سورة آل عمران

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): Do not raise me above my [true] station! Allah, Blessed and Exalted, chose me as His servant before He made me His prophet. Allah [the Exalted] says: ما کانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ یُؤْتِیَهُ اللهُ الْکِتابَ وَ الْحُکْمَ وَ النُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ یَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ کُونُوا عِباداً لِی مِنْ دُونِ الله وَ لکِنْ کُونُوا رَبَّانِیِّینَ بِما کُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْکِتابَ وَ بِما کُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُونَ وَ لا یَأْمُرَکُمْ أَنْ تَتَّخِذُوا الْمَلائِکَةَ وَ النَّبِیِّینَ أَرْباباً أَ یَأْمُرُکُمْ بِالْکُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنْتُمْ مُسْلِمُونَ [It is not for any human being that Allah should give him the Book and wisdom and prophethood, and then he should say to the people: Be servants to me rather than Allah; but rather: Be devoted servants of the Lord because of what you have taught of the Book and what you have studied. And he would not order you to take the angels and the prophets as lords. Would he order you to disbelief after you have submitted?].

Imam Baqir (peace be upon him): That is, the Shia — they are the People of the Book, and they are the ones who have been given the Book, prophethood and wisdom.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): It has been said that a man said, "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! We greet you the way we greet one another — is it not permitted for us to prostrate to you?" He said: It is not permitted for anyone to prostrate to any other than Allah, but honour your Prophet and recognise the right of every person.

Ali ibn Ibrahim (may Allah have mercy on him): ما کانَ لِبَشَرٍ [It is not for any human being] … that is, Isa (peace be upon him) did not say to the people, "I created you, so be servants to me and not servants of Allah." Rather, he said to them: کُونُوا رَبَّانِیِّینَ [Be Rabbaniyyin] — be learned people.

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): There is no believing man or woman, free or owned by another, but that Allah has an obligatory right upon them to learn portions of the Quran and to gain understanding of it. Then he recited this verse: ما کانَ لِبَشَرٍ أَنْ یُؤْتِیَهُ اللهُ الْکِتابَ وَ الْحُکْمَ وَ النُّبُوَّةَ ثُمَّ یَقُولَ لِلنَّاسِ کُونُوا عِباداً لی مِنْ دُونِ اللهِ وَ لکِنْ کُونُوا رَبَّانِیِّینَ بِما کُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْکِتابَ وَ بِما کُنْتُمْ تَدْرُسُون [It is not for a human being that Allah should give him the Book, judgement and prophethood, and then he say to people: Be servants to me rather than Allah; but rather: Be godly scholars, since you have been teaching the Book and studying it].

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family): [Regarding] کُونُوا رَبَّانِیِّینَ بِما کُنْتُمْ تُعَلِّمُونَ الْکِتابَ [Be godly scholars, since you have been teaching the Book]: It is obligatory upon whoever recites the Quran that he have understanding of it.

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Its meaning is: Be jurists and scholars.