Verse No. 13

“Indeed, there is a scholar on Earth whom people need, and he does not need people.”

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

﴿نَرْفَعُ دَرَجَاتٍ مَنْ نَشَاءُ ۗ وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾[1]

Translation:

Allah Almighty has said:

“We raise in rank whomever We will, and there exists a more knowledgeable person above every possessor of knowledge.”

Considerations

1 . أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الطَّالَقَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ يَقُولُ: إِنَّ فِي الْأَرْضِ عَلِيمًا يَحْتَاجُ النَّاسُ إِلَيْهِ وَلَا يَحْتَاجُ إِلَى النَّاسِ، لِأَنَّهُ فَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ، وَذَلِكَ قَوْلُ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾، فَاطْلُبُوهُ وَتَعَلَّمُوا مِنْهُ، وَلَا يَصُدَّنَّكُمْ عَنْهُ ذُو عِلْمٍ بِعِلْمِهِ، وَلَوْ أَعْجَبَكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ الْخُسْرُ.

Translation:

Ahmad ibn Abd al-Rahman al-Talaqani informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “Indeed, there is a scholar on Earth whom people need, and he does not need people; because he is above every possessor of knowledge. And this is the statement of Allah Almighty, where He has said: ‘And there exists a more knowledgeable person above every possessor of knowledge.’ So seek him out and learn from him. And no possessor of knowledge with his knowledge shall prevent you from (going to) him, even if he astonishes you; because that is a loss.

2 . أَخْبَرَنَا وَلِيدُ بْنُ مَحْمُودٍ السِّجِسْتَانِيُّ، قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ الْمَنْصُورَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: ﴿وَفَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمٌ﴾، فَقَالَ: إِنَّ فَوْقَ كُلِّ ذِي عِلْمٍ عَلِيمًا حَتَّى يَنْتَهُوا إِلَى خَلِيفَةِ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَهُوَ الَّذِي تَلَقَّى الْعِلْمَ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، فَلَيْسَ فَوْقَهُ عَلِيمٌ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ، وَلَيْسَ فَوْقَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ عَلِيمٌ، قُلْتُ: كَيْفَ تَلَقَّى الْعِلْمَ مِنَ اللَّهِ وَرَسُولِهِ، وَمَا هُوَ بِنَبِيٍّ وَبَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ الرَّسُولِ قُرُونٌ؟ قَالَ: إِنَّهُ مُحَدَّثٌ، وَعِنْدَهُ آثَارٌ مِنَ الرَّسُولِ، وَلَيْسَ كُلُّ مَا طُلِبَ وُجِدَ.

Translation:

Walid ibn Mahmoud al-Sajistani informed us, he said: I asked Mansoor about the statement of Allah Almighty, where He has said: “And there exists a more knowledgeable person above every possessor of knowledge.” So he said: “Indeed, above every possessor of knowledge is a knowledgeable person until it ends with Allah’s caliph and His Messenger, and he is one who receives knowledge from Allah and His Messenger. So there is no knowledgeable person above him except Allah and His Messenger, and there is no knowledgeable person above Allah and His Messenger.” I said: “How does he receive knowledge from Allah and His Messenger, while he is not a Prophet and there are centuries between him and the Prophet?” He said: “He is a Muhaddath, and there are works of the Prophet with him, and it is not the case that everything desired is found.”