(60) Al-Alim, may His might be glorified, said: "Many a person in two tattered, dusty garments is such that if he were to swear by Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath."

You must understand what is intended by all of this so that it does not become obscure to you, causing you to misinterpret it and perish. It means that a man might be in a more tattered state than you and of a lower station than you in his worldly life, yet because of that, he is exalted in his religion—unique, unrecognized by the doubters, and unacknowledged by the ignorant. Such is the one who, if he were to swear by Allah, Allah would fulfill his oath.

(61) It has been narrated regarding this from al-Alim, may His might be glorified, that he said: "If that servant were to swear by Allah, Mighty and Majestic, not to create a heaven or an earth, or that the Hour should not arrive, or that Allah should not punish the servants, or to bring the people of the Fire out of the Fire, He would answer him. However, Allah has given that servant such knowledge of this world and its people that he does not feel mercy for the people of the Fire; thus, he does not ask Allah not to punish them, but rather loves for their punishment to be increased. He does not wish for mercy to be shown to those who deny the Oneness of Allah, so he does not ask Allah to have mercy on them. He loves the existence of the heaven and the earth because he has known them both and affirmed them. Likewise, everything he has learned regarding the inward of all we have explained is an act of obedience, so he does not wish to introduce any act of disobedience into it."

Acquiring and seeking knowledge is an obligation upon the seekers and the aspirants; they must take it from wherever they find it and exalt its people. They must seek it from them with gentleness and desire, for they [the teachers] have been commanded to conceal what has been imparted to them and to withhold it from whoever comes to them without familiarity (uns) and maturity (rushd). Allah the Exalted commanded them in this, saying: {And test the orphans until they reach the age of marriage. Then if you perceive in them maturity, deliver to them their wealth. And do not consume it extravagantly and hastily, lest they grow up. And whoever is rich, let him abstain; and whoever is poor, let him consume in a fair manner. Then when you deliver their wealth to them, take witnesses over them. And sufficient is Allah as an Accountant} (Al-Nisa: 6).