عَنِ الْحَسَنِ مُرْسَلًا قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مَنْ جَاءَهُ الْمَوْتُ وَهُوَ يَطْلُبُ الْعِلْمَ لِيُحْيِيَ بِهِ الْإِسْلَامَ فَبَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّبِيِّينَ دَرَجَةٌ وَاحِدَةٌ فِي الْجَنَّةِ» . رَوَاهُ الدَّارمِيّ

‘Aisha said she heard God’s messenger say that God revealedto him, “ If anyone follows a path in search of knowledge, I shall makeeasy for him the road to paradise; and if I deprive anyone of his eyes,I shall guarantee paradise to him in return for them. Superiority inknowledge is better than superiority in worship, and the basis of thereligion is abstinence.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.