الْغَنِيَّ مَجْداً وَ كَيْفَ يَظُنُّ ابْنُ آدَمَ أَنْ يَتَهَيَّأَ لَهُ أَمْرُ دِينِهِ وَ مَعِيشَتِهِ بِغَيْرِ حِكْمَةٍ وَ لَنْ يُهَيِّئَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَمْرَ الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ إِلَّا بِالْحِكْمَةِ وَ مَثَلُ الْحِكْمَةِ بِغَيْرِ طَاعَةٍ مَثَلُ الْجَسَدِ بِلَا نَفْسٍ أَوْ مَثَلُ الصَّعِيدِ بِلَا مَاءٍ وَ لَا صَلَاحَ لِلْجَسَدِ بِغَيْرِ نَفْسٍ وَ لَا لِلصَّعِيدِ بِغَيْرِ مَاءٍ وَ لَا لِلْحِكْمَةِ بِغَيْرِ طَاعَةٍ.

the rich man in glory. And how does the son of Adam suppose that the matter of his religion and of his livelihood should be made ready for him without wisdom? And God, mighty and majestic, will never make ready the matter of this world and of the hereafter save by wisdom. And the likeness of wisdom without obedience is the likeness of the body without a soul, or the likeness of the dust without water; and there is no soundness for the body without a soul, nor for the dust without water, nor for wisdom without obedience.

«52»- وَ مِنْهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله الْعِلْمُ عِلْمَانِ عِلْمُ الْأَدْيَانِ وَ عِلْمُ الْأَبْدَانِ.

«52»- And from it, from the Prophet — may God bless him and his family: Knowledge is two knowledges: the knowledge of the religions and the knowledge of the bodies.

«53»- وَ قَالَ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله مَنْ يُرِدِ اللَّهُ بِهِ خَيْراً يُفَقِّهْهُ فِي الدِّينِ.

«53»- And he — may God bless him and his family — said: Whomever God intends good for, He gives him understanding in religion.

«54»- عدة، عدة الداعي قَالَ الْعَالِمُ عليه السلام أَوْلَى الْعِلْمِ بِكَ مَا لَا يَصْلُحُ لَكَ الْعَمَلُ إِلَّا بِهِ وَ أَوْجَبُ الْعِلْمِ عَلَيْكَ مَا أَنْتَ مَسْئُولٌ عَنِ الْعَمَلِ بِهِ وَ أَلْزَمُ الْعِلْمِ لَكَ مَا دَلَّكَ عَلَى صَلَاحِ قَلْبِكَ وَ أَظْهَرَ لَكَ فَسَادَهُ وَ أَحْمَدُ الْعِلْمِ عَاقِبَةً مَا زَادَ فِي عَمَلِكَ الْعَاجِلِ.

«54»- 'dda, 'Uddat al-Da'i: The Knowing One, peace be upon him, said: The most fitting knowledge for you is that without which your deed is not sound; and the most obligatory knowledge upon you is that concerning the acting by which you will be questioned; and the most binding knowledge for you is that which points you to the soundness of your heart and makes plain to you its corruption; and the most praiseworthy knowledge in outcome is that which increases your present deed.

«55»- مُنْيَةُ الْمُرِيدِ، قَالَ الصَّادِقُ عليه السلام مَا مِنْ أَحَدٍ يَمُوتُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ أَحَبَّ إِلَى إِبْلِيسَ مِنْ مَوْتِ فَقِيهٍ.

«55»- Munyat al-Murid: al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: There is none of the believers who dies more beloved to Iblis than the death of a jurist.

«56»- وَ عَنْهُ عليه السلام إِذَا مَاتَ الْمُؤْمِنُ الْفَقِيهُ ثُلِمَ ١فِي الْإِسْلَامِ ثُلْمَةٌ لَا يَسُدُّهَا شَيْ ءٌ.

«56»- And from him, peace be upon him: When the believing jurist dies, there is breached (1) in Islam a breach which nothing fills.

«57»- وَ فِي التَّوْرَاةِ عَظِّمِ الْحِكْمَةَ فَإِنِّي لَا أَجْعَلُ الْحِكْمَةَ فِي قَلْبِ أَحَدٍ إِلَّا وَ أَرَدْتُ أَنْ أَغْفِرَ لَهُ فَتَعَلَّمْهَا ثُمَّ اعْمَلْ بِهَا ثُمَّ ابْذُلْهَا كَيْ تَنَالَ بِذَلِكَ كَرَامَتِي فِي الدُّنْيَا وَ الْآخِرَةِ.

«57»- And in the Torah: Magnify wisdom; for I do not place wisdom in the heart of anyone save that I have willed to forgive him. So learn it, then act by it, then bestow it, that you may attain by that My honouring in this world and in the hereafter.

«58»- عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ مَرْفُوعاً فِي قَوْلِهِ تَعَالَى يُؤْتِي الْحِكْمَةَ مَنْ يَشاءُ قَالَ الْحِكْمَةُ الْقُرْآنُ.

«58»- From Ibn 'Abbas, raised, concerning His words, exalted be He, "He gives wisdom to whom He wills" — he said: Wisdom is the Qur'an.

«59»- وَ رَوَى بَشِيرٌ الدَّهَّانُ ٢قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام لَا خَيْرَ فِيمَنْ لَا يَتَفَقَّهُ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا يَا بَشِيرُ إِنَّ الرَّجُلَ مِنْكُمْ إِذَا لَمْ يَسْتَغْنِ بِفِقْهِهِ احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَإِذَا احْتَاجَ إِلَيْهِمْ أَدْخَلُوهُ فِي بَابِ ضَلَالَتِهِمْ وَ هُوَ لَا يَعْلَمُ.

«59»- And Bashir al-Dahhan (2) related, saying: Abu 'Abd Allah, peace be upon him, said: There is no good in one of our companions who does not gain understanding. O Bashir, indeed when a man of you is not made independent by his understanding, he has need of them; and when he has need of them, they bring him into the door of their error while he does not know.

«60»- وَ رُوِيَ عَنْهُ عليه السلام أَنَّهُ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ رَجُلٌ عَرَفَ هَذَا الْأَمْرَ

«60»- And it is related from him, peace be upon him, that a man said to him: May I be made your ransom — a man has come to know this cause