فَمَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ الْكَلْبِ إِنْ تَحْمِلْ عَلَيْهِ يَلْهَثْ أَوْ تَتْرُكْهُ يَلْهَثْ ذلِكَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآياتِنا»(174 ، 175)

So his likeness is the likeness of a dog: if you drive at it, it lolls out its tongue, and if you leave it, it lolls out its tongue. That is the likeness of the people who denied Our signs. So relate this tale [to them], that perhaps they may reflect."

المؤمن: «فَلَمَّا جاءَتْهُمْ رُسُلُهُمْ بِالْبَيِّناتِ فَرِحُوا بِما عِنْدَهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَ حاقَ بِهِمْ ما كانُوا بِهِ يَسْتَهْزِؤُنَ»(82)

al-Mu'min: "And when their messengers brought them clear proofs, they exulted in the [little] knowledge they had, and [in the end] what they used to mock at overtook them."

حمعسق: «وَ ما تَفَرَّقُوا إِلَّا مِنْ بَعْدِ ما جاءَهُمُ الْعِلْمُ بَغْياً بَيْنَهُمْ»(13)

Ha Mim 'Ayn Sin Qaf: "And they divided only after knowledge had come to them, out of envy [and rivalry] among themselves. And had not a word [deferring the punishment] from your Lord gone before, for an appointed term, judgement would have been passed between them. And those who inherited the Book [the Torah] after them are indeed in grave doubt concerning it."

الجمعة: «مَثَلُ الَّذِينَ حُمِّلُوا التَّوْراةَ ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْمِلُوها كَمَثَلِ الْحِمارِ يَحْمِلُ أَسْفاراً بِئْسَ مَثَلُ الْقَوْمِ الَّذِينَ كَذَّبُوا بِآياتِ اللَّهِ»(4)

al-Jumu'a: "The likeness of those who were charged with the Torah [and made responsible for it] and then did not act upon it is as the likeness of a donkey carrying books. How evil is the description of the people who denied God's signs! And God does not guide the wrongdoing people."

«1»- ب، قرب الإسناد هَارُونُ عَنِ ابْنِ صَدَقَةَ عَنْ جَعْفَرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عليه السلام أَنَّ عَلِيّاً عليه السلام قَالَ: إِيَّاكُمْ وَ الْجُهَّالَ مِنَ الْمُتَعَبِّدِينَ وَ الْفُجَّارَ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ فَإِنَّهُمْ فِتْنَةُ كُلِّ مَفْتُونٍ ١.

Qurb al-Isnad: Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, related from his forefathers that 'Ali, peace be upon him, said: Beware of ignorant worshippers and transgressing scholars, for they are the source of every sedition.

«2»- ل، الخصال أَبِی عَنْ مُحَمَّدٍ الْعَطَّارِ عَنِ ابْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ ابْنِ أُذَيْنَةَ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ أَبِي عَيَّاشٍ عَنْ سُلَيْمِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْهِلَالِيِّ عَنْ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عليه السلام عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله أَنَّهُ قَالَ فِي كَلَامٍ لَهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ رَجُلَانِ رَجُلٌ عَالِمٌ آخِذٌ بِعِلْمِهِ فَهَذَا نَاجٍ وَ عَالِمٌ تَارِكٌ لِعِلْمِهِ فَهَذَا هَالِكٌ وَ إِنَّ أَهْلَ النَّارِ لَيَتَأَذَّوْنَ بِرِيحِ الْعَالِمِ التَّارِكِ لِعِلْمِهِ وَ إِنَّ أَشَدَّ أَهْلِ النَّارِ نَدَامَةً وَ حَسْرَةً رَجُلٌ دَعَا عَبْداً إِلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَاسْتَجَابَ لَهُ وَ قَبِلَ مِنْهُ وَ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ فَأَدْخَلَهُ اللَّهُ الْجَنَّةَ وَ أَدْخَلَ الدَّاعِيَ النَّارَ بِتَرْكِهِ عِلْمَهُ وَ اتِّبَاعِهِ الْهَوَى ثُمَّ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عليه السلام أَلَا إِنَّ أَخْوَفَ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ خَصْلَتَانِ اتِّبَاعُ الْهَوَى وَ طُولُ الْأَمَلِ أَمَّا اتِّبَاعُ الْهَوَى فَيَصُدُّ عَنِ الْحَقِّ وَ طُولُ الْأَمَلِ يُنْسِي الْآخِرَةَ.

Al-Khisal: The Commander of the Faithful, quoting the Prophet, may God bless him and his family, said: Scholars are of two kinds: a scholar who acts upon his knowledge — he is saved; and a scholar who abandons his knowledge — he is in perdition. The people of Hell are tormented by the stench of the scholar who does not act. The most regretful of the people of Hell is a man who called a servant to God, mighty and exalted, and that servant accepted and obeyed God, and God brought him into Paradise, while that caller entered the Fire because he did not act upon his knowledge and followed his lower desire. Then the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: Know that I fear two qualities for you: one is following the lower desire and the other is long hope. As for following the lower desire, it bars one from the truth and the right; and long hope consigns the Hereafter to forgetfulness.

«3»- ل، الخصال الْفَامِيُّ عَنِ ابْنِ بُطَّةَ عَنِ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ بِإِسْنَادِهِ يَرْفَعُهُ إِلَى أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عليه السلام أَنَّهُ قَالَ: قَطَعَ ظَهْرِي رَجُلَانِ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا رَجُلٌ عَلِيمُ اللِّسَانِ فَاسِقٌ وَ رَجُلٌ جَاهِلُ الْقَلْبِ نَاسِكٌ هَذَا يَصُدُّ بِلِسَانِهِ عَنْ فِسْقِهِ وَ هَذَا بِنُسُكِهِ عَنْ جَهْلِهِ فَاتَّقُوا الْفَاسِقَ مِنَ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَ الْجَاهِلَ مِنَ الْمُتَعَبِّدِينَ أُولَئِكَ فِتْنَةُ كُلِّ مَفْتُونٍ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله يَقُولُ يَا عَلِيُّ هَلَاكُ أُمَّتِي عَلَى يَدَيْ كُلِّ مُنَافِقٍ عَلِيمِ اللِّسَانِ.

Al-Khisal: The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said: Two worldly men have broken my back: a glib-tongued transgressor, and an ignorant-hearted worshipper. The one draws a veil over his transgression with his fluent tongue, and the other draws a veil over his ignorance with his outwardly righteous deeds. Beware of transgressing scholars and ignorant worshippers, for they are the ones who take people out of religion. I heard the Prophet saying: O 'Ali, the destruction of my community will be at the hands of sharp-tongued learned hypocrites.

بيان: قوله عليه السلام هذا يصد بلسانه عن فسقه أي يمنع الناس عن أن يعلموا

Elucidation: The Imam's words, peace be upon him, "hadha yasuddu bi-lisanihi 'an fisqihi": that is, by his sharp tongue and his contrivance, through his speech he keeps people from perceiving