Nu’aym ibn Hammad reported: Ibn al-Mubarak, may Allah have mercy on him, said, “A man will continue to have knowledge as long as he is seeking knowledge. If he assumes that he has knowledge, he has become ignorant.”
In another narration, it was said, “For how long will you seek knowledge?” Ibn al-Mubarak said, “Until death, if Allah wills. Perhaps the words that will benefit me have not yet been written.”
Source: al-Mujālasah wa Jawāhir 312
عن نعيم بن حماد قَالَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ رحمه الله لَا يَزَالُ الْمَرْءُ عَالِمًا مَا طَلَبَ الْعِلْمَ فَإِذَا ظَنَّ أَنَّهُ قَدْ عَلِمَ فَقَدْ جَهِلَ
وفي رواية أخرى قِيلَ لابْنِ الْمُبَارَكِ إِلَى مَتَى تَطْلُبُ الْعِلْمَ قَالَ حَتَّى الْمَمَاتِ إِنْ شَاءَ اللَّهُ لَعَلَّ الْكَلِمَةَ الَّتِي تَنْفَعُنِي لَمْ أَكْتُبْهَا بَعْدُو
312 المجالسة وجواهر العلم للدينوري