Assalaamu 'Alaykum Warahmatullahi Wabarakaatuh,
These are some poems by the Great Imaam, Muhammad ibn Idrees al-Shafi'ee rahimahullahu ta'ala on 'ilm from his collection of poems, entitled Diwaan al-Shafi'ee.
إن لله عبــادا فـــطنا طلقوا الدنيا وخافـوا الفتنا
Verily to Allah belongs slaves with intellect — They divorced [left
off] this dunyah and were afraid of fitnah
نظــروا فيهـا فلما علموا أنها ليـست للـحي وطنا
They looked into it [i.e this world] and upon realizing — That indeed
it is not an abode for the living [i.e everyone will come to die]
جــعلوها لجــة واتخذوا صالح الأعمـال فيها سفنا
So they percieved it as a stormy ocean [that would bring destruction]
and they took — Their good deeds as ships therein [in order to
survive]
- - -
أخي لن تنال العلم إلا بستة
O my Brother you will never gain knowledge without [possessing] six
[qualities]
سأنبيك عن تفصيلها ببـيان
I will inform you of these in detail and with clarity
ذكاء وحرص واجتهاد وبلغة
Sharpeness [of the mind] eagerness [to learn] sacrifice [in terms of
time etc] and means [i.e wealth]
وصحبة أستاذ وطول زمان
And the company of a teacher and length of time!
- - -
The Etiquettes of Learning
اصبر على مر الجفا من معلم *** فإن رسوب العلم في نفراته
Be patient over the teacher’s strictness and harshness
For the stores of knowledge are present in his harshness
ومن لم يذق ذل التعلم ساعة *** تجرع ذل الجهل طول حياته
Whoever does not taste the humility of learning, even for an hour
Will drink the humility of ignorance for the rest of his life
ومن فاته التعليم وقت شبابه *** فكبر عليه أربعا لوفاته
For him who misses out on learning in his youth,
Then announce four takbirs over him for his death is due
حياة الفتى – والله – بالعلم والتقى *** إذا لم يكونا لا اعتبار لذاته
By Allah, the life of a youth is by knowledge and piety
If they are not present, then nothing can express his existence
- - -
إن الفقيه هو الفقيه بفعله — ليس الفقيه بنطقه و مقاله
Verily the scholar is a scholar through his actions — A scholar is
not a scholar because of his speech or qoutes
وكذا الرئيس هوالرئيس بخلقه — ليس الرئيس بقومه ورجاله
Similarly, the Leader is a leader due to his character — A leader is
not a leader because of his tribe or his men
وكذا الغني هوالغني بحاله — ليس الغني بملكه و بماله
Similarly, the wealthy man is wealthy due to his self content — The
wealthy man is not wealthy due to his possesions and his wealth