Was the term "men of religion" or "people of knowledge" non-existent before the Umayyad state, and did it emerge with it to confer a religious character upon the state and demonstrate its interest in scholars?

The term "men of religion" (رجال الدين) is an intruder among Muslims and carries reservations. Its appearance is not substantiated during the Umayyad era. As for the phrase "people of knowledge" (أهل العلم), it is correct and has been in use since the time of the Prophet, as mentioned in the hadith of Abu Hurairah, Zayd ibn Khalid al-Juhani, and Ibn Mas'ud. The most frequent Quranic terms to express "people of knowledge" are "those who have been given knowledge" (أوتوا العلم), "those firmly rooted in knowledge" (الراسخون في العلم), and "possessors of knowledge" (أولوا العلم).