Rather, anyone who disciplines himself by the manners of the Qur’an and adorns himself with the noble virtues it instills is held in contempt and looked down upon by most people—apart from those whom Allah protects. They disparage him, yet his disregard for them is greater still, as al-Shafi‘i—may Allah have mercy on him—said:

One ascetic turns away from another,
and the other is even more averse to him.

My brother, beware—again, beware—lest the many who neglect the Book of Allah make you indifferent to it, or the multitude who scorn those who live by it and call to it dishearten you. Know that a shrewd, intelligent person pays no attention to the censure of madmen. Listen instead to the words of the distinguished writer Muhammad ibn Ḥanbal al-Shinqīṭī al-Ḥasanī—may Allah have mercy on him:

Do not think ill of knowledge, young man;
suspicion toward knowledge is sheer ruin.
Let it not turn you from the quest for learning
that the ignorant rabble outnumber the cultured elite.
Should you see a scholar worn thin, dust-covered,
empty-handed, with no worldly means,
while an ignoramus enjoys wealth,
secure from every need or worry—
remember: lions may hunger in their dens,
while mangy wolves feast on carrion.
So force your soul to gain it, swallowing
the bitterness of hardship, humiliation, and hunger.
He who gathers ripe fruit does not fear the thorns,
nor does the beekeeper shrink from stings to draw the honey.

To proceed: Realizing that most of those who now bear the name of Muslims have turned away from the Book of their Lord, cast it behind their backs, shown no desire for its promises and no fear of its threats, we understood that this very fact obliges anyone to whom Allah has granted knowledge of His Book to devote his utmost effort to serving it—clarifying its meanings, displaying its beauties, resolving what seems ambiguous, explaining its rulings, and calling people to act upon it while abandoning everything that contradicts it.