I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, "The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over the rest of the stars."
سمعت رسول الله ﷺ يقول: إن فضل العالم على العابد كفضل القمر على سائر الكواكب.
Abu Dawud (3641), Tirmidhi (2682), Ibn Majah (223), and Ahmad (21715) all narrated it from the hadith of Asim bin Raja, from Dawud bin Jameel, from Kathir bin Qays, from Abu Darda, and he related it within a long hadith. Some of them did not mention Dawud bin Jameel between Asim bin Raja and Kathir bin Qays, and its isnad is hasan due to the multiplicity of its routes. See further sourcing under the chapter on the merit of one who goes out seeking knowledge.As for what was narrated from Huzaifa bin Yaman, who said, "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, 'The merit of knowledge is better than the merit of worship, and the best part of your religion is scrupulousness,'" this is a stopped report, attributed only to the companion.It was narrated by Bazzar (139) and Tabarani in Awsat (Majma Bahrayn - 196), both through the route of Abbad bin Yaqub Asadi, who said, Abdullah bin Abdul-Qudus narrated to us, from Amash, from Mutarrif bin Shakhir, from Huzaifa bin Yaman, and he related the hadith.Its whole basis rests on Abdullah bin Abdul-Qudus, who was Tamimi, Saadi, for he alone narrated this hadith. Bazzar said, "We do not know it raised to the Prophet except from Huzaifa through this route." Tabarani said, "No one narrated it from Amash except Ibn Abdul-Qudus." Abu Naeem said in Hilya (2/211-212), "No one narrated it as a connected chain from Amash except Abdullah bin Abdul-Qudus... Jareer bin Abdul-Hameed narrated it from Amash, from Mutarrif, from the Prophet ﷺ, without mentioning Huzaifa. Qatada and Humayd bin Hilal narrated it from Mutarrif as his own saying." Abu Ahmad bin Adi said, "I do not know this except from the hadith of Abdullah bin Abdul-Qudus, from Amash."What is apparent from the words of these scholars is that Abdullah bin Abdul-Qudus alone raised it to the Prophet, contradicting all the companions of Amash who stopped it at the companion level. Hakim narrated it (1/23), and from him Bayhaqi in Madkhal (455), through his route. Bayhaqi said, "This hadith is narrated as raised to the Prophet through daif chains, but it is sahih as a saying of Mutarrif bin Abdullah bin Shikhir." End of quote.I say, Abdullah bin Abdul-Qudus Tamimi Saadi was declared daif by Abu Dawud, Nasai, and others. In Taqrib it says, "Truthful, accused of Shia extremism, and used to err." Perhaps this is one of the things in which he erred, raising it to the Prophet when it should not have been.Hafiz Bayhaqi cited many reports from the early generations concerning the merit of discussing knowledge together. Among them is the saying of Ibn Abbas, "Discussing knowledge for part of a night is dearer to me than spending the whole night in worship." And in another narration, "Discussing knowledge for an hour is better than spending a whole night in worship."Among them is the saying of Ibn Masud, "Sitting in a gathering of religious learning for an hour is dearer to me than fasting a day and spending a night in prayer."Among them is the saying of Shaybi, "Beware of the immoral among scholars, and the ignorant among worshippers, for both of them are a menace to everyone who is led astray."And among them is the saying of Sufyan Thawri, "Seek refuge with Allah from the trial of the immoral scholar and the ignorant worshipper, for the trial of both of them is a trial for everyone who is led astray."