بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم

In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy

Shaikh Muhammad Baazmool (hafidha-hullaah) stated:

Indeed, the Salaf did not designate the name faqeeh, except to the one whose knowledge was accompanied by action, as when Sad bin Ibraaheem was asked, ”who amongst the people of madina was most superior in understanding”, he said, ”the one with more taqwah.”   Farqad As Subkhee asked Hassan al Basree about some affair, so he answered him. Then he (farqad) said, ”Indeed, the fuqahaa are in opposition to you”. So Al Hassan said, ”may your mother be bereaved of you O Farqad, and have you seen a faqeeh with your eyes? Rather a faqeeh is one who abstains from the dunyah and has a fervent desire for the Afterlife.  He is one who has insight in his religion and is constant in the worship of his Lord. He neither speaks ill of the one above him nor does he mock at the one below him, and he does not look for a gain from knowledge Allaah has bestowed upon him”.  Some of the Salaf said: Indeed the faqeeh is the one who neither makes the people despair of Allaah’s mercy nor does he make them feel secure of Allaah’s plan, nor does he call to the Qur’aan and desires what is in opposition to it.

[Source: Al-Haqeeqatus Shar-iyyah Fee Tafseeril Qurýaanil Adheem Was-sunnatil Nabawiyyah. (Page: 138-139]