Those firmly rooted in knowledge

Those firmly rooted in knowledge is a reaccuring theme in the Qur'an and Sunnah. This term is of special interest for the Shi'a.

Qur'an

The term and its like is used in Aale Imran, 7 and .

Sunni view

Sunni view that those firmly rooted in knowledge are the body of Muslim Jurists who interpret the Divine Law , deriving the Islamic Jurisprudence .

Ulema is the plural of Alim, Arabic for knowledgeable. This connects to the Arabic for knolwedge, ilm, the last word of this term: "al-rasikhuna fi 'l-'ilm"

Shi'a view

Shi'a view those firmly rooted in knowledge to be Muhammad's household and himself . See Aale Imran, 7 for some hadith in this regard.

View from Nahj al-Balagha

"Know that the firmly rooted in knowledge (rasikhuna fil-ilm) are those who refrain from opening the curtains that lie against the unknown, and their acknowledgement of ignorance about the details of the hidden unknown prevents them from probing further. Allah (swt) has praised them for their admission that they are unable to get knowledge not allowed to them. They do not go deep ino the discussion of what is not enjoined upon them about knowing Him and it is this quality that Allah (swt) has called "Rusookh" (firmness).

This portion, taken from a sermon of Imam Ali (as), makes it clear that in his view the rasikhuna fil-ilm are not grouped together with Allah (swt) in the Holy Qur'an Aale Imran, 7 as pertains to the interpretation of the ambiguous verses of the Qur'an.

References