“Knowledge is not a matter of narrating a great deal; knowledge is awe of Allah.”

‘Umar sent ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud to Kufa as its teacher, and the school of learning that grew there traced itself back to him — which is what gives the sentence its weight: it comes from a teacher. Abu Nu‘aym records it with its chain in Hilyat al-Awliya’, and Ibn ‘Abd al-Barr gives it as “knowledge is only the fear of Allah.” It echoes the Qur’an: “Only those fear Allah, from among His servants, who have knowledge” (35:28).