Intellect and its virtue

It is narrated from Mu'awiyah bin Qurrah (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "People do perform good deeds, but in reality they are given their reward and recompense only in proportion to their intellects and in keeping with their understanding and wisdom."
This report is mursal, and in addition to that its chain is weak.

It is narrated from Sa'id bin al-Musayyib (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Umar, Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah and Sayyiduna Ubayy bin Ka'b (may Allah be pleased with them) came into the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! Who is the most knowledgeable of people?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The intelligent person." They said: "Then who is the most devoted in worship among people?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The intelligent person." They asked again: "Then who is the most virtuous of people?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The intelligent person." At this they said: "O Messenger of Allah! Is the intelligent person not the one whose manliness and humanity are complete, whose eloquence and speech are prominent, and whose rank and standing are great?" So he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, all of this is merely the enjoyment of the life of this world: 'And all of that is nothing but the enjoyment of the life of this world' [Surah al-Zukhruf: 35]. But in reality the intelligent one is he who adopts taqwa (God-consciousness), even if in the eyes of the world he is of low rank, unknown and insignificant."
The chain of this report is very weak, indeed fabricated, because it contains narrators such as Dawud bin al-Muhabbar and Maysarah bin Abd Rabbih, who were liars and fabricators of hadith.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Amr bin al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, a man, by virtue of his good character, attains the rank of one who fasts much and is humbly obedient (in worship). And a person's good character does not reach completion until his intellect becomes complete; so when his intellect is complete, at that very time his trustworthiness and his faith also reach perfection. In that state he obeys his Lord and disobeys his enemy, Iblis."
Takhrij and grading: The chain of this report is very weak, because its narrator Muqatil bin Sulayman is matruk (abandoned) and a liar. Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded it in 'Shu'ab al-Iman' (8000), and Ibn Abi al-Dunya in 'al-Aql wa Fadluh' (14).

It is narrated from Abu Qilabah (may Allah have mercy on him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "People will be held to account (on the Day of Resurrection) according to the measure of their intellects and their mental capacity."
Imam al-Harith recorded this hadith in his Musnad (Bughyat al-Bahith: 2767); however, its chain is weak because a narrator named Adi bin al-Fadl al-Basri is matruk al-hadith (abandoned in hadith). Moreover, Abu Qilabah's narrating directly from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) places it at the level of mursal.

It is narrated from Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) that she said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! On what basis do people gain excellence and superiority over one another in this world?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By the intellect." I said: "And in the Hereafter (what will be the standard of excellence)?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There too it will be on the basis of the intellect." I said: "But they will be recompensed for their deeds (so why mention the intellect)?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(O Aishah!) Have they done any deed except in the measure of the intellect that Allah Almighty granted them? The reality is that their deeds were in accordance with the intellect they were given, and in proportion to the deeds they did they will be given recompense and reward."
The chain of this report contains Dawud bin al-Muhabbar and Maysarah bin Abd Rabbih, who are lying narrators; therefore this report is mawdu' (fabricated).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "For everything there is some tool and provision, and the true tool and provision of the believer is the intellect, that is, reason and wisdom; and the real pillar and support of the believer is also the intellect. Everything has a goal and final limit, and the utmost end of servitude and worship is the intellect. Every people has a guardian and protector, and the protector of the worshippers is the intellect. Every merchant has some capital and stock-in-trade, and the real capital of those who strive and toil in the path of religion is the intellect. Every household has a manager and head, and the head of the households of the siddiqin (the truthful) is the intellect. Every ruin has a restoration and building-up, and the true building-up and flourishing of the Hereafter lies in the intellect (and its right use). Every matter has a legacy and an outcome to which it is attributed and by which it is remembered, and the legacy of the siddiqin to which they are attributed and by which they are mentioned is the intellect. Every group and community has a central tent and place of refuge in which they take shelter, and the real refuge of the people of faith is the intellect."
