أَخْبَرَنَا
أَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ، حَدَّثَنَا
الْأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ
الْحَسَنِ، قَالَ: سُئِلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، عَنْ رَجُلَيْنِ كَانَا فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ: أَحَدُهُمَا كَانَ عَالِمًا يُصَلِّي الْمَكْتُوبَةَ، ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فَيُعَلِّمُ النَّاسَ الْخَيْرَ، وَالْآخَرُ يَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَيَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ، أَيُّهُمَا أَفْضَلُ ؟، قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ:
"فَضْلُ هَذَا الْعَالِمِ الَّذِي يُصَلِّي الْمَكْتُوبَةَ ثُمَّ يَجْلِسُ فَيُعَلِّمُ النَّاسَ الْخَيْرَ، عَلَى الْعَابِدِ الَّذِي يَصُومُ النَّهَارَ وَيَقُومُ اللَّيْلَ، كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ رَجُلًا".
Imam Hasan al-Basri (may Allah have mercy on him) said: It was asked from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) about two men from the Children of Israel. One of them was a scholar who would pray and then sit and teach people goodness, and the other was a man who would fast during the day and stand in prayer at night. Which of these two is superior?
The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The superiority of the scholar who prays and then sits and teaches people goodness over the worshipper who fasts during the day and stands in prayer at night is like my superiority over the least of you."