A man said to Imam Sha’bi (may Allah have mercy on him): O scholar (of religion), give me a fatwa. So he said: The scholar is the one who fears Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.
Hadith Takhrijاس قول کی سند صحیح ہے۔ دیکھئے: [مصنف ابن أبى شيبه 17517] ، [حلية الأولياء 311/4]
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadith 262) That is, merely acquiring knowledge does not make one a scholar (‘alim); rather, until there is practice (amal), piety (taqwa), and sincerity (ikhlas), one cannot become a true scholar.