Imam Ibn Abi al-Dunya recorded this report in 'Kitab al-Aql' (no. 24); however, its chain contains a narrator named Maysarah bin Abd Rabbih, who was a liar and a fabricator of reports, because of which the hadith scholars declared it mawdu' (fabricated).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The real foundation of a person's character and the true stability of his life is his intellect, and the one who has no intellect and understanding has no religion worth considering."
Takhrij and grading: Imam Ibn Adi recorded this report in "al-Kamil fi Du'afa' al-Rijal" and al-Khatib al-Baghdadi in "Tarikh Baghdad"; however, its chain has been declared by the hadith scholars to be extremely weak or fabricated (mawdu') because of narrators such as Dawud bin al-Muhabbar and Nasr bin Tarif.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people! Use reason and wisdom to gain knowledge of your Lord, and adopt humility, as the intellect requires, in the matters you have been commanded to do or forbidden from. Know that the intellect warns you (against disobedience) before your Lord. And understand well that in reality the intelligent one is he who obeyed Allah Almighty, even if he is ugly in appearance, insignificant in rank, of lowly standing and dishevelled in condition; and indeed the ignorant one is he who disobeyed Allah, even if he is handsome in appearance, of high position, of fine outward condition and extremely eloquent in speech. And remember that even apes and swine have more understanding with regard to knowing Allah Almighty than the one who disobeys Allah. And beware! Do not be deceived by the honour and respect shown to you by the people of this world, otherwise tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection, you will be among the losers."
The chain of this report is very weak, indeed mawdu' (fabricated); its narrator Dawud bin al-Muhabbar is a kadhdhab (liar), and this text is among the fabricated reports of Kitab al-Aql.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that it was said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! A man who possesses fine intellect and understanding but whose sins are many (what will be his end)?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "There is no one among the children of Adam from whom errors and sins are not committed; but the one whose innate disposition is intellect and whose nature is steeped in certainty, sins do not harm him (permanently) (that is, he does not persist in sins)." It was said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! How is that possible?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Because whenever he commits an error, he makes up for it without any delay through repentance and remorse for what he did. So that repentance wipes out his sins, and there remains with him such an excess of virtue and good deeds that because of it he will enter Paradise."
The chain of this hadith contains Musa bin Ubaydah al-Rabadhi, a weak narrator, because of which this report is weak in its chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The angels, using intellect and understanding, made great effort and exertion in obedience to Allah Almighty, and the people of faith strove and struggled in obedience and servitude to Allah according to the capacity of their intellects. Therefore, the one with the greatest knowledge of obedience to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, is the one among them who has the most complete and abundant share of intellect."
This report makes clear the virtue of intellect and insight and the key role of sound understanding in obedience to Allah.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Qatadah (may Allah be pleased with him) that I said: O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! What is your view regarding this saying of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: 'which of you is best in deed' [Surah al-Mulk: 2], what does Allah, Glorified and Exalted, mean by it?
He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Which of you is best in intellect." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The most complete of you in intellect is the one who fears Allah Almighty the most, and who is the best in insight and understanding regarding Allah's commands and prohibitions, even if he is the least of you in performing voluntary acts of worship."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Ayyub al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, two men head for the mosque and offer the prayer there (in congregation); then one of them returns in such a state that his prayer is (in reward and worth) weightier than the mountain of Uhud, while the other returns in such a state that his prayer is not worth even the weight of a speck." At this Sayyiduna Abu Humayd al-Sa'idi (may Allah be pleased with him) said: (O Messenger of Allah!) How does this come about? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When one of them is better than the other in intellect and understanding." He asked again: how is he (the one with better intellect)? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "When he is more scrupulous in avoiding the things Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has forbidden, and more eager to hasten towards good deeds, even if he is less than him (the other man) in the abundance of voluntary worship."
The chain of this report contains Musa bin Ubaydah al-Rabadhi, whom the imams of narrator criticism declared weak; and Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded it in 'Shu'ab al-Iman'.

