as al-Bukhari and Muslim,
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And the great verifiers of knowledge,
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Such as al-Nawawi, Ibn Taymiyyah, and Ibn al-Qayyim,
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Whose names fill our books and university theses.
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Meanwhile, the merchants of their eras
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Are hardly mentioned, save for a very few.
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The ultimate purpose of these distinctions
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Is to urge the soul to strive in its pursuit,
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To persevere in seeking it,
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And to pursue it without relent or procrastination.
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It has become clear through observation, reality, and outcomes
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That knowledge is magnificent,
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Its allure is dazzling,
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And it transcends all worldly goods and temptations.
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“Then exalted be Allah, the True King! And hasten not (O Muhammad) with the Qur'an ere its revelation hath been perfected unto thee, and say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.” (20:114)
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Peace.