A man went to see the Prophet (a.s) and said: “O' Prophet of God! When the visit to a scientist is concurrent with a funeral procession, which one do you prefer to attend? God's Prophet (a.s) said: “If there are some people to participate in the funeral procession, I prefer to go visit the scientist since it is better than attending a thousand funeral processions, and visiting a thousand patients, and worshipping a thousand nights, and fasting for a thousand days, and giving a thousand Durhams in charity, and going to the unobligatory pilgrimage a thousand times, and attending a thousand unobligatory wars in the way of God using your wealth and life. How can all these equal participating in a meeting with a scientist? Do you not know that God is obeyed by the means of knowledge? And that He is worshipped through knowledge? The good of this world and the Hereafter is accompanied by knowledge, and the wickedness of this world and the Hereafter is accompanied by ignorance.”