It is narrated from Aslam that Sayyiduna Umar bin al-Khattab (may Allah be pleased with him) asked Sayyiduna Tamim al-Dari (may Allah be pleased with him): "In your view, what is the standard of leadership, chieftainship, greatness and nobility?" He replied: "Intellect and wisdom." At this Sayyiduna Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "You have spoken the truth. I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) just as I asked you, and he (peace and blessings be upon him) gave the same answer that you have given. Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) further said: 'I asked Jibril (peace be upon him): What is the real standard of leadership and eminence among people? And he replied: The intellect.'"
The chain of this hadith contains a narrator named Abbad bin Kathir al-Basri, who is matruk (abandoned) and weak, because of which this report is extremely weak in its chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Everything has some pillar and foundation, and the foundation and real support of the believer is his intellect and wisdom; so the worship of his Lord (in its degrees and perfection) also depends on the measure of his intellect and understanding. Have you not heard the saying of the sinner at the time of his remorse and regret: 'If only we had listened or reasoned, we would not be among the companions of the Blaze' [Surah al-Mulk: 10], 'If only we had listened (to the truth) or used intellect and understanding, today we would not be among the people of Hell.'"
Takhrij and grading: Imam al-Harith bin Abi Usamah recorded this hadith in his Musnad (Bughyat al-Bahith: 792). The hadith scholars have criticised its chain because of the solitary narration of Suhayl bin Abi Salih and other narrators, and Allamah al-Albani declared it weak.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that I heard Abu al-Qasim (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Seek the counsel of the intelligent and insightful person, and you will find guidance and the right path; and never go against him (his opinion), otherwise you will have to suffer remorse and regret."
Imam Ibn Adi recorded this hadith in al-Kamil and Imam al-Quda'i in Musnad al-Shihab. This report sheds light on the importance of turning to people of understanding and insight and on the value of their counsel.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Mu'awiyah (may Allah be pleased with him), while addressing the people in a sermon, said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "The most virtuous of my Companions and the best of them are those who have the most taqwa (God-consciousness) and piety." At this Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (may Allah be pleased with him) said (by way of explanation): "The one among them who has the most taqwa is the most intelligent, and the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said it in the same way."
Takhrij and grading: Some narrators in the chain of this report have been criticised; however, its text describes the mutual connection between taqwa and intellect as the standard of excellence of the Companions.

Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates from the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the ignorant and foolish person (by his words and deeds) always reveals only his own evil and faults, however wise and pleasant of speech he may be in people's eyes; and indeed the person of intellect and insight brings to light only his own good qualities and excellence, however faulty and lowly he may be considered by people."
Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded this hadith in Shu'ab al-Iman. Its chain contains Musa bin Jaban, whose memory has been criticised; however, this saying makes clear the difference between the fruits of human wisdom and of ignorance.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) recited the opening verses of Surah al-Mulk, from 'Blessed is He in whose hand is the dominion' [Surah al-Mulk: 1] up to this saying of Allah Almighty: 'that He may test you, which of you is best in deed' [Surah al-Mulk: 2], and (explaining the words 'best in deed') he said: "The best of you in deed is the one who is foremost in intellect and understanding, who most avoids (being scrupulous about) the things Allah Almighty has forbidden, and who is quickest in acts of obedience and submission to Allah, the Mighty and Majestic."
Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded this hadith in "Shu'ab al-Iman" (hadith: 2790). Its chain contains the narrator Abd al-Wahid bin Ziyad al-Basri, who is thiqah (trustworthy); however, some imams of narrator criticism have discussed whether this report is marfu' (attributed to the Prophet), and it has been accepted as a report of hasan (good) grade.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How many people there are who have a deep understanding of the commands of Allah Almighty, although in the eyes of ordinary people they are very insignificant and disliked in outward appearance, yet tomorrow (on the Day of Resurrection) they will be saved. And how many people there are who are very smooth of tongue, handsome in appearance and wearers of attractive clothing, yet tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection, they will meet ruin and destruction."
Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded this hadith in Shu'ab al-Iman. Although there is scholarly criticism of its chain, its meaning is established by other sahih (authentic) hadith.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that he said: I heard the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Allah Almighty has divided the intellect into three parts; so the person in whom these three qualities are present, his intellect will be complete, and the one in whom these qualities are not present has no intellect (worth considering): attaining the best knowledge and recognition of Allah Almighty, rendering Him the best obedience and submission, and showing the best patience over His command and decree."
The chain of this hadith contains Abbad bin Kathir al-Basri, who is matruk al-hadith (abandoned in hadith). Imam Ibn Abi al-Dunya recorded it in his book 'al-Aql wa Fadluh', and this report is very weak in its chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna al-Bara' bin Azib (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asked a great many questions, so he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O people! Indeed, for every path there is a particular mount, a covenant and pledge, and a clear proof. And among people, the one with the strongest and most reliable mount, the best guided, and with the deepest recognition of truth and soundness is the person who is foremost among them all in intellect and understanding."
Imam al-Tabarani recorded this report in "al-Mu'jam al-Kabir", but the hadith scholars have criticised its authenticity because of the presence of Attab bin Abd al-Rahman and al-Rabi' bin Lut in its chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that when the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) returned from the Battle of Uhud, he (peace and blessings be upon him) heard people saying: "So-and-so was braver than so-and-so, so-and-so was bolder and more daring than so-and-so, and so-and-so performed feats that no one else could." In short, they were praising them with much exaggeration. So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have no knowledge of the reality of this matter." The Companions said: O Messenger of Allah! How is that? He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "All of them fought in the measure in which Allah Almighty had apportioned intellect and wisdom among them, and the standard of their support and their intentions too was according to their intellects. So whoever of them was martyred or wounded attained his own separate rank, and when the Day of Resurrection comes, they will obtain their ranks and stations in proportion to their intentions and their intellects."
The chain of this hadith contains the narrator Abbad bin Kathir al-Basri, who according to the hadith scholars is matruk (abandoned) and extremely weak; therefore this report is weak in its chain.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that some people praised a man in the presence of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) to such an extent that they left nothing out in describing all his good qualities. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked: "How is this man's intellect?" They said: "O Messenger of Allah! We are telling you of his utmost striving in worship and his many kinds of good deeds, and you are asking us about his intellect?" So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, a foolish person, because of his foolishness, does far greater harm (in religion and worldly life) than a wicked person does through his wickedness. And tomorrow, on the Day of Resurrection, the ranks of the servants will be raised only according to their intellect and understanding, and they will also attain nearness and standing with their Lord only in proportion to the measure of their intellects."
The chain of this report has been criticised and it has been declared weak (Takhrij: al-Mu'jam al-Awsat: 4059, Shu'ab al-Iman of al-Bayhaqi: 4627; Allamah al-Albani declared it munkar (denounced) in al-Silsilah al-Da'ifah: 6116).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas bin Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) that Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah! I am going to ask you about qualities which Allah Almighty has disclosed to no one except Musa bin Imran (peace be upon him). So if you know them, the purpose will be fulfilled; otherwise it is something that Allah has made exclusive to Musa bin Imran (peace be upon him)." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ibn Salam! If you wish, ask me, and if you wish, I will inform you myself." He said: "You inform me." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, even the angels brought near have not encompassed the vastness of the creation of the Throne, nor do they have complete knowledge of it; even the angels who carry it do not fully know its reality. When Allah Almighty created the heavens and the earth, the angels said: O our Lord! Have You created among Your creation anything greater than the heavens and the earth? Allah said: Yes, the seas. They said: Have You created anything greater than the seas? Allah said: Yes, the Throne. They said: Have You created any creation that is greater than the Throne? Allah said: Yes, the intellect. They said: O our Lord! What is the measure and standing of the intellect and the extent of its creation? Allah said: 'Far from it, its knowledge cannot be encompassed.' Allah further asked: Do you know the number of the grains of sand? They said: No. Allah said: I have created the intellect in various kinds, like the number of the grains of sand. So among people, some were given merely one grain of this intellect, some two, three or four, some the equivalent of one measure (faraq), some one wasq and some two wasqs; indeed some were given intellect many times more than that, according to the will of Allah." Ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah! Who are those people with more intellect?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They are the people who act in obedience and submission to Allah Almighty, who attain rank in proportion to their deeds, their striving and their certainty. So the light that Allah Almighty has placed in their hearts, and their understanding, are according to the measure that Allah has granted them; so every doer of deeds acts according to that measure of intellect and attains elevation in ranks." Ibn Salam (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "By the One who sent you with guidance and the religion of truth! You have not left out even a single letter of the reality found in the Torah. And indeed Musa (peace be upon him) was the first person to describe this attribute, and you are the second." So the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "O Ibn Salam! You have spoken the truth."
