بِالْعِلْمِ فَأَنْ تَعْلَمَ أَنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ إِنَّمَا جَعَلَكَ قَيِّماً لَهُمْ فِيمَا آتَاكَ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَ فَتَحَ لَكَ مِنْ خَزَائِنِهِ فَإِنْ أَحْسَنْتَ فِي تَعْلِيمِ النَّاسِ وَ لَمْ تَخْرَقْ بِهِمْ وَ لَمْ تَضْجَرْ عَلَيْهِمْ زَادَكَ اللَّهُ مِنْ فَضْلِهِ وَ إِنْ أَنْتَ مَنَعْتَ النَّاسَ عِلْمَكَ وَ خَرِقْتَ بِهِمْ عِنْدَ طَلَبِهِمُ الْعِلْمَ كَانَ حَقّاً عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَ جَلَّ أَنْ يَسْلُبَكَ الْعِلْمَ وَ بَهَاءَهُ وَ يُسْقِطَ مِنَ الْقُلُوبِ مَحَلَّكَ.

in knowledge — it is that you know that God, mighty and exalted, has made you their guardian in the knowledge He has given you and in the door of His treasuries He has opened to you. If you teach people with good conduct, and are not ill-tempered with them nor vexed, God will increase you from His bounty; but if you withhold your knowledge from people and are short-tempered with them when they seek your knowledge, it is fitting that God should take away from you that knowledge and its lustre, and drive your standing out of people's hearts.

بيان: الخرق ترك الرفق و الغلظة و السفاهة و الضجر التبرم و ضيق القلب عن كثرة السؤال.

"Al-khurq" is the abandoning of gentleness, and roughness and folly. "Al-dajar" is weariness and narrowness of heart at the multitude of questions.

«3»- أَقُولُ وَجَدْتُ بِخَطِّ الشَّيْخِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْجُبَّائِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ نَقْلًا مِنْ خَطِّ الشَّهِيدِ قُدِّسَ سِرُّهُ عَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ جَابِرٍ عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الْبَاقِرِ عليه السلام قَالَ: لَعَنَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله مَنْ نَظَرَ إِلَى فَرْجِ امْرَأَةٍ لَا تَحِلُّ لَهُ وَ رَجُلًا خَانَ أَخَاهُ فِي امْرَأَتِهِ وَ رَجُلًا احْتَاجَ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ لِيُفَقِّهَهُمْ فَسَأَلَهُمُ الرِّشْوَةَ.

Al-Majlisi says: I found in the hand of Shaykh Muhammad b. 'Ali al-Jubba'i — may God have mercy on him — copied from the hand of al-Shahid, may his secret be sanctified, from Yusuf b. Jabir, from Imam al-Baqir, peace be upon him, that he said: The Messenger of God — may God bless him and his family — cursed one who looks at the nakedness of a woman not lawful to him; a man who betrays his brother in faith regarding his womenfolk; and a man whom people need to ask about religious questions and who demands a bribe.

«4»- الدُّرَّةُ الْبَاهِرَةُ، قَالَ الصَّادِقُ عليه السلام مِنْ أَخْلَاقِ الْجَاهِلِ الْإِجَابَةُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَسْمَعَ وَ الْمُعَارَضَةُ قَبْلَ أَنْ يَفْهَمَ وَ الْحُكْمُ بِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ.

Al-Durra al-Bahira: Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said: Among the traits of the ignorant man are answering before he has heard, objecting before he has understood, and giving judgement out of ignorance.

«5»- مُنْيَةُ الْمُرِيدِ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ عِيسَى ابْنُ مَرْيَمَ عليه السلام يَا مَعْشَرَ الْحَوَارِيِّينَ١ لِي إِلَيْكُمْ حَاجَةٌ فَاقْضُوهَا لِي قَالُوا قُضِيَتْ حَاجَتُكَ يَا رُوحَ اللَّهِ فَقَامَ فَغَسَلَ أَقْدَامَهُمْ فَقَالُوا كُنَّا نَحْنُ أَحَقَّ بِهَذَا يَا رُوحَ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَحَقَّ النَّاسِ بِالْخِدْمَةِ الْعَالِمُ إِنَّمَا تَوَاضَعْتُ هَكَذَا لِكَيْمَا تَتَوَاضَعُوا بَعْدِي فِي النَّاسِ كَتَوَاضُعِي لَكُمْ ثُمَّ قَالَ عِيسَى عليه السلام بِالتَّوَاضُعِ تَعْمَرُ الْحِكْمَةُ لَا بِالتَّكَبُّرِ كَذَلِكَ فِي السَّهْلِ يَنْبُتُ الزَّرْعُ لَا فِي الْجَبَلِ.

Munyat al-Murid: Jesus son of Mary, peace be upon him, said: O company of my disciples and pure companions, I have a request of you that I wish you to grant. They said: O Spirit of God, your request is granted. Then Jesus son of Mary rose and washed the disciples' feet. They said to Jesus: It would have been fitting that we wash your feet. He said: The most deserving of people to serve is the scholar himself. Then Jesus, peace be upon him, said: My sole purpose in this was that, by showing my humility towards you, you should be humble among people after me. Then he said: Knowledge and wisdom flourish with humility, not with pride; just as crops grow in soft, level ground and not upon the mountains.

«6»- وَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ عليه السلام فِي هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ وَ لا تُصَعِّرْ خَدَّكَ لِلنَّاسِ قَالَ لِيَكُنِ النَّاسُ عِنْدَكَ فِي الْعِلْمِ سَوَاءً.

Imam al-Sadiq, peace be upon him, said concerning the verse "And do not turn your cheek away from people [in scorn]": Let all people be equal before you in the teaching of knowledge.

«7»- وَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله لَيِّنُوا لِمَنْ تُعَلِّمُونَ وَ لِمَنْ تَتَعَلَّمُونَ مِنْهُ.

The Prophet — may God bless him and his family — said: Be gentle towards those you teach and those from whom you learn.

«8»- وَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى اللّٰه عليه و آله لِأَصْحَابِهِ إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَكُمْ تَبَعٌ وَ إِنَّ رِجَالًا يَأْتُونَكُمْ مِنْ أَقْطَارِ الْأَرْضِ يَتَفَقَّهُونَ فِي الدِّينِ فَإِذَا أَتَوْكُمْ فَاسْتَوْصُوا بِهِمْ خَيْراً.

The Messenger of God — may God bless him and his family — said to his companions: People will surely follow you, and men will come to you from the far parts of the earth to learn matters of religion; when they come to you, enjoin good upon them.

«9»- وَ قَالَ رَحِمَهُ اللَّهُ يَدْعُو عِنْدَ خُرُوجِهِ مُرِيداً لِلدَّرْسِ بِالدُّعَاءِ الْمَرْوِيِّ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ص

Al-Shahid al-Thani — may God have mercy on him — used to recite this supplication, related from the Prophet, when he set out from his house for the lesson: