Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee on Knowledge

أدب التعلم - By Imam al-Shafi’i (rahimahullah)

اصبر على مر الجفا من معلم *** فإن رسوب العلم في نفراته
Be patient over the teacher’s strictness and harshness
For the stores of knowledge are present in his harshness

ومن لم يذق ذل التعلم ساعة *** تجرع ذل الجهل طول حياته
Whoever does not taste the humility of learning even for an hour
Will drink the humility of ignorance for the rest of his life

ومن فاته التعليم وقت شبابه *** فكبر عليه أربعا لوفاته
For him who misses out on learning in his youth,
Then announce four takbirs over him for his death is due

حياة الفتى – والله – بالعلم والتقى *** إذا لم يكونا لا اعتبار لذاته
By Allah, the life of a youth is by knowledge and piety
If they are not present, then nothing can express his existence

Imam Ash-Shafi’i was asked: “How do you lust for knowledge?”
He replied, “I hear a word of knowledge that I have not heard of before and each one of my body parts wishes that it had the faculty of hearing so that they, too, could enjoy the pleasure of hearing what my ears enjoy upon hearing new knowledge.”
He was then asked: “Describe your eagerness to attain knowledge”
He replied, “It is akin to the eagerness of a striving, miserly man who seeks to achieve pleasure through hoarding wealth.”
He was then asked: “How do you seek knowledge?”
He finally responded: “I seek it like a weak woman seeks after her only child.”