Chapter I: Acquisition of Knowledge
Hazrat Huzaifa said: Be careful of the place of danger. He was asked: What is it? He said: The palaces of the rulers. Some one of you will go to a ruler, approve his lies and say that he possesses an attribute which he does not actually possess. The Prophet said: The learned are the representatives of the Prophets to the people till they do not mix with the rulers. When they mix, they commit treachery with the Prophets. So beware of them and don't mix with them. Hazrat Sayed-b-Musayyeb said: When you see a learned man frequenting the house of a ruler, beware of his company as he is a thief. Hazrat Aozayi said: There is nothing more hateful to God than a learned man who frequents the house of a ruler. The Prophet said: The learned men who frequent the houses of rulers are worst and the rulers who frequent the houses of the learned men are best. Hazrat Maqhul said: He who leams the Quran and becomes expert in religious learning but comes to the company of the rulers out of greed is immerged in the sea of Hell fire. When you see a learned man loving the world, convert him to your religion because I have learnt it by experience.
Hazrat Hasan Basari said: There lived before your time a man who was born in Islam and enjoyed the company of the Prophet. He is Sa'ad-b-Abi Waqas. He did not frequent the houses of rulers and hated it. His sons said to him : Those who are like you in following Islam and keeping company with the
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Prophet frequent the houses of rulers. It would have been better if you frequnent their houses, He said : O dear sons, the world is a corpse and the people surround it. By God, I will not be a partner , to it even if I am able to do it. They said : O father, you will then die of starvation. He said : O sons, I would rather starve to death than die as a great man with hypocrisy. Hazrat Hasan used to say to the opposing parties : By God, know that earth will consume the flesh and fat but not faith. Hazrat Omar-b-Abdul Aziz wrote a letter to Hasan Basari saying : Name such persons to me who will help me in enforcing the injunctions of God. He replied to him : Those who are religious do not wish to go to you. You will not wish the company of those who love the world Keep the noble in company as they will defile their honour by breach of trust.