This report has been recorded in the chapter on the virtue of the intellect by al-Hakim al-Tirmidhi and others; however, according to the hadith scholars its chain is extremely weak and its text munkar (denounced), because such details about the creation of the intellect are not established by sahih (authentic) hadith.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "No person has acquired any wealth more excellent than intellect and insight, which guides its possessor towards guidance and holds him back from ruin and destruction; and the faith of a servant does not become complete, nor does his religion proceed on the path of uprightness, until his intellect reaches completion."
Takhrij: There is weakness in the chain of this report because of a narrator named Abbad bin Kathir.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Jabir bin Abdullah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him)! What will be the outcome and end of people's affairs on the Day of Resurrection?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They will arrive at their deeds (that is, their outcome will be according to their actions): 'So whoever does an atom's weight of good will see it, and whoever does an atom's weight of evil will see it' [Surah al-Zalzalah: 7-8], that is, whoever did good equal to an atom will see it, and whoever did evil equal to an atom will see it." Sayyiduna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) relates: I asked: "Which of them is the most excellent in terms of deeds?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one whose intellect is the best and most mature." I said: "This superiority is in this world (the basis of deeds being accepted); then who will be the most excellent in the Hereafter?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The one whose intellect is the best. Indeed, the intellect is the master and true guide of all deeds in both abodes, this world and the Hereafter."
This report is very weak, indeed fabricated (mawdu'). Its chain contains a narrator named Maysarah bin Abd Rabbih, who is a liar and notorious for fabricating hadith; Imam al-Nasa'i and other imams of narrator criticism declared him matruk (abandoned).

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man said: "O Messenger of Allah! What do you say about a man who stands (in worship) at night, fasts by day, attains the blessing of Hajj and Umrah, strives in jihad in the path of Allah Almighty, visits the sick, maintains the ties of kinship (treats his relatives well), follows funerals and hosts the guest?" until the questioner counted these ten qualities, and he asked: "So what will be his rank and standing with Allah Almighty on the Day of Resurrection?" The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "On the Day of Resurrection, the reward for all the deeds he performed will be given according to the measure of his intellect and understanding."
This report makes clear that the reward for deeds in the court of Allah is granted in proportion to the servant's understanding, knowledge and conscious state.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu al-Darda' (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "O Uwaymir! Increase your intellect and wisdom; as a result you will increase in nearness to your Lord." He said: "O Messenger of Allah! May my father and mother be ransomed for you, how is this possible for me?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Completely avoid everything that Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, has forbidden, and fulfil the obligations of Allah Almighty as they deserve, and you will truly be counted intelligent. Moreover, along with the obligations, take great care to perform voluntary good deeds abundantly; through them you will attain elevation and honour in this world, and you will attain nearness, honour and standing in the court of your Lord."
Imam al-Bayhaqi recorded it in Shu'ab al-Iman; however, its chain contains Maysarah bin Abd Rabbih, a liar and wadda' (fabricator of hadith), because of which this report is very weak and munkar (denounced).

