Knowledge is preferable to wealth...

Knowledge is preferable to wealth, for it guards you while you guard wealth, which is reduced by expenditure and knowledge betters the almsgiving. The made of wealth vanishes with the vanishing of wealth. O Kumeil! The cognition of knowledge is an adopted creed with which God grants obedience in this life and remembrance after death. Knowledge is ruling while wealth is ruled. O Kumeil! The collectors of wealth are dead in their lives, and the scholars are as same as time in its persistence.

Their essences are missed, but their exemplars are existing in hearts.” [1] Imam as-Sadiq (a) said, “Seek knowledge and attach tolerance and veneration to it.” [2] The Prophet’s progeny called and urged on seeking knowledge, educating, crystallizing the concepts, and adorning with awareness and ethics. This is quite evident through the numerous uninterrupted reports. TRANSMITTED SAYINGS Masters of the Islamic conceptual movements could not hide the encouragement on seeking knowledge.

Abul-Aswed ad-Dueli said: Nothing is more powerful than knowledge. Kings are people’s rulers, and knowledge is the kings’ ruler. [3] Mussab bin az-Zubeir instructed his son: Seek knowledge. It is the beatitude of those lacking beatitude and the wealth of those lacking wealth. Al-Ghezali said: Without scholars, people would have been like animals. Knowledge transfers them from savagery to humanity.

Al-Jahiz said: I do not seek knowledge for achieving a definite purpose and attaining a certain purport. I seek it for getting a thing the ignorance of which is unallowable, and the sane should never disdain. Ibn abdil-Berr said: Seek knowledge, because it distinguishes the kings and enlivens the publics.

THE GRAND GOALS The purpose beyond seeking knowledge, from the Islamic viewpoint, is not attaining narrow material objectives or gaining personal earnings that are unrelated to the factuality of spirits and disciplining. Actually, the goals, we will refer to some hereinafter, are nobler and more elevated. Activities of the seekers of knowledge should be purely intended for God’s sake, away from any material benefit.

The oppressive efforts-- including the turmoil and the hard striving of continuous nights- that the students encounter for receiving knowledge [1] Refer to Nahjul Balagha : revision of Mohammed Abduh: 3/186-7. [2] Refer to Usulul-Kafi : 1/36. [3] Refer to Tethkiretus-sami : 10. should never be exerted for a worldly affair, which leads to nonsense.