al-Qasim said: Malik said: I heard Zayd ibn Aslam saying regarding this verse: "We raise in degrees whom We will," that it is: Knowledge; Allah raises whom He wills by it in the world.

His saying, the Exalted: "And above every possessor of knowledge is a knower."

11829 - al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Rabi‘ narrated to us, ‘Abd al-Razzaq informed us, al-Thawri informed us, from ‘Abd al-A‘la, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr, who said: We were with Ibn ‘Abbas, and he narrated a hadith, and a man was amazed, so he said: "Praise be to Allah, above every possessor of knowledge is a knower." Ibn ‘Abbas said: "How poor is what you have said! Allah is the Knower (al-‘Alim), and He is above every learned person (alim)."

11830 - My father narrated to us, ‘Abd Allah ibn Raja’ narrated to us, Isra’il informed us, from Simak, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, regarding His saying: "And above every possessor of knowledge is a knower," he said: One man is more learned than another, and one man is more learned than another, and Allah is above every possessor of knowledge, a Knower.

11831 - My father narrated to us, Muhammad ibn al-Minhal al-Darir narrated to us, Yazid ibn Zuray‘ narrated to us, Khalid al-Hadhdha’ narrated to us, from ‘Ikrimah, regarding His saying: "And above every possessor of knowledge is a knower," he said: The knowledge of Allah is above the knowledge of the servants.

11832 - My father narrated to us, Muhammad ibn Wahb ibn ‘Atiyyah narrated to us, al-Walid narrated to us, Sa‘id ibn Bashir narrated to us, from Qatada, regarding His saying: "We raise in degrees whom We will. And above every possessor of knowledge is a knower," he said: Thus, knowledge terminates at Allah, the Mighty and Majestic; from Him it began, and to Him it returns and reverts.

His saying, the Exalted: "They said, 'If he steals, a brother of his has stolen before.'"

[The First Aspect]

11833 - My father narrated to us, Mansur ibn Abi Muzahim narrated to us, Abu Sa‘id ibn Abi al-Waddah narrated to us, from Khusayf, from ‘Ikrimah, from Ibn ‘Abbas, who said: Yusuf was tested three times; the third time was when he said: "O you people of the caravan, you are thieves!" So they retorted to him: "If he steals, a brother of his has stolen before," meaning him.

11834 - Isma‘il ibn ‘Abd Allah ibn Mas‘ud narrated to us, al-Fayd ibn al-Fadl narrated to us, Mis‘ar ibn Kidam narrated to us, from Abu Husayn, from Sa‘id ibn Jubayr: "If he steals, a brother of his has stolen before," he said: Yusuf stole an idol of gold and silver belonging to his maternal grandfather, broke it, and then threw it on the road, so his brothers taunted him for that.