He was asked:

What is the wisdom behind the fact that those engaged in remembrance, contemplation, spiritual discipline, striving against the self, and similar practices are granted unveilings, miraculous gifts, and other spiritual states that are not granted to those engaged in acquiring knowledge, studying it, and investigating it—despite their limited knowledge and the ignorance of some of them?

Indeed, if someone spends the night in focused devotion, engaged in remembrance with an attentive heart, he is bound to experience a vision or have something opened to him. Yet if he spends a night repeatedly reviewing a chapter of jurisprudence, he experiences nothing of the kind. Many devoted worshippers even find sweetness and delight in remembrance that they do not find when reciting the Quran, although the Sunnah affirms the superiority of the scholar over the worshipper—especially when the worshipper needs the very knowledge whose pursuit occupies the scholar instead of devotional practice.

One hadith states:

“The angels lower their wings for the seeker of knowledge out of pleasure with what he does. The scholars are the heirs of the prophets, and the superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over all the stars.”

Another hadith reports that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said:

“On the Day of Resurrection, Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will say to the worshippers and those who strove in His cause: ‘Enter Paradise.’ The scholars will say: ‘It was through our knowledge that they worshipped and strove.’ Then Allah, Mighty and Majestic, will say