Kathir ibn Qays said: I was sitting with AbudDarda' in the mosque of Damascus.
A man came to him and said: AbudDarda, I have come to you from the town of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I have come for no other purpose.
He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge, Allah will cause him to travel on one of the roads of Paradise. The angels will lower their wings in their great pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, the inhabitants of the heavens and the Earth and the fish in the deep waters will ask forgiveness for the learned man. The superiority of the learned man over the devout is like that of the moon, on the night when it is full, over the rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets leave neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who takes it takes an abundant portion.
The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Abu al-Darda through a different chain of narrators to the same effect from the Prophet (ﷺ)
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْوَزِيرِ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ قَالَ لَقِيتُ شَبِيبَ بْنَ شَيْبَةَ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي سَوْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ يَعْنِي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَعْنَاهُ
Hadith 3643
Sahih — Al-Albani
Regarding the virtue of knowledge
Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: If anyone pursues a path in search of knowledge, Allah will thereby make easy for him a path to paradise; and he who is made slow by his actions will not be speeded by his genealogy.
When he was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and a Jew was also with him, a funeral passed by him. He (the Jew) asked (Him): Muhammad, does this funeral speak? The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah has more knowledge. The Jew said: It speaks.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whatever the people of the Book tell you, do not verify them, nor falsify them, but say: We believe in Allah and His Apostle. If it is false, do not confirm it, and if it is right, do not falsify it.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ الْمَرْوَزِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ أَبِي نَمْلَةَ الأَنْصَارِيُّ عَنْ أَبِيهِ أَنَّهُ بَيْنَمَا هُوَ جَالِسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَعِنْدَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْيَهُودِ مُرَّ بِجَنَازَةٍ فَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ هَلْ تَتَكَلَّمُ هَذِهِ الْجَنَازَةُ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ فَقَالَ الْيَهُودِيُّ إِنَّهَا تَتَكَلَّمُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَا حَدَّثَكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ فَلاَ تُصَدِّقُوهُمْ وَلاَ تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا بِاللَّهِ وَرُسُلِهِ فَإِنْ كَانَ بَاطِلاً لَمْ تُصَدِّقُوهُ وَإِنْ كَانَ حَقًّا لَمْ تُكَذِّبُوهُ
Hadith 3645
Hasan Sahih — Al-Albani
Narrating the sayings of the people of the book
Narrated Zayd ibn Thabit:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me (to learn the writing of the Jews), so I learnt for him the writing of the Jews. He said: I swear by Allah, I do not trust Jews in respect of writing for me. So I learnt it, and only a fortnight passed before I mastered it. I would write for him when he wrote (to them), and read to him when something was written to him.
I used to write everything which I heard from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I intended (by it) to memorise it. The Quraysh prohibited me saying: Do you write everything that you hear from him while the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) is a human being: he speaks in anger and pleasure? So I stopped writing, and mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He signalled with his finger to him mouth and said: Write, by Him in Whose hand my soul lies, only right comes out from it.
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الأَخْنَسِ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي مُغِيثٍ عَنْ يُوسُفَ بْنِ مَاهَكَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ كُنْتُ أَكْتُبُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ أَسْمَعُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أُرِيدُ حِفْظَهُ فَنَهَتْنِي قُرَيْشٌ وَقَالُوا أَتَكْتُبُ كُلَّ شَىْءٍ تَسْمَعُهُ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَشَرٌ يَتَكَلَّمُ فِي الْغَضَبِ وَالرِّضَا فَأَمْسَكْتُ عَنِ الْكِتَابِ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَوْمَأَ بِأُصْبُعِهِ إِلَى فِيهِ فَقَالَ اكْتُبْ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ حَقٌّ
Hadith 3647
Da'if in chain — Al-Albani
Writing knowledge
Narrated Al-Muttalib bin 'Abd Allah bin Hantab:
Al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab said: Zayd ibn Thabit entered upon Mu'awiyah and asked him about a tradition. He ordered a man to write it. Zayd said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered us not to write any of his traditions. So he erased it.
Abu Hurairah said : When Mecca was conquered, the Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up. He (Abu Hurairah) then mentioned the sermon of the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: A man of the Yemen, who was called Abu Shah, got up and said: Messenger of Allah! Write it for me. He said: Write it for Abu Shah.
