Ninety-four years had passed from the life of ’Uthman al-Basri, but upon the arrival of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) in Medina and witnessing the greatness of the Imam in every aspect, he desired only to learn knowledge from him. Although the strict control by the government over the Imam (peace be upon him) and the valuable time of the Imam himself made it difficult for ’Uthman al-Basri to be accepted by the Imam, he was not deterred. The love of the Imam had deeply rooted itself in his heart, and he could not simply abandon him. Thus, he prayed to God to grant him the opportunity to attend the presence of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq and benefit from his knowledge.
Eventually, ’Uthman al-Basri’s patience ran out. He headed towards the house of Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) and asked for permission to enter. This time, the Imam accepted him.
Now, he had entered the sea of divine knowledge and was waiting to quench his thirst with a sip of its pure waters…
Imam Ja’far al-Sadiq (peace be upon him) addressed ’Uthman al-Basri and said: “O Abā Abdullah![1] Knowledge (true knowledge) is not just about studying, but it is a light that is placed in the heart of the one whom Allah wills to guide. Therefore, if you seek knowledge, first establish the truth of servitude within yourself, act upon the knowledge, and then seek it (pursue it), and ask Allah for understanding to grant you wisdom.”
’Uthman al-Basri asked: “What is the truth of servitude?”
The Imam replied: “It consists of three things: First, the servant does not consider what Allah has granted him as his own true possession, for the true owners are not the servants; they see the wealth as belonging to God and wherever He commands, they spend it. Second, the servant does nothing except for his duty, and he does not think about the outcome of his actions (meaning, when performing his duty, he does not focus on the positive or negative results). Third, the servant devotes all his attention to fulfilling God’s commands and abstaining from His prohibitions.”
Therefore, whenever a servant does not consider what Allah has given him as his own true possession, spending in what Allah has commanded becomes easy for him. When he entrusts his affairs to the true manager, which is Allah, and focuses solely on fulfilling his duties, the hardships of this world become easier for him. When the servant occupies himself with obeying the orders and prohibitions of Allah, he will have no time to quarrel with people or show off to them.
Thus, whenever Allah grants these three qualities to a servant and elevates him with them, the world, Satan, and people become worthless in his eyes. He will not seek after wealth to boast of it nor after the honor and positions he sees in the hands of others. He will not waste his days in vain. This is the first degree of piety. Allah the Almighty says: “This life in the Hereafter, We grant to those who do not desire superiority on the earth nor corruption, and the best end is for the pious” [2].
But have we made the preparations to acquire knowledge and allow this divine light to enter our hearts? Have we, by acting on what we have learned, made other forms of knowledge flow toward us?
O Allah, we seek refuge in You from spending a lifetime in the effort of studying, yet due to our lack of true servitude, not having a single particle of the light of knowledge enter our hearts…
(Taken from the book “Mishkāt al-Anwār,” by Ali ibn Hasan al-Tabarsi)
Footnote:
[1] Abā Abdullah was the title of ’Uthman al-Basri.
[2] (Quran, Surah al-Qasas, verse 83)