The virtue of the scholars, and encouragement to seek knowledge Sunan Ibn Majah 222
Arabic hadith text
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحُ بْنُ جَنَاحٍ أَبُو سَعْدٍ، عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " فَقِيهٌ وَاحِدٌ أَشَدُّ عَلَى الشَّيْطَانِ مِنْ أَلْفِ عَابِدٍ "
Translation
It was narrated that Ibn 'Abbas said
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'One Faqih (knowledgeable man) is more formidable against the Shaitan than one thousand devoted worshippers.'"