It is narrated from Mujahid (may Allah have mercy on him) that I asked Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) which pilgrim to the House of Allah is the most excellent and the greatest in reward? He replied: "The person in whom three qualities come together: a sincere intention, complete intellect and understanding, and spending from lawful wealth." Then when this was mentioned to Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), he said: "He has spoken entirely the truth." I said: If the intention is sincere and the wealth is also lawful, what harm will a lack of intellect do him? He said: "O Abu al-Hajjaj! You are asking me the same question that I asked the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: 'By the One in whose hand is my soul! The servant has not obeyed his Lord with anything, neither with jihad nor with any other kind of righteousness, until he understands it with his intellect and awareness. And even if an ignorant person, with his intellect, were to surpass those who exert themselves to the utmost in worship, the corruption he causes would still be far greater than the good he does.'"
The chain of this report contains Abd al-Wahhab bin Mujahid, a lying and matruk (abandoned) narrator, because of which this hadith is very weak and unreliable.

It is narrated from Suwayd bin Ghafalah (may Allah have mercy on him) that Sayyiduna Abu Bakr al-Siddiq (may Allah be pleased with him) came out one day and met the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) on the way. He said: "O Messenger of Allah! What (message) have you come with?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The intellect." He asked: "What have you been commanded with?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "With the intellect." He said: "On what basis will people be recompensed and punished on the Day of Resurrection?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "On the basis of the intellect." He said: "What is the reality and recognition of the intellect for us?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, there is no limit to the intellect (in its perfection); but whoever holds lawful what Allah has made lawful and holds unlawful what He has made unlawful, he alone is called 'intelligent'. So if a person strives hard in worship and attains a high station in the ranks of good works, but he does not have the intellect that shows him the way to follow the command of Allah Almighty and to avoid what He has forbidden, then such people are 'the greatest losers in respect of deeds, those whose effort is lost in the life of this world while they think that they are doing well in their work' [Surah al-Kahf: 103-104], 'the worst losers in terms of deeds, whose entire striving in the worldly life went to waste while they remained under the impression that they were doing very good works.'"
The chain of this hadith contains a narrator named Nasr bin Tarif "Abu Jaz'", whom Imam al-Bukhari and other imams of narrator criticism declared "matruk al-hadith" (abandoned in hadith) and a "kadhdhab" (liar); therefore this report is very weak and fabricated.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), as a marfu' report, that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The mark of the intelligent person is that he shows forbearance and tolerance towards whoever treats him with foolishness and ignorance, he forgives whoever wrongs him, he adopts humility and modesty before one of lower rank than himself, and he competes, that is, vies, with those above him in seeking righteousness and good. When he intends to speak, he first reflects: if the matter is based on good, he speaks and gathers benefit and reward, and if the matter is based on evil, he keeps silent and remains safe from sin. When he faces some trial or tribulation, he seeks the protection of Allah Almighty and keeps his hand and tongue under control. When he sees an opportunity for some good deed or virtue, he considers it a prize and seizes it at once. Modesty and shame never leave him, nor does greed and covetousness ever appear from him. So these are the ten qualities by which a person of intellect is recognised." He (peace and blessings be upon him) further said: "And the sign of the ignorant person is that he wrongs those who associate with him, he follows one lower than himself, that is, one low in knowledge and practice, he shows arrogance and defiance before one above him, and his speech is without any reflection or thought. So if he speaks he becomes a sinner, and if he keeps silent he remains in heedlessness. When a trial appears before him, he rushes towards it and it casts him into the pit of destruction; and when he sees some virtue or good deed, he turns away from it and is slow and lazy about it. He has no fear of his past sins, nor does he refrain from sins in the rest of his life. He is lazy in good works and late in coming to them, and he does not care about the good that has escaped him or that he has wasted. These are the ten qualities that describe the ignorant person who has been deprived of the wealth of intellect."
[Takhrij: Imam al-Harith recorded this report in his Musnad (no. 979); its chain contains Maysarah bin Abd Rabbih, a lying narrator, therefore this report is mawdu' (fabricated).]