الإخلاص وذم النفاق والرياء: قال معمر رحمه الله: لقد طلبنا هذا الشأن وما لنا فيه نيَّة ثم رَزَقنَا الله النيَّة من بعدُ. وقال مَعْمَرُ رحمه الله: كان يُقال: إن الرَّجل يطلبُ العلمَ لغير الله فيأبي عليه العِلمُ حتى يكون لله. قال الذهبي رحمه الله: نعم يطلبه أولاً والحاملُ له حبُّ العلم، وحبُّ إزالة الجهل عنه، وحب الوظائف، ونحوُ ذلك. ولم يكن عَلِمَ وجوب الإخلاص فيه ولا صِدْقَ النية فإذا عَلِمَ حاسبَ نفسَه وخاف من وَبَالِ قصدِه فتجيئُه النِّية الصَّالحة كلُّها أو بعضها وقد يتوبُ من نيته الفاسدة ويندمُ.
وعلامة ذلك أنه يُقْصِر من الدعاوى وحبِّ المناظرة ومِن قصد التَّكثُّر بعلمه ويُزري على نفسه فإن تكثَّر بعلمه أو قال: أنا أعلمُ مِن فلان فبعدًا له. [السير (تهذيبه) 2/672].
Full English translationSincerity and the Condemnation of Hypocrisy and Showing Off: Mu'ammar, may God have mercy on him, said: "We sought this knowledge without any intention of it, then God granted us the intention afterward." Mu'ammar, may God have mercy on him, also said: "It used to be said that a man seeks knowledge for other than God, but knowledge refuses him until it is for God." Al-Dhahabi, may God have mercy on him, said: "Yes, he seeks it initially, driven by a love of knowledge, a desire to remove ignorance, a love of positions, and the like. He did not know the obligation of sincerity in it, nor the truthfulness of intention. When he learns, he examines himself and fears the consequences of his intention, and then a righteous intention comes to him, either entirely or partially. He may even repent of his corrupt intention and feel remorse. The sign of this is that he reduces his claims, his love of debate, and his intention to boast of his knowledge, and he belittles himself. If he boasts of his knowledge or says, 'I know more than so-and-so,' then woe to him!" [Al-Siyar (its abridgment) 2/672].