Abu Hayyan at-Taymi (d. 145 A.H.) said:
الْعلمَاء ثَلَاثَة: عَالم بِاللَّه وبأمر الله، وعالم بِاللَّه وَلَيْسَ بعالم بِأَمْر الله، وعالم بِأَمْر الله وَلَيْسَ بعالم بِاللَّه، فَأَما الْعَالم بِاللَّه وبأمر الله: فَذَاك الْخَائِف لله الْعَالم بسننه وحدوده وفرائضه، وَأما الْعَالم بِاللَّه وَلَيْسَ بعالم بِأَمْر الله: فَذَاك الْخَائِف مِنْهُ، وَلَيْسَ بعالم بسننه وَلَا حُدُوده وَلَا فَرَائِضه، وَأما الْعَالم بِأَمْر الله وَلَيْسَ بعالم بِاللَّه: فَذَاك الْعَالم بسننه وحدوده وفرائضه، وَلَيْسَ بخائف لَهُ
“Scholars are of three types: one who knows Allah and His command, one who knows Allah but not His command, and one who knows His command but not Allah. As for the one who knows Allah and His command, he is the one who fears Allah, knowing His ways, prescribed limits, and enforced obligations. As for the one who knows Allah but not His command, he is the one who fears Allah but does not know His ways, prescribed limits, and enforced obligations. And as for the one who knows His command but not Allah, he is the one who knows His ways, prescribed limits, and enforced obligations but does not fear Him.”[1]
Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali commented on this saying:
وكان كثير من السلف كسفيان الثوري وغيره يقسمون العلماء ثلائة أقسام
- عَالِمٌ بِاللهِ وَعَالِم بِأمْرِ اللهِ
ويشيرون بذلك إلى من جمع بين هذين العلمين المشار إليهما الظاهر والباطن، وهؤلاء أشرف العلماء، وهم الممدوحون في قوله تعالى: ﴿إِنّما يخْشى الله مِنْ عِبادِهِ الْعُلماءُ﴾. وقوله: ﴿إِنّ الّذِين أُوتُوا الْعِلْم مِنْ قبْلِهِ إِذا يُتْلى عليْهِمْ يخِرُّون لِلْأذْقانِ سُجّدًا﴾ إلى قوله: ﴿ويزِيدُهُمْ خُشُوعًا﴾
وقال كثير من السلف: لَيْسَ الْعِلْمُ كَثْرَةَ الرِّوايةِ ولَكِنّ الْعِلْمَ الْخَشْيةُ. وقال بعضهم: كفى بِخشْيةِ اللهِ عِلْمًا، وكفى بِالاغْتِرارِ بِاللهِ جهْلًا
- ويقولون أيضًا: عَالِمٌ بِاللهِ لَيْسَ بِعالمٍ بِأمْرِ اللهِ
وهم أصحاب العلم الباطن الذي يخشون الله، وليس لهم اتساع في العلم الظاهر
- ويقولون: عَالِمٌ بِأَمْرِ اللهِ لَيْسَ بِعَالِمٍ بِاللهِ
وهم أصحاب العلم الظاهر الذين لا نفاذ لهم في العالم الباطن، وليس لهم خشية ولا خشوع، وهؤلاء مذمومون عند السلف.
وكان بعضهم يقول: هَذَا هُوَ العَالِمُ الفَاجِرُ. وهؤلاء الذين وقفوا مع ظاهر العلم ولم يصل العلم النافع إلى قلوبهم ولا شموا له رائحة، غلبت عليهم الغفلة والقسوة، والإعراض عن الآخرة والتنافس في الدنيا، ومحبة العلو فيها والتقدم بين أهلها
“Many of the Salaf, such as Sufyan al-Thawri and others, divided scholars into three categories:
- Those who know Allah and know His command.
By this, they refer to those who have combined both the apparent and hidden knowledge, and these are the most honorable scholars. They are praised in the ayah: “Of all of Allah’s servants, only the knowledgeable ˹of His might˺ are ˹truly˺ in awe of Him” (Surah 35:28), and in the ayah: “Indeed, when it is recited to those who were gifted with knowledge1 before it ˹was revealed˺, they fall upon their faces in prostration” (Surah 17:107) until: “and it increases them in humility” (Surah 17:109).
Many of the Salafi said: Knowledge is not in the abundance of transmitting narrations, but rather, knowledge is fear (of Allah). Some of them also said: The fear of Allah is sufficient knowledge, and complacency toward Allah is sufficient ignorance.
- They also say: One who knows Allah but is not knowledgeable of His command.
These are the possessors of hidden knowledge who fear Allah, yet they lack expansiveness in apparent knowledge.
- They also say: One who knows the command of Allah but is not knowledgeable of Allah.
These people of apparent knowledge have no penetration into the hidden realm, lacking both fear and humility. The Salaf condemned them. Some of them said: This is the wicked scholar. These are the ones who stood with apparent knowledge, but beneficial knowledge did not reach their hearts, nor did they sense its fragrance. They were dominated by negligence and hardness, turning away from the Hereafter and competing in this world, loving superiority in it and striving to excel among its people.”[2]
[1] Taarikh ibn Mu’een
[2] Warathatul Anbiya’ bi-Sharh Hadeeth Abi al-Darda’
Jazaakum Allaahu Khayran for sharing. For important distinction.