A knowledge, a portion of knowledge. [Mahamud said: "Its meaning is a portion of knowledge."] Ahmad said: The partitive and the diminutive of the indefinite, and just as it is used to diminish the status of the indefinite, it is also used to magnify its status as mentioned earlier in His saying, "And indeed, you will receive the Qur'an from One Wise and Knowing," and the Wise and Knowing is not rejected. The purpose of the indefiniteness is to magnify, as if He said: from One Wise and Knowing. The apparent meaning of His saying, "And We certainly gave David and Solomon knowledge," in the context of bestowal is to magnify the knowledge that was given to them, as if He said: knowledge, meaning any knowledge, and it is indeed so. For their knowledge was something to be magnified and was astonishing, including the knowledge of the language of birds and other animals that Allah, glorified and exalted is He, specially granted them. And all knowledge, in comparison to the knowledge of Allah, is little and insignificant. And Allah knows best. Or a vast, noble knowledge. If you say: Isn't this a place for 'fa' (so) instead of 'wa' (and), like saying: I gave him, so he thanked, and I denied him, so he was patient? I say: Yes, but the conjunction with 'wa' indicates that what they said is part of what was newly granted to them in the giving of knowledge and something of its obligations. Thus, it is implied, and then it is followed by praise, as if he said: And indeed, We gave them knowledge, so they acted upon it and taught it and recognized the right of the blessing in it. [Mahamud said: "By glorifying the blessing of Allah upon them, from their saying: 'He has preferred us' and their humility in their saying: 'over many,' and they did not say: over His servants, acknowledging that others may be preferred over them, out of caution against arrogance."] And the virtue is: And they said, "Praise be to Allah who has preferred us," and the many preferred over him are those who have not been given knowledge, or those who have not been given knowledge like theirs. And in it: They were preferred over many, and much was preferred over them. And in the verse is evidence of the nobility of knowledge and the exalted status of its bearers and its people, and that the blessing of knowledge is among the greatest blessings and the most generous of categories. And whoever is granted it has been granted a favor over many of the servants of Allah, as He said: "And those who were given knowledge have degrees." And the Messenger of Allah, blessings and peace be upon him, did not call them "heirs of the prophets" except for their similarity to them in nobility and status, for they are the ones who uphold what they were sent for. And in it, it is necessary for them, due to this noble blessing, to acknowledge its requirements, including: that they praise Allah for what He has given them of preference over others. And in it is a reminder of humility, and that the scholar should believe that even if he is preferred over many, he has been preferred over like them. How good is the saying of Umar: All people are more knowledgeable than Umar.