Imam Ali (a.s)
gave the following ten answers to ten different people in favour of
knowledge.
1.
Knowledge is the legacy of the Prophets, wealth is the inheritance of the
pharaohs. Therefore, knowledge is better that wealth.
2. You are to guard your wealth but knowledge guards you. So knowledge
is better.
3. A man of wealth has many enemies while a man of knowledge has
many friends. Hence knowledge is better.
4. Knowledge increases with distributions, while wealth decreases by that
act. Thus knowledge is better.
5. Knowledge is better because it cannot be stolen while wealth can be
stolen.
6. Knowledge is better because a learned man is apt to be generous
while a wealthy person is apt to be miserly.
7. Knowledge is better because time cannot harm knowledge. But
wealth rusts in course of time and wears away.
8. Knowledge is better because it illuminates the mind while wealth
is bound to blacken it.
9. Knowledge is better because it is boundless while wealth is
limited and you can keep account of it.
10. Knowledge is better because knowledge induced the humanity in our
prophet to say to God, "We worship Thee as we are your servants,"
while wealth engendered in Pharaoh and Namrood the vanity which made them
claim Godhead.''
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