‘Aisha said she heard God’s messenger say that God revealed
to him, “ If anyone follows a path in search of knowledge, I shall make
easy for him the road to paradise; and if I deprive anyone of his eyes,
I shall guarantee paradise to him in return for them. Superiority in
knowledge is better than superiority in worship, and the basis of the
religion is abstinence.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.