حَدَّثَنَا مُؤَمَّلٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا الْعَبَّاسُ بْنُ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ مَزْيَدٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ لَمَّا فُتِحَتْ مَكَّةُ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَ الْخُطْبَةَ خُطْبَةَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو شَاهٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ اكْتُبُوا لِي فَقَالَ اكْتُبُوا لأَبِي شَاهٍ
Hadith 3650
Sahih Maqtu' — Al-Albani
Writing knowledge
Al-Walid said : I asked Abu `Amr: What are they writing? He said: The sermon which he heard that day.
A stern warning against lying about the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
`Abd Allah bin al-Zubair said on the authority of the father : I asked al-Zubair : What prevents you from narrating traditions from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as his Companions narrate from him? He said: By Allah I was very close to him. But I heard him (ﷺ) say: He who lies about me deliberately will certainly come to his abode in Hell.
AbuSallam said on the authority of a man who served the Prophet (ﷺ) that whenever he talked, he repeated it three times.
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ أَبِي عَقِيلٍ هَاشِمِ بْنِ بِلاَلٍ عَنْ سَابِقِ بْنِ نَاجِيَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَلاَّمٍ عَنْ رَجُلٍ خَدَمَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا حَدَّثَ حَدِيثًا أَعَادَهُ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ
Hadith 3654
Sahih — Al-Albani
Regarding speaking quickly
`Urwah said: Abu Hurairah sat beside the apartment of `A’ishah while she was praying. He then began to say: Listen, O lady of the apartment, saying it twice (in quick succession). When she finished her prayer, she said: Are you not surprised at him and the way he narrates traditions from the Apostle of the Allah (ﷺ). When the Apostle of the Allah (ﷺ) gave a talk, a man could count his words if he wished to count.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ الطُّوسِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ عُيَيْنَةَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ قَالَ جَلَسَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ إِلَى جَنْبِ حُجْرَةِ عَائِشَةَ رضى الله عنها وَهِيَ تُصَلِّي فَجَعَلَ يَقُولُ اسْمَعِي يَا رَبَّةَ الْحُجْرَةِ مَرَّتَيْنِ فَلَمَّا قَضَتْ صَلاَتَهَا قَالَتْ أَلاَ تَعْجَبُ إِلَى هَذَا وَحَدِيثِهِ إِنْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَيُحَدِّثُ الْحَدِيثَ لَوْ شَاءَ الْعَادُّ أَنْ يُحْصِيَهُ أَحْصَاهُ
Hadith 3655
Sahih — Al-Albani
Regarding speaking quickly
Narrated Aisha, Ummul Mu'minin:
Are you not surprised at AbuHurayrah? He came and sat beside my apartment, and began to narrate traditions from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) making me hear them. I was saying supererogatory prayer. He got up (and went away) before I finished my prayer. Had I found him, I would have replied to him. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) did not narrate traditions quickly one after another as you narrate quickly.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَهْرِيُّ أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَنَّ عُرْوَةَ بْنَ الزُّبَيْرِ حَدَّثَهُ أَنَّ عَائِشَةَ زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ أَلاَ يُعْجِبُكَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ جَاءَ فَجَلَسَ إِلَى جَانِبِ حُجْرَتِي يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُسْمِعُنِي ذَلِكَ وَكُنْتُ أُسَبِّحُ فَقَامَ قَبْلَ أَنْ أَقْضِيَ سُبْحَتِي وَلَوْ أَدْرَكْتُهُ لَرَدَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْرُدُ الْحَدِيثَ مِثْلَ سَرْدِكُمْ
Hadith 3656
Da'if — Al-Albani
Caution in issuing fatwa
Narrated Mu'awiyah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the discussion of thorny questions.
حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى الرَّازِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى عَنِ الأَوْزَاعِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنِ الصُّنَابِحِيِّ عَنْ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنِ الْغَلُوطَاتِ
Hadith 3657
Hasan — Al-Albani
Caution in issuing fatwa
Narrated AbuHurayrah:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone is given a legal decision ignorantly, the sin rests on the one who gave it. Sulayman al-Mahri added in his version: If anyone advises his brother, knowing that guidance lies in another direction, he has deceived him. These are the wordings of Sulayman.
I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: May Allah brighten a man who hears a tradition from us, gets it by heart and passes it on to others. Many a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more versed than he is; and many a bearer of knowledge is not versed in it.