Four Types Of People

There are 4 types of people – الرجال أربعة

Khalil Ibn Ahmad said that there are 4 types of people:

رجل يدري ويدري أنه يدري فذلك عالم فاتبعوه
ورجل يدري ولا يدري أنه يدري فذلك نائم فأيقظوه
ورجل لا يدري ويدري أنه لا يدري فذلك مسترشد فارشدوه
ورجل لا يدري ولا يدري أنه لا يدري فذلك جاهل فارفضوه

Those who KNOW and KNOW that they KNOW;
they are the learned, so follow them.

Those who KNOW and DON’T KNOW that they KNOW;
they are asleep, wake them up.

Those who DON’T KNOW and KNOW that they DON’T KNOW;
they desire to learn, so teach them.

Those who DON’T KNOW and DON’T KNOW that they DON’T KNOW;
they are ignorant, avoid them.

(“Ihyaa Uloom Ad-Deen”, 1/74).