Know that the student of knowledge does not attain knowledge nor truly benefit from it except by venerating knowledge and its people, and by honoring the teacher and showing him due respect.
تعليم المتعلمal-Zarnūjīفِي تَعْظِيمِ الْعِلْمِ وَأَهْلِهِ
On Venerating Knowledge and Its People
It is said: None truly rises except through reverence, and none truly falls except through abandoning reverence.
It is also said: Reverence is better than bare obedience. Do you not see that a person is not counted a disbeliever for the sin itself, but rather for belittling it and for casting off reverence?
وَمِنْ تَعْظِيمِ الْعِلْمِ تَعْظِيمُ الْأُسْتَاذِ، قَالَ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ: أَنَا عَبْدٌ لِمَنْ عَلَّمَنِي حَرْفًا وَاحِدًا، إِنْ شَاءَ بَاعَنِي، وَإِنْ شَاءَ أَعْتَقَنِي.
Part of venerating knowledge is venerating the teacher. ʿAlī, may Allah be pleased with him, said: I am a bondsman to whoever taught me a single letter — if he wishes he may sell me, and if he wishes he may free me.
رَأَيْتُ أَحَقَّ الْحَقِّ حَقَّ الْمُعَلِّمِوَأَوْجَبَهُ حِفْظًا عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍلَقَدْ حَقَّ أَنْ يُهْدَى إِلَيْهِ كَرَامَةًلِتَعْلِيمِ حَرْفٍ وَاحِدٍ أَلْفُ دِرْهَمٍ
I saw the truest truth to be the right of the teacher / and the most binding to preserve for every Muslim. / It is only fitting to present him honor / for teaching a single letter — a thousand dirhams.
فَإِنَّ مَنْ عَلَّمَكَ حَرْفًا وَاحِدًا مِمَّا تَحْتَاجُ إِلَيْهِ فِي الدِّينِ فَهُوَ أَبُوكَ فِي الدِّينِ.
Whoever teaches you a single letter of what you need for your religion is, in religion, your father.
وَكَانَ أُسْتَاذُنَا الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ سَدِيدُ الدِّينِ الشِّيرَازِيُّ يَقُولُ: قَالَ مَشَايِخُنَا: مَنْ أَرَادَ أَنْ يَكُونَ ابْنُهُ عَالِمًا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُرَاعِيَ الْغُرَبَاءَ مِنَ الْفُقَهَاءِ، وَيُكْرِمَهُمْ وَيُطْعِمَهُمْ وَيُطِيعَهُمْ شَيْئًا، وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ ابْنُهُ عَالِمًا يَكُونُ حَفِيدُهُ عَالِمًا.
Our teacher, the shaykh and imām Sadīd al-Dīn al-Shīrāzī, would say: Our masters said: Whoever wants his son to become a scholar ought to care for visiting jurists, honor them, feed them, and obey them in some measure — and if his son does not become a scholar, his grandson may yet become one.
وَمِنْ تَوْقِيرِ الْمُعَلِّمِ أَنْ لَا يَمْشِيَ أَمَامَهُ، وَلَا يَجْلِسَ مَكَانَهُ، وَلَا يَبْتَدِئَ بِالْكَلَامِ عِنْدَهُ إلَّا بِإِذْنِهِ، وَلَا يُكْثِرَ الْكَلَامَ عِنْدَهُ، وَلَا يَسْأَلَ شَيْئًا عِنْدَ مَلَالَتِهِ، وَيُرَاعِيَ الْوَقْتَ، وَلَا يَدُقَّ الْبَابَ بَلْ يَصْبِرُ حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ الْأُسْتَاذُ.
Among showing respect to the teacher: do not walk ahead of him, sit in his place, or begin speaking in his presence without permission; do not chatter excessively with him, ask nothing while he is wearied, be mindful of the right moment, and do not knock on the door — rather wait until the teacher comes out.
فَالْحَاصِلُ: أَنَّهُ يَطْلُبُ رِضَاهُ، وَيَجْتَنِبُ سَخَطَهُ، وَيُمْتَثَلُ أَمْرُهُ فِي غَيْرِ مَعْصِيَةٍ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى، فَإِنَّهُ لَا طَاعَةَ لِمَخْلُوقٍ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ، كَمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: إِنَّ شَرَّ النَّاسِ مَنْ يَذْهَبُ بِدِينِهِ لِدُنْيَاهُ بِمَعْصِيَةِ الْخَالِقِ.
In sum: seek his approval, avoid his displeasure, and follow his instruction when it does not entail disobedience to Allah Most High — there is no obeying a creature in disobedience to the Creator — as the Prophet, blessings and peace upon him, said: The worst of people is he who trades his religion for worldly gain through disobedience to the Creator.
وَمِنْ تَوْقِيرِهِ: تَوْقِيرُ أَوْلَادِهِ وَمَنْ يَتَعَلَّقُ بِهِ.
Honoring him also means honoring his children and those connected to him.
وَكَانَ أُسْتَاذُنَا شَيْخُ الْإِسْلَامِ بُرْهَانُ الدِّينِ صَاحِبُ الْهِدَايَةِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ يَحْكِي: أَنَّ وَاحِدًا مِنْ أَكَابِرِ الْأَئِمَّةِ بِبُخَارَى كَانَ يَجْلِسُ مَجْلِسَ الدَّرْسِ، وَكَانَ يَقُومُ فِي خِلَالِ الدَّرْسِ أَحْيَانًا فَسَأَلُوا عَنْهُ، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ ابْنَ أُسْتَاذِي يَلْعَبُ مَعَ الصِّبْيَانِ فِي السِّكَّةِ، وَيَجِيءُ أَحْيَانًا إِلَى بَابِ الْمَسْجِدِ، فَإِذَا رَأَيْتُهُ أَقُومُ لَهُ تَعْظِيمًا لِأُسْتَاذِي.
Our teacher, Shaykh al-Islām Burhān al-Dīn, author of al-Hidāya — may Allah have mercy on him — related: One of the greatest imāms in Bukhārā would sit in the lesson circle; sometimes he would stand mid-lesson. When they asked why, he said: My teacher's son plays with children in the alley and sometimes comes to the mosque door — when I see him I rise for him out of reverence for my teacher.
وَالْقَاضِي الْإِمَامُ فَخْرُ الدِّينِ الْأَرْسَابَنْدِيُّ كَانَ رَئِيسَ الْأَئِمَّةِ فِي مَرْوَ، وَكَانَ السُّلْطَانُ يَحْتَرِمُهُ غَايَةَ الْإِحْتِرَامِ وَكَانَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّمَا وُجِدْتُ بِهَذَا الْمَنْصِبِ بِخِدْمَةِ الْأُسْتَاذِ، فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ أَخْدِمُ الْأُسْتَاذَ الْقَاضِيَ الْإِمَامَ أَبَا زَيْدٍ الدَّبُوسِيَّ وَكُنْتُ أَخْدِمُهُ وَأَطْبُخُ طَعَامَهُ ثَلَاثِينَ سَنَةً وَلَا آكُلُ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا.
The judge and imām Fakhr al-Dīn al-Arsābandī was chief of the imāms in Marw; the sultan honored him supremely. He would say: I only reached this office through serving my teacher — I served the judge-imām Abū Zayd al-Dabbūsī, cooked his food for thirty years, and ate nothing of it.
وَكَانَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ الْأَجَلُّ شَمْسُ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى قَدْ خَرَجَ مِنْ بُخَارَى وَسَكَنَ فِي بَعْضِ الْقُرَى أَيَّامًا لِحَادِثَةٍ وَقَعَتْ لَهُ وَقَدْ زَارَهُ تَلَامِيذُهُ غَيْرَ الشَّيْخِ الْإِمَامِ شَمْسِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْقَاضِي بَكْرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الزَّرَنْجَرِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى، فَقَالَ لَهُ حِينَ لَقِيَهُ: لِمَاذَا لَمْ تَزُرْنِي؟ قَالَ: كُنْتُ مَشْغُولًا بِخِدْمَةِ الْوِلَادَةِ. قَالَ: تَرْزُقُ الْعُمْرَ، لَا تَرْزُقُ رَوْنَقَ الدَّرْسِ، وَكَانَ كَذَلِكَ، فَإِنَّهُ كَانَ يَسْكُنُ فِي أَكْثَرِ أَوْقَاتِهِ فِي الْقُرَى وَلَمْ يَنْتَظِمْ لَهُ الدَّرْسُ. فَمَنْ تَأَذَّى مِنْهُ أُسْتَاذُهُ يُحْرَمُ بَرَكَةَ الْعِلْمِ وَلَا يَنْتَفِعُ بِالْعِلْمِ إلَّا قَلِيلًا.
The great shaykh and imām Shams al-Aʾimma al-Ḥulwānī — may Allah have mercy on him — left Bukhārā and stayed in a village some days after an incident; his students visited him except Shaykh Shams al-Aʾimma, the judge Bakr ibn Muḥammad al-Zaranjarī — may Allah have mercy on him. When they met he asked: Why did you not visit me? He replied: I was busy attending a birth. He said: Long life you may have — you will not have the bloom of study. So it proved, for he spent most of his time in villages and regular teaching did not settle for him. Whoever hurts his teacher is denied the blessing of knowledge and gains little benefit from it.
إِنَّ الْمُعَلِّمَ وَالطَّبِيبَ كِلَاهُمَا لَا يَنْصَحَانِ إذَا لَمْ يُكْرَمَا
فَاصْبِرْ لِدَائِكَ إِنْ جَفَوْتَ طَبِيبَهُ وَاقْنَعْ بِجَهْلِكَ إِنْ جَفَوْتَ مُعَلِّمًا
The teacher and the physician alike give no good counsel if they are not honored — / so bear ills patiently if you cold‑shoulder your doctor, and be content with ignorance if you cold‑shoulder a teacher.
حُكِيَ أَنَّ الْخَلِيفَةَ هَارُونَ الرَّشِيدَ بَعَثَ ابْنَهُ إِلَى الْأَصْمَعِيِّ لِيُعَلِّمَهُ الْعِلْمَ وَالْأَدَبَ فَرَآهُ يَوْمًا يَتَوَضَّأُ وَيَغْسِلُ رِجْلَهُ، وَابْنُ الْخَلِيفَةِ يَصُبُّ الْمَاءَ عَلَى رِجْلِهِ، فَعَاتَبَهُ الْأَصْمَعِيُّ بِقَوْلِهِ: إِنَّمَا بَعَثْتَنِي إِلَيْكَ لِأُعَلِّمَهُ وَأُؤَدِّبَهُ فَلِمَاذَا لَمْ تَأْمُرْهُ أَنْ يَصُبَّ الْمَاءَ بِإِحْدَى يَدَيْهِ، وَيَغْسِلَ بِالْأُخْرَى رِجْلِي؟
It is related that the caliph Hārūn al-Rashīd sent his son to al-Aṣmaʿī to teach him knowledge and adab; one day he saw al-Aṣmaʿī making ablution and washing his foot while the caliph's son poured water on it. Al-Aṣmaʿī reproached him: You sent me to you only to teach and train him — so why not bid him pour with one hand and wash my foot with the other?
وَمِنْ تَعْظِيمِ الْعِلْمِ: تَعْظِيمُ الْكِتَابِ، فَيَنْبَغِي لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ لَا يَأْخُذَ الْكِتَابَ إلَّا بِطَهَارَةٍ.
Among venerating knowledge is venerating the book: the student should not take the book except in a state of purity.
وَحُكِيَ عَنِ الشَّيْخِ شَمْسِ الْأَئِمَّةِ الْحُلْوَانِيِّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى أَنَّهُ قَالَ: إِنَّمَا نِلْتُ هَذَا الْعِلْمَ بِالتَّعْظِيمِ، فَإِنِّي مَا أَخَذْتُ الْكَاغَدَ إلَّا بِطَهَارَةٍ.
