One whose deeds do not confirm his words is not a knowledgeable person.
One whose deeds do not confirm his words is not a knowledgeable person.” [^1] 4- A good teacher should be good-tempered and humble. He should train his students with patience and kindness. The Prophet of God said the following regarding scholars: عُلَماءُ أُمَّتِي كَأنْبِياءِ بَني إسْرائِيلَ.
“My nation’s scholars are like the Prophet of the Israelites.” [^2] This implies that the same patience and good-temper that is necessary for the Prophets to succeed in their inviting the people to follow God, is also necessary for teachers to be successful in teaching their students. 5 - A good teacher should not use the student’s lack of sincerity and intent to learn as an excuse not to teach him.
Rather he should admit him, and slowly develop this sincerity and intention to acquire knowledge in the student in the process of teaching. This is because knowledge without sincerity is similar to jewelry hanging around a pig’s neck as Imam Ali said: لا تُعَلِّقُوا الجَواهِرَ في أعْناقِ الخَنازِيرِ. “Do not hang jewels around a pig’s neck.” [^3] 6 - A good teacher should not hesitate to teach whenever he finds a student ready to learn.
Jabir Jo’afi quoted on the authority of Imam Baqir: زَكاةُ العِلمِ تَعلِيمُهُ عِبادَ اللهِ. “The alms due to be paid on your knowledge is teaching it to God’s servants.” [^4] 7 - A good teacher is one whose deeds do not negate his words. An example of this might be his declaring something to be illegitimate, but doing it himself. 8 - A good teacher should be determined to express what is right as much as is in his power to do so.
The Prophet of God said: إذَا ظَهَرَتِ البِدَعُ في أُمَّتِي فَلْيُظْهِرِ العالِمُ عِلْمَهُ فَمَنْ لَمْ يَفْعَل فَعَلَيْهِ لَعنَةُ اللهِ. “When innovations (in religion) appear in my nation, then let the person of knowledge confront it.
Whoever does not do so, upon him be the curse of God.” [^5] A Good Teacher’s Duties to His Students and Class The following are the duties of a good teacher to his students and class: 1 - A good teacher should foster good manners, proper ethics and religious knowledge in his students step by step. He should develop their sense of abstaining from this world. 2 - A good teacher should explain the value and the nobility of knowledge to his students.
He should help them understand that the men of knowledge stand in the ranks of the Prophets. 3 - A good teacher should like for his students what he likes for himself, and should dislike for them what he dislikes for himself.