Hawzah News Agency - Ali ibn Muhammad from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Ja’far ibn Muhammad al-Ash‘ari from ‘Abdallah ibn Maymun al-Qaddah from abu ‘Abdallah from his ancestors (the Imams who has said the following. “Once a man came to the holy Prophet (s.a.) and said,

يَا رَسُولَ الله مَا الْعِلْمُ قَالَ الانْصَاتُ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَهْ قَالَ الاسْتِمَاعُ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَهْ قَالَ الْحِفْظُ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَهْ قَالَ الْعَمَلُ بِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَهْ يَا رَسُولَ الله قَالَ نَشْرُهُ.

‘O messenger of Allah what is knowledge?’ The holy Prophet replied, “It is silence.” The man then asked, “Then what?” The holy Prophet said, “It is listening.” The man asked, “Then what?” The holy Prophet (s.a.) said, “Then it is memorizing.” The man asked, “Then what?” The holy Prophet said, “Then it is practice accordingly.” The man then asked, “Then what O messenger of Allah?” The holy Prophet said, “Then it is to propagate what one has learned.”

Al-Kāfi, v.1, Book 2, Chapter 16