What is the authenticity of the hadith: “The prophets have a superiority of two degrees over the scholars, and the scholars have a superiority of one degree over the martyrs”? And what is the virtue of seeking religious knowledge?

The questioner : The hadith: , please clarify the authenticity of the hadith and explain the issue, and clarify the virtue of knowledge and the encouragement to seek knowledge, and the difference between the student of knowledge and the worshipper and their ranks with
Allah?

The Shaykh : As for the hadith, its rank does not come to mind to me right now, and although it is most likely that its chain of narration is not authentic, but being certain about that requires a review, so take a look at a convenient source. As for seeking knowledge, it is sufficient in that to say what Allah the Exalted said: and His saying, Mighty and Majestic: and his saying, peace and blessings be upon him: And so on, the hadiths are many and very many in explaining the virtue of the scholar and the virtue of seeking knowledge. Our book, Sahih al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib, has compiled a good portion of these authentic hadiths. So whoever wishes to expand their reading on them should refer to it and its like. But I want to mention that this virtue mentioned in the Quranic verses and Prophetic hadiths is first restricted to seeking religious knowledge, which is not valid to seek for the purpose of obtaining worldly earnings, unlike other sciences which can be taken as a means of livelihood. As for seeking religious knowledge, its seeker is not a student of knowledge with such virtues that we hinted at some of earlier unless he seeks thereby the Face of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. He does not seek thereby a position, prestige, a job, or anything of the adornment of this worldly life, but rather seeks knowledge for the Face of Allah, Blessed and Exalted is He. This is the one who has those virtues that we hinted at some of earlier. That is because religious knowledge is worship, and worship in the view of the Wise Lawgiver is a matter that must be pure for His Noble Face. And that is in the like of the saying of the Lord of the Worlds: There is no doubt that religious knowledge is from the righteous deeds, and therefore it is obligatory for the student of religious knowledge to be sincere in it for Allah, Mighty and Majestic, and not to seek behind it anything of the debris of this world.