It is related of Shaykh Shams al-Aʾimma al-Ḥulwānī — may Allah have mercy on him — that he said: I attained this knowledge only through reverence, for I never touched paper except in a state of purity.
وَالشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ شَمْسُ الْأَئِمَّةِ السَّرَخْسِيُّ كَانَ مُبْطَئًّا فِي لَيْلَةٍ، وَكَانَ يُكَرِّرُ، وَتَوَضَّأَ فِي تِلْكَ اللَّيْلَةِ سَبْعَ عَشْرَةَ مَرَّةً لِأَنَّهُ كَانَ لَا يُكَرِّرُ إلَّا بِالطَّهَارَةِ، وَهَذَا لِأَنَّ الْعِلْمَ نُورٌ وَالْوُضُوءُ نُورٌ فَيَزْدَادُ نُورُ الْعِلْمِ بِهِ.
Shaykh Imām Shams al-Aʾimma al-Sarakhsī was slow on one night (needing to repeat ablution); he repeated wuḍūʾ seventeen times that night because he would not repeat except in purity — for knowledge is light and wuḍūʾ is light, and the light of knowledge increases thereby.
وَمِنَ التَّعْظِيمِ الْوَاجِبِ لِلْعَالِمِ أَنْ لَا يَمُدَّ الرَّجُلُ إِلَى الْكِتَابِ وَيَضَعَ كِتَابَ التَّفْسِيرِ فَوْقَ سَائِرِ الْكُتُبِ تَعْظِيمًا وَلَا يَضَعَ شَيْئًا آخَرَ عَلَى الْكِتَابِ.
Proper respect toward knowledge forbids stretching one's foot toward a book, means placing the Qurʾān commentary above other works out of honor, and nothing else should be set atop a book.
وَكَانَ أُسْتَاذُنَا الشَّيْخُ بُرْهَانُ الدِّينِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى يَحْكِي عَنْ شَيْخٍ مِنَ الْمَشَايِخِ: أَنَّ فَقِيهًا كَانَ وَضَعَ الْمِحْبَرَةَ عَلَى الْكِتَابِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ بِالْفَارِسِيَّةِ: بَرْنِيَايِي.
Our teacher Shaykh Burhān al-Dīn — may Allah have mercy on him — related of an elder: a jurist once set his inkwell on top of a book, whereupon he told him in Persian: burnagām (may your children be lost — a sharp rebuke).
وَكَانَ أُسْتَاذُنَا الْقَاضِي الْإِمَامُ الْأَجَلُّ فَخْرُ الدِّينِ الْمَعْرُوفُ بِقَاضِيخَانٍ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: إنْ أُرِيدَ بِذَلِكَ الِاسْتِخْفَافُ فَلَا بَأْسَ بِذَلِكَ، وَالْأَوْلَى أَنْ يَحْتَرِزَ عَنْهُ.
Our teacher, judge and imām Fakhr al-Dīn known as Qāḍīkhān — may Allah have mercy on him — used to say: If that reflects casual contempt there is still leeway, yet the worthier course is to avoid it.
وَمِنَ التَّعْظِيمِ: أَنْ يُجِيدَ كِتَابَةَ الْكِتَابِ وَلَا يُقَرْمِطَ وَيَتْرُكَ الْحَاشِيَةَ إلَّا عِنْدَ الضَّرُورَةِ.
Further reverence is to write the book neatly — not cramped — and to leave margins blank except when necessary.
وَرَأَى أَبُو حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ كِتَابًا يُقَرْمِطُ فِي الْكِتَابَةِ فَقَالَ: لَا تُقَرْمِطْ خَطَّكَ، إنْ عِشْتَ تَنْدَمُ وَإنْ مُتَّ تُشْتَمُ. يَعْنِي إذَا شَاخَتْ وَضَعُفَ نُورُ بَصَرِكَ نَدِمْتَ عَلَى ذَلِكَ.
Abū Ḥanīfa — may Allah have mercy on him — saw a manuscript copied in cramped hand and said: Do not squeeze your script; if you live you will regret it, and if you die you will be blamed. That is, when age dims your sight you will rue crowding the letters.
