Narrated He also reported the Prophet as saying, “Two greedy ones never
attain satisfaction:
he who is greedy for knowledge can never get
enough of it, and he who is greedy for worldly goods can never get
enough of them." Baihaqi transmitted the three traditions in Shu'ab
al-iman, and quoted the imam Ahmad as saying about Abu Darda''s
tradition, “This is a well-known text among the people, but it does not
have a sound isnad."
Anas b. Malik said that God’s messenger asked, “Do you know
who is most generous?" On receiving the reply that God and His
messenger knew best, he said, “God is the most generous, then I am the
most generous of mankind, and the most generous of them after me will
be a man who acquires knowledge and spreads it. On the day of resurrection he will come as a prince alone.” Or he said, “As one people."
‘Aun reported Ibn Mas'ud as saying, “Two greedy ones never
attain satisfaction, the learned man and the worldly man, but they are
not equal. The learned man becomes more pleasing to the Compassionate One, but the worldly man perseveres in transgression." Then
‘Abdallah recited, “Nay, but man transgresses in considering that he
is self-sufficient. "* He added, “The other is preferable, for ‘only those
of His servants who are learned fear God.’ " Darimi transmitted it.
*Qur’an, xcvi, 6 f.
Abu Darda’ told how God’s messenger, when asked how much a
man had to learn to become a faqih, replied, “ If anyone preserves for
my people forty traditions concerning their religion, God will raise him
up in the next world as a faqih, and I shall be an intercessor and witness
for him on the day of resurrection.”
