Tradition

اِنَّ الزَّرْعَ يَنْبُتُ فِى السَّهْلِ وَ لايَنْبُتُ فِى الصَّفا فَكَذلِكَ الْحِكْمَةُ تَعْمُرُ فِى قَلْبِ الْمُتَواضِعِ وَ لا تَعْمُرُ فى قَلْبِ الْمُتَكَبِّرِ الْجَبّارِ!

Imam al-Kazim (‘a) is narrated to have said: “Plants grow on soft soil and not on stones. Similarly, knowledge and wisdom sprout only in a humble heart and not in a heart that is filled with arrogance.”1

Brief Commentary

The first step in gaining knowledge is the possession of humility. One must have humility before the truth, before one’s teacher, and before anyone who is more knowledgeable. Due to this reason, ignorance and arrogance are usually two attributes that come together.

The arrogant are never ready to acknowledge their lack of knowledge. In certain cases, they may even deny something that is true when it doesn’t correspond with their beliefs or actions. In some cases, this denial will even extend into open resistance. In addition, the arrogant are never willing to hear the truth from anyone they consider to be of a lower rank than themselves and so they remain submerged in a state of compound ignorance throughout their lives.

• 1. Tuhaf al-’Uqul, p. 296, Mustadrak Al-Wasa’il, vol. 11, p. 299.