وَحُكِيَ عَنِ الشَّيْخِ الْإِمَامِ مَجْدِ الدِّينِ الصَّرْخَكِيِّ أَنَّهُ قَالَ: مَا قَرْمَطْنَا نَدِمْنَا، وَمَا انْتَخَبْنَا نَدِمْنَا، وَمَا لَمْ نُقَابِلْ نَدِمْنَا.
Shaykh Imām Majd al-Dīn al-Ṣarkhakī — may Allah be pleased with him — is quoted: Whenever we cramped our script we repented; whenever we omitted vowel marks we repented; whenever we failed to collate we repented.
وَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ تَقْطِيعُ الْكِتَابِ مُرَبَّعًا، فَإِنَّهُ تَقْطِيعُ أَبِي حَنِيفَةَ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى، وَهُوَ أَيْسَرُ عَلَى الرَّفْعِ وَالْوَضْعِ وَالْمُطَالَعَةِ.
Book pages are best cut square, following Abū Ḥanīfa's — may Allah have mercy on him — practice, for that eases lifting, setting down, and reading.
وَيَنْبَغِي أَنْ لَا يَكُونَ فِي الْكِتَابَةِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْحُمْرَةِ، فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ صَنِيعِ الْفَلَاسِفَةِ لَا صَنِيعِ السَّلَفِ، وَقَدْ كَرِهَ بَعْضُ مَشَايِخِنَا اسْتِعْمَالَ الْمُرَكَّبِ الْأَحْمَرِ.
Writing should not use ruddiness (red dye) in the ink — that is the philosophers' way, not the early Muslims'; some of our shaykhs disliked the red compound ink.
وَمِنْ تَعْظِيمِ الْعِلْمِ: تَعْظِيمُ الشُّرَكَاءِ فِي طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ وَالدَّرْسِ وَمَنْ يَتَعَلَّمُ مِنْهُ، وَالتَّمَلُّقُ مَذْمُومٌ إلَّا فِي طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ.
Another aspect of honoring knowledge is honoring one's fellow students, one's lesson companions, and those from whom one learns — though flattery is generally blameworthy except when seeking knowledge.
فَإِنَّهُ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَتَمَلَّقَ لِأُسْتَاذِهِ وَشُرَكَائِهِ لِيَسْتَفِيدَ مِنْهُمْ.
Therefore one may show obliging courtesy toward teacher and peers in order to gain from them.
وَيَنْبَغِي لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ يَسْتَمِعَ الْعِلْمَ وَالْحِكْمَةَ بِالتَّعْظِيمِ وَالْحُرْمَةِ، وَإِنْ سَمِعَ مَسْأَلَةً وَاحِدَةً أَوْ حِكْمَةً وَاحِدَةً أَلْفَ مَرَّةٍ.
The seeker ought to listen to knowledge and wisdom with awe and respect, even if he hears the same point or adage a thousand times.
وَقِيلَ: مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ تَعْظِيمُهُ بَعْدَ أَلْفِ مَرَّةٍ كَتَعْظِيمِهِ فِي أَوَّلِ مَرَّةٍ فَلَيْسَ بِأَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ.
It is said: Whoever after a thousand hearings is not as reverent as the first time is not fit for this knowledge.
وَيَنْبَغِي لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ لَا يَخْتَارَ نَوْعَ الْعِلْمِ بِنَفْسِهِ، بَلْ يُفَوِّضُ أَمْرَهُ إِلَى الْأُسْتَاذِ، فَإِنَّ الْأُسْتَاذَ قَدْ حَصَلَتْ لَهُ التَّجَارِبُ فِي ذَلِكَ، فَكَانَ أَعْرَفَ بِمَا يَنْبَغِي لِكُلِّ وَاحِدٍ وَمَا يَلِيقُ بِطَبِيعَتِهِ.
The student should not pick the branch of knowledge himself; he should entrust the matter to his teacher, who has tested experience and knows what suits each nature.
