Carriers of Knowledge

“In the name of God, the beneficent, the merciful”

“Carriers of Knowledge”

Narration from Imam Baqir (A) said:

“There are containers for us – that is, some people that we fill them with our knowledge and wisdom while they are not qualified. We do not fill them with knowledge except to pass it on to our followers.”

“So, look inside the containers and learn knowledges, then clear those things of turbidity that is, misplaced words and interpretations and keep them clean. Beware of those containers, that is, people, that they are impure containers.”

Narration from Imam Sadiq (A) said: “Seek knowledge from its sources and avoid incompetent people who are deviate people from the way of God. Knowledge is gone, and only a little of the knowledge that remains is in the  impure containers. Beware of their inward attributes which there is destruction and accept their outward attributes which there is salvation.

The explanation: In these two narrations, the Imams state that there are many people who carry our knowledges only to convey it to our followers, while they themselves are not good. These narrations state how many people believe that they are followers of the Ahl al-Bayt of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) but are not approved by the Ahl al-Bayt. They were allowed to use the Imams’ knowledge but avoided their way. So, it is possible that a person has good knowledge, but he is not a divine man himself.

When Imam (A) said to purify their knowledge, that is, do not pay attention to their words, descriptions, and interpretations, but simply take our words from them, and at the end, do not follow their ways and thoughts.

Mohammad Mahdi Me’marian

All praise is to God to the extent that He deserves it.