The original meaning of faqih is ‘learned man’ or ‘scholar’, but it has acquired a more specific meaning in Islamic terminology, which is a ‘jurist’ or ‘a religious scholar well-versed in Islamic law and jurisprudence (fiqh)’
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6ـ رسولُ اللهِِ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) في وصيَّتِهِ لأبي ذرٍّ: لا يَفقَهُ الرجُلُ كُلَّ الفِقهِ حتَّى يَرَى الناسَ أمثالَ الأباعِرِ، فلا يَحفِلَ بِوُجودِهِم، ولا يُغَيِّرَهُ ذلكَ كما لا يُغَيِّرُهُ وُجودُ بَعيرٍ عندَهُ، ثُمّ يَرجِعَ هُو إلى نفسِهِ فيَكونَ أعظَمَ حاقِرٍ لها. |
| 6– The Prophet (SAWA) said in his will to Abu Dharr, ‘A person will not be totally educated until he sees people like camels, so he should not be amused by their presence and it should not change him, just as the presence of a [real] camel does not change him. Then he must return to his self and become the greatest humiliator of his self.’[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 72, p. 304, p. 51] |
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7ـ الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): ألا اُخبِرُكُم بالفَقيهِ حَقِّ الفَقيهِ؟ مَن لم يُرَخِّصِ الناسَ في مَعاصِي اللّهِ، ولم يُقَنِّطْهُم مِن رَحمَةِ اللّهِ، ولم يُؤمِنْهُم مِن مَكرِ اللّهِ، ولم يَدَعِ القرآنَ رَغبَةً عَنهُ إلى ما سِواهُ. |
| 7– Imam Ali (AS) said, ‘Shall I inform you of a true learned person? He who does not allow people to commit acts of disobedience to Allah, does not let them lose hope in the mercy of Allah, does not assure them against the devices of Allah, and does not leave the Quran in his desire for something other than it.’[Tuhaf al-`Uqoul, p. 204] |
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8ـ الإمامُ الباقرُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ) ـ وقد سَألَهُ رجُلٌ فأجابَهُ، فقالَ الرجُلُ: إنّ الفُقَهاءَ لا يَقولونَ هذا ! ـ: يا وَيحَكَ ! وهَل رَأيتَ فَقيهاً قَطُّ ؟ ! إنَّ الفَقيهَ حَقَّ الفَقيهِ: الزاهِدُ في الدنيا، الراغِبُ في الآخِرَةِ، المُتَمسِّكُ بسُنَّةِ النبيِّ (صَلَّيَ اللهُ عَلَيهِ وَ آلِهِ) |
| 8– Imam al-Baqir (AS) was once asked a question by a man, to which he duly replied, and to which the man then retorted, ‘The jurists do not say this!’ The Imam said, ‘Woe unto you! Have you ever seen a jurist?! A real jurist is a person who is ascetic from this world, who craves for the Hereafter, and strongly holds onto the tradition of the Prophet (SAWA).’[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 70, no. 8] |
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9ـ الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): لا يكونُ الرجُلُ مِنكُم فَقيها حتّى يَعرِفَ مَعاريضَ كلامِنا. |
| 9– Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘There is no man from among you who will become a jurist until they understand the intents of our speech.’[Ma`ani al-Akhbar, v. 2, p. 3] |
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10ـ الإمامُ الرِّضا (عَلَيهِ الّسَلامُ): مِن علاماتِ الفِقهِ الحِلمُ والعِلمُ والصَّمتُ . |
| 10– Imam al-Rida (AS) said, ‘Among the signs of a jurist are clemency, knowledge, and silence.’[al-Ikhtisas, p. 232] |
