وَ الْعَمَلَ تُضَيِّعُونَ يُوشِكُ رَبُّ الْعَمَلِ أَنْ يَطْلُبَ عَمَلَهُ وَ تُوشِكُونَ أَنْ تَخْرُجُوا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا الْعَرِيضَةِ إِلَى ظُلْمَةِ الْقَبْرِ وَ ضِيقِهِ اللَّهُ نَهَاكُمْ عَنِ الْخَطَايَا كَمَا أَمَرَكُمْ بِالصِّيَامِ وَ الصَّلَاةِ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ سَخِطَ رِزْقَهُ وَ احْتَقَرَ مَنْزِلَتَهُ وَ قَدْ عَلِمَ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ مِنْ عِلْمِ اللَّهِ وَ قُدْرَتِهِ وَ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنِ اتَّهَمَ اللَّهَ فِيمَا قَضَى لَهُ فَلَيْسَ يَرْضَى شَيْئاً أَصَابَهُ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ دُنْيَاهُ عِنْدَهُ آثَرُ ١مِنْ آخِرَتِهِ وَ هُوَ مُقْبِلٌ عَلَی دُنْيَاهُ وَ مَا يَضُرُّهُ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا يَنْفَعُهُ كَيْفَ يَكُونُ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مَنْ يَطْلُبُ الْكَلَامَ لِيُخْبِرَ بِهِ وَ لَا يَطْلُبُ لِيَعْمَلَ بِهِ.

while you squander your work. The Master of the work may well demand His work; and you are near to passing out of this wide world into the darkness of the grave, and God will straiten the grave upon you. God forbade you sin just as He commanded you to fast and to pray. How can one be reckoned learned whom the seeking of his provision angers and whose rank and station it debases, when he knows that this provision of his is appointed by God's knowledge and power? How can he be counted among the people of knowledge who accuses God in the lot of his life and is content with nothing in it? How can he be of the people of knowledge whose world outweighs his Hereafter in his own eyes, who has turned to this world, and to whom what harms him is dearer than what profits him? How can one be reckoned of the people of knowledge who speaks for the sake of fame and reputation, yet does not act according to his own words?

«67»- وَ مِنْ كَلَامِهِ عليه السلام وَيْلٌ لِلْعُلَمَاءِ السَّوْءِ تُصْلَى ٢ عَلَيْهِمُ النَّارُ ثُمَّ قَالَ اشْتَدَّتْ مَئُونَةُ الدُّنْيَا وَ مَئُونَةُ الْآخِرَةِ أَمَّا مَئُونَةُ الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَمُدُّ يَدَكَ إِلَى شَيْ ءٍ مِنْهَا إِلَّا فَاجِرٌ قَدْ سَبَقَكَ إِلَيْهِ وَ أَمَّا مَئُونَةُ الْآخِرَةِ فَإِنَّكَ لَا تَجِدُ أَعْوَاناً يُعِينُونَكَ عَلَيْهَا.

From the words of Jesus, peace be upon him: Woe to the evil scholars — the Fire of Hell shall roast them! Then he said: How hard is the cost of this world and of the Hereafter! As for the cost of this world, you stretch out your hand to nothing of it but you find that a transgressor has reached it before you; and as for the cost of the Hereafter, you find no helpers to assist you in gathering the provision of the Hereafter.

«68»- وَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام قَالَ: إِنَّ الْعَالِمَ إِذَا لَمْ يَعْمَلْ بِعِلْمِهِ زَلَّتْ مَوْعِظَتُهُ عَنِ الْقُلُوبِ كَمَا يَزِلُّ الْمَطَرُ عَنِ الصَّفَا ٣.

Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: If the scholar does not act upon his knowledge, his admonition slips from hearts as rain slips off a smooth stone.

«69»- وَ قَالَ أَمِيرُ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عليه السلام فِي كَلَامٍ لَهُ خَطَبَهُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِذَا عَلِمْتُمْ فَاعْمَلُوا بِمَا عَلِمْتُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَهْتَدُونَ إِنَّ الْعَالِمَ الْعَامِلَ بِغَيْرِهِ كَالْجَاهِلِ الْحَائِرِ الَّذِي لَا يَسْتَفِيقُ عَنْ جَهْلِهِ بَلْ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الْحُجَّةَ عَلَيْهِ أَعْظَمَ وَ الْحَسْرَةَ أَدْوَمَ عَلَى هَذَا الْعَالِمِ الْمُنْسَلِخِ عَنْ عِلْمِهِ مِنْهَا عَلَى هَذَا الْجَاهِلِ الْمُتَحَيِّرِ فِي جَهْلِهِ وَ كِلَاهُمَا حَائِرٌ بَائِرٌ ٤ لَا تَرْتَابُوا فَتَشُكُّوا وَ لَا تَشُكُّوا فَتَكْفُرُوا وَ لَا تُرَخِّصُوا لِأَنْفُسِكُمْ فَتُدْهِنُوا ٥ وَ لَا تُدْهِنُوا فِي الْحَقِّ فَتَخْسَرُوا ٦ وَ إِنَّ مِنَ الْحَقِّ أَنْ تَفَقَّهُوا وَ مِنَ الْفِقْهِ أَنْ لَا تَغْتَرُّوا وَ إِنَّ أَنْصَحَكُمْ لِنَفْسِهِ أَطْوَعُكُمْ لِرَبِّهِ

The Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon him, said in the course of a sermon from the pulpit: O people! When you have come to know, act upon your knowledge, that perhaps you may be guided to the straight path. A scholar whose conduct does not accord with his knowledge is like a bewildered ignorant man who does not awaken from the sleep of ignorance; both this scholar and this ignorant man are bewildered and fruitless. Do not let anxiety into yourselves, for it may lead to doubt; and do not doubt, lest you become unbelievers. Do not so lower your own worth that it becomes compromise; and do not compromise in the matter of the truth, or you will suffer loss. Truly you must gain understanding and insight in religion; and it is of insight in religion that you are not deluded. Whoever counsels himself more than others is the one whose obedience to his Lord is greater than others'; and whoever deceives himself more than others is reckoned more sinful towards his Lord. Whoever obeys his God