وَكَانَ الشَّيْخُ الْإِمَامُ الْأَجَلُّ الْأُسْتَاذُ بُرْهَانُ الْحَقِّ وَالدِّينِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى يَقُولُ: كَانَ طَلَبَةُ الْعِلْمِ فِي الزَّمَانِ الْأَوَّلِ يُفَوِّضُونَ أَمْرَهُمْ فِي التَّعَلُّمِ إِلَى أُسْتَاذِهِمْ، وَكَانُوا يَصِلُونَ إِلَى مَقْصُودِهِمْ وَمُرَادِهِمْ، وَالْآنَ يَخْتَارُونَ بِأَنْفُسِهِمْ، فَلَا يَحْصُلُ مَقْصُودُهُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ وَالْفِقْهِ.
The great teacher Burhān al-Ḥaqq wa l-Dīn — may Allah have mercy on him — used to say: Early students entrusted their whole course of study to their shaykh and thereby reached their goal; today they pick for themselves, so they miss the mark of true science and fiqh.
وَكَانَ يُحْكَى أَنَّ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ إِسْمَاعِيلَ الْبُخَارِيَّ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ تَعَالَى كَانَ بَدَأَ بِكِتَابَةِ الصَّلَاةِ عَلَى مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحَسَنِ رَحِمَهُ اللهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ: اذْهَبْ وَتَعَلَّمْ عِلْمَ الْحَدِيثِ، لِمَا رَأَى أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْعِلْمَ أَلْيَقَ بِطَبْعِهِ، فَطَلَبَ عِلْمَ الْحَدِيثِ فَصَارَ فِيهِ مُقَدَّمًا عَلَى جَمِيعِ أَئِمَّةِ الْحَدِيثِ.
It is told that Muḥammad ibn Ismāʿīl al-Bukhārī — may Allah have mercy on him — first studied prayer law under Muḥammad ibn al-Ḥasan — may Allah have mercy on him — who said to him: Go study ḥadīth, for he saw that science better suited his disposition; he did so and became foremost among ḥadīth imāms.
وَيَنْبَغِي لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ لَا يَجْلِسَ قَرِيبًا مِنَ الْأُسْتَاذِ عِنْدَ السَّبْقِ بِغَيْرِ ضَرُورَةٍ، بَلْ يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يَكُونَ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الْأُسْتَاذِ قَدْرُ الْقَوْسِ فَإِنَّهُ أَقْرَبُ إِلَى التَّعْظِيمِ.
At study sessions one should not sit close to the teacher without need; the distance of a bow between you is nearer to true reverence.
وَيَنْبَغِي لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ يَحْتَرِزَ عَنِ الْأَخْلَاقِ الذَّمِيمَةِ، فَإِنَّهَا كِلَابٌ مَعْنَوِيَّةٌ، وَقَدْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: لَا تَدْخُلُ الْمَلَائِكَةُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ كَلْبٌ أَوْ صُورَةٌ. وَإِنَّمَا يَتَعَلَّمُ الْإِنْسَانُ بِوَاسِطَةِ مَلَكٍ.
The aspirant must shun foul character traits — they are dogs of the inward. The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings upon him, said: Angels do not enter a house wherein there is a dog or a picture. Yet man learns only by the mediation of an angel.
وَالْأَخْلَاقُ الذَّمِيمَةُ تُعْرَفُ فِي كِتَابِ الْأَخْلَاقِ، وَكِتَابُنَا هَذَا لَا يَحْتَمِلُ بَيَانَهَا.
Vicious traits are detailed in works on character; this treatise cannot unfold them all.
وَلْيَحْتَرِزْ خُصُوصًا عَنِ التَّكَبُّرِ، وَمَعَ التَّكَبُّرِ لَا يَحْصُلُ الْعِلْمُ.
Above all avoid arrogance — with arrogance knowledge never truly comes.
الْعِلْمُ حَرْبٌ لِلْفَتَى الْمُتَعَالِيكَالسَّيْلِ حَرْبٌ لِلْمَكَانِ الْعَالِي
Knowledge wages war on the youth who grows arrogant / like a flood against every height that rises.