Quotes About Knowledge

Umar puts his awareness of the restlessness for more and more knowledge that possesses true scholars, in these words: "Scholars are more prone to sleeplessness and slower to have enough to eat than any guests.

The difference of opinions alone makes a person aware of possible mistakes of his teacher.

Knowledge without action is like a bow without a string." A relationship as close as blood relationship must be established between knowledge and action. Knowledge is acquired, because it is a ladder leading up to action, which is true action only if it leads to God.

A man remains knowing as long as he searches for knowledge and continues to study. When he thinks he knows, he has become ignorant.

One of the early Muslims, Ubâdah b. a - âmit (d. ca. 34/654–55), exhorted his son al-Walîd on his deathbed in these words, as reported by a-abarî: "You will not be God-fearing, and you will not achieve knowledge until you believe in God and in predestination good or bad."54 Knowledge is clearly conceived here as coming after faith, which appears to be the more primitive and simpler achievement.

1. "Knowledge is that through whose existence he in whom it subsists is enabled to act in an orderly fashion and to act well."126 2. "Knowledge is an attribute (sifah) whose existence does not make it impossible for him who is alive and capable (al-hayy al-qâdir) to act well."127 Cf. K-1. 3. "Knowledge is the attribute (wasf ) that enables him who possesses this attribute to act in an orderly fashion."128

Among the four things a noble person need not be ashamed of is serving a scholar in order to learn from him. Ata- b. Musab's remoteness from and indifference to the Barmecides made him popular with them, although others possessed more adab than he did.

In Arabic linguistic usage, we are told, the interpretation of "water" as knowledge is confirmed by the common fi gure of speech that calls a man of vast knowledge an "ocean." Moreover, the comparison of water and knowledge suggests that just as those who would sail the sea without a ship would drown in it, those who look for knowledge among those who do not have it will perish.

1. "Knowledge is an attribute (sifah) through which ignorance, doubt, or conjecturing is removed from him who is alive."129

According to the Prophet, the four blemishes of knowledge are boasting of one's knowledge and feeling superior on account of it to recognized scholars, entering into contests with fools on the strength of one's knowledge, trying through it to influence people in his favor, and attempting to obtain favors from leaders in powerful positions by means of it.

The primeval "pen," for instance, is light, and the writing on the well- guarded tablet is a light of God, as the Qur- ân itself was frequently referred to as a light, on good scriptural authority. The light of knowledge, or knowledge and learning being a lamp in the darkness of ignorance and sin came to be used as commonplace metaphors.

Poetry is practically the only intellectual pursuit which we can be positive was highly developed and much practiced in pre-Islamic Arabia. It seems certain that the Arabic word for poet, shair, meant originally "one who knows," and the word for poetry, shir, "knowledge".

The proper respect to be shown to scholars is described by Alî in detail. He is credited with the constantly repeated statement that "Knowledge is better than property. For knowledge protects you, while you must protect property. Property is diminished by spending, while knowledge thrives on spending." Alî's celebrated remark: "A man's value consists in what he knows or does well.

Knowledge will not be taken away from mankind, but scholars will disappear. When no scholar remains, stupid men will be put in command. They will go astray themselves as well as lead others astray.

He cites Ibn as-Sîd al-Batalyawsî (d. 521/1127) to the effect that the higher the station is which a person reaches in the world, the less is his knowledge (- ulûm), and whenever he gives up his high station in life, his knowledge widens.

Knowledge is the arrival (wusûl ) of the soul at the meaning (manâ) of a thing." Qinâlîzâdeh, who considers this the best definition known to him, explains that "when the arrival of the soul at the mean- ing of a thing comes, knowledge of that thing comes, in that the soul comes to it.

In the preceding century, the philosopher al-Kindi had defined wisdom as the "the excellence of the (rational) power, the knowledge of the universals in their realities, and the employment (in action) of the realities that must be employed.

The man who has knowledge is considered most outstanding among people, Even if he does not occupy a position of nobility among his people. Wherever he settles, he can make a living from his knowledge. A man who possesses knowledge is no stranger anywhere.

A book of the Indians (that is, Kalîlah wa-Dimnah) teaches that a scholar's knowledge accompanies him and provides for him wherever he goes, and thus is comparable to the strength of a lion which always stays with him.

Solo estamos en la edad de piedra del conocimiento de los animales y nuestra ignorancia al respecto sigue siendo enciclopédica. Por no mencionar los prejuicios ancestrales.

I learned law so well, the day I graduated I sued the college, won the case, and got my tuition back.

I don't have to look up my family tree, because I know that I'm the sap.

During the Samuel Johnson days they had big men enjoying small talk; today we have small men enjoying big talk.

I don't have to look up my family tree, because I know that I'm the sap.