بحسب قابلية الشخص و يوجب العلم بعظمته و كمال قدرته فإنها أعظم خلق اللّٰه إذا عرفت كما هي أو المراد أن معرفة صفات النفس معيار لمعرفته تعالى إذ لو لا اتصاف النفس بالعلم لم يمكن معرفة علمه بوجه و كذا سائر الصفات أو المراد أنه كل ما عرف صفة في نفسه نفاه عنه تعالى لأن صفات الممكنات مشوبة بالعجز و النقص و إن الأشياء إنما تعرف بأضدادها فإذا رأى الجهل في نفسه و علم أنه نقص نزه ربه عنه و إذا نظر في علمه و رأى أنه مشوب بأنواع الجهل و مسبوق به و مأخوذ من غيره فنفى هذه الأشياء عن علمه تعالى و نزهه عن الاتصاف بمثل علمه و قيل إن النفس لما كان مجردا يعرف بالتفكر في أمر نفسه ربه تعالى و تجرده و قد عرفت ما فيه ١و قد ورد معنى آخر في بعض الأخبار لهذا الحديث النبوي و هو أن المراد أن معرفته تعالى بديهية فكل من بلغ حد التميز و عرف نفسه عرف أن له صانعا قوله عليه السلام العالم حقا إلخ أي العالم يلزم أن يكون أعماله شواهد علمه و دلائله لا دعواه التي تكذبها أعماله القبيحة و التصاول التطاول و المجادلة يقال الفحلان يتساولان أي يتواثبان.
brings about a relatively complete knowledge of God's greatness and power, though this knowledge differs from person to person. It should be noted that if the reality of the soul is known, it is among the greatest of God's creations. One may say: perhaps the meaning is that knowledge of the soul's attributes is the measure and standard for knowing God; for if the human soul had no share of knowledge, it could in no way come to know God's knowledge — and so with the rest of the attributes. It may also be said that whatever attribute a man finds in his own soul, he denies that attribute of God; for the attributes of contingent beings cannot be compared with those of the Necessary Being and of God. The attributes of the contingent are bound up with incapacity and deficiency; or rather, things are better known by their opposites — "blackness is better known in comparison with whiteness, since they are opposites." So if a man sees ignorance in himself and knows that ignorance is a deficiency, he holds God free of it. Likewise, when he looks at his own knowledge he sees it mixed with all kinds of ignorance, and even this defective knowledge he has from another. The view of some — though it is weak — is that the soul, being immaterial, reflects upon its own affairs, and by that very reflection comes to know God as immaterial too. There is also another sense: that knowledge of God is self-evident and plain. Whoever has reached the point of distinguishing good from bad and knows himself, knows that he has a Maker. The true scholar is one whose deeds are the witness and proof of his knowledge — not one whose ugly deeds call his knowledge and claims into question. "Al-tasawul" means reaching out and wrangling; one says "al-fahlan yatasawalan", that is, the two champions sprang at one another and attacked.
«26»- غو، غوالي اللئالي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله الْعِلْمُ عِلْمَانِ عِلْمٌ عَلَى اللِّسَانِ فَذَلِكَ حُجَّةٌ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ وَ عِلْمٌ فِي الْقَلْبِ فَذَلِكَ الْعِلْمُ النَّافِعُ ٢.
'Awali al-La'ali: The Messenger of God — may God bless him and his family — said: Knowledge is of two kinds: knowledge upon the tongue, which is a proof against the children of Adam; and knowledge in the heart, which is the profitable knowledge.
«27»- سر، السرائر مِنْ كِتَابِ الْمَشِيخَةِ لِابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنِ الْهَيْثَمِ بْنِ وَاقِدٍ٣ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام قَالَ: مَنْ زَهِدَ فِي الدُّنْيَا أَثْبَتَ اللَّهُ الْحِكْمَةَ فِي قَلْبِهِ وَ أَنْطَقَ بِهَا لِسَانَهُ وَ بَصَّرَهُ عُيُوبَ الدُّنْيَا دَاءَهَا وَ دَوَاءَهَا وَ أَخْرَجَهُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا سَالِماً إِلَى دَارِ السَّلَامِ.
Al-Sara'ir: Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Whoever is ascetic in this world, God establishes wisdom in his heart and makes his tongue speak it, and gives him sight of the world's faults, its ailments and its remedies, and brings him out of this world in safety to the Garden.
«28»- سر، السرائر من كتاب أبي القاسم بن قولويه عن أبي ذر قال مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ عِلْماً مِنْ عِلْمِ الْآخِرَةِ يُرِيدُ بِهِ الدنيا عَرَضاً مِنْ عَرَضِ الدُّنْيَا لَمْ يَجِدْ رِيحَ الْجَنَّةِ.
Al-Sara'ir, from the book of Abu al-Qasim b. Qulawayh, from Abu Dharr, that the Messenger of God — may God bless him and his family — said: Whoever learns some knowledge of the knowledge of the Hereafter in order to gain some worthless good of this world shall not smell the fragrance of the Garden.
«29»- غو، غوالي اللئالي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله قَالَ: إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ يَهْتِفُ بِالْعَمَلِ فَإِنْ أَجَابَهُ وَ إِلَّا ارْتَحَلَ عَنْهُ.
'Awali al-La'ali: The Messenger of God — may God bless him and his family — said: Knowledge calls out for action; so if a man answers it, well and good, and if not, it departs from him.