Verse No. 13

“Indeed, there is a scholar on the earth whom people need, but he does not need people.”

قَالَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى:

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

Translation:

God 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-Taloqani informed us, he said: I heard Mansoor say: “Indeed, there is a scholar on the earth that people need him and he does not need people; because he is above every possessor of knowledge, and this is the words of God that has said: ‘And there exists a more knowledgeable person above every possessor of knowledge.’ So seek him out and learn from him, and do not let any possessor of knowledge with his knowledge prevent you from (going to) him, even if he amazes you; because it 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 words of God Almighty that has said: “And there exists a more knowledgeable person above every possessor of knowledge.” So he said: “Indeed, above every possessor of knowledge, there is a knowledgeable person until it leads to God’s Caliph and His Messenger, and he is one who receives knowledge from God and His Messenger, so there is no knowledgeable person above him except for God and His Messenger, and there is no knowledgeable person above God and His Messenger.” I said: “How does he receive knowledge from God and His Messenger when he is not a Prophet and there are centuries between him and the Prophet?” He said: “He is a narrator of Hadith, and there are relics of the Prophet with him, and it is not that whatever is asked for is found.”