Book 2: Knowledge

Abu Darda’ told how God’s messenger, on an occasion when they were with him, turned his eyes to the sky and said, "This is a time when knowledge will be snatched away from men, so that they will be unable to acquire any.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira transmitted [from the Prophet], "The time is approaching when men will urge on their camels in search of knowledge, but will find no one more learned than the learned man of Medina.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. and in his Jami' he quotes Ibn ‘Uyaina as saying that Malik b. Anas was meant, and the same view is expressed by ‘Abd ar-Razzaq. Ishab b. Musa said he heard Ibn ‘Uyaina say that he was al-‘Umari the ascetic, whose name was ‘Abd al-‘Aziz b. ‘Abdallah.

He also reported among the material he knew to come from God’s messenger that he said, "At the beginning of every century God will send one who will renew its religion for this people.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Ibrahim b. ‘Abd ar-Rahman al-‘Udhri reported God's messenger as saying, "In every successive century those who are reliable authorities will preserve this knowledge, rejecting the changes made by extremists, the plagiarisms of those who make false claims for themselves, and the interpretations of the ignorant.”* *The source is lacking. The editor of the Damascus edition of the Mishkat says the tradition is given by Baihaqi in al-Madkhal.

We shall mention Jabir’s tradition, “The only cure for perplexity is to ask”* in the chapter on performing ablution with sand, if God will. *Book 111. Chap. xi, section ii.

Al-Hasan reported in mursal form that God’s messenger said, “If death comes to anyone when he is seeking knowledge with the purpose of using it to revivify Islam, there will be only one degree between him and the prophets in paradise.” Darimi transmitted it.

He also reported in mursal form that God’s messenger was asked which of two men who had been among the B. Isra’il was superior, one who was a learned man who observed the prescribed prayers, then sat and taught men what is good, the other who fasted by day and prayed during the night. He replied, “The superiority of this learned man who observed the prescribed prayers, then sat and taught men what is good over the devout man who fasted by day and prayed during the night is like my superiority over the most contemptible among you.” Darimi transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God’s messenger as saying, “Good is the man learned in religion who, if people have need of him benefits them, but who, if they ignore him enriches himself.”* Razin transmitted it. *i.e. with religious exercises and study.

Ikrima reported Ibn ‘Abbas as saying, “Talk to the people once every Friday, but if you object, then twice, and if you want more, then three times, but do not weary the people with this Qur’an. And do not let me find you coming to the people when they are talking about their concerns, interrupting them in their talk by addressing them, and so wearying them. Keep silent, and when they request you, talk to them at a time when they want it. Look out for rhymed prose in supplications and avoid it, for I know that God’s messenger and his companions did not use it.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Wathila b. al-Asqa‘ reported God’s messenger as saying, “He who seeks knowledge and attains it will have a double portion of reward, but if he does not attain it he will have a single portion of reward." Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Among the actions and good deeds for which a believer will continue to receive reward after his death are knowledge which he taught and spread, a good son whom he left behind, or a copy of the Qur'an which he left as a legacy, or a mosque which he built, or a house which he built for the traveller, or a stream which he caused to flow, or a sadaqa which he gave from his property when he was alive and well, for which he will continue to receive reward after his death.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and also Baihaqi in Shu'ab al-iman.

‘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.

Ibn ‘Abbas said, “Studying together for an hour during the night is better than spending the whole night in devotions.” Darimi transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr told of God’s messenger coming upon two groups in his mosque and saying, “They are both engaged in what is good, but one of them is superior to the other. These ones are praying and supplicating God who, if He wills, may answer their prayers but, if He wills, may refuse them. Those ones are learning knowledge* and teaching the ignorant, so they are superior. I was sent only as a teacher.” He then sat down among them. Darimi transmitted it. *The text has al-fiqh au al-'ilm, fiqh and ‘ilm having the same meaning, but the transmitter of the tradition was not sure which word was used by the Prophet (ﷺ) on this occasion.

Abu Darda’ told how God’s messenger, when asked how much a man had to learn to become a faqih, replied, “ If anyone preserves for my people forty traditions concerning their religion, God will raise him up in the next world as a faqih, and I shall be an intercessor and witness for him on the day of resurrection.”

Anas b. Malik said that God’s messenger asked, “Do you know who is most generous?" On receiving the reply that God and His messenger knew best, he said, “God is the most generous, then I am the most generous of mankind, and the most generous of them after me will be a man who acquires knowledge and spreads it. On the day of resurrection he will come as a prince alone.” Or he said, “As one people."

He also reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “Two greedy ones never attain satisfaction: he who is greedy for knowledge can never get enough of it, and he who is greedy for worldly goods can never get enough of them." Baihaqi transmitted the three traditions in Shu'ab al-iman, and quoted the imam Ahmad as saying about Abu Darda''s tradition, “This is a well-known text among the people, but it does not have a sound isnad."

‘Aun reported Ibn Mas'ud as saying, “Two greedy ones never attain satisfaction, the learned man and the worldly man, but they are not equal. The learned man becomes more pleasing to the Compassionate One, but the worldly man perseveres in transgression." Then ‘Abdallah [ibn Mas'ud] recited, “Nay, but man transgresses in considering that he is self-sufficient. "* He added, “The other is preferable, for ‘only those of His servants who are learned fear God.’ " [Ibid, xxxv, 28.] Darimi transmitted it. *Qur’an, xcvi, 6 f.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Some among my people will become learned in religion, will recite the Qur’an, and say that they will go to princes and get some of their worldly goods, but withdraw from them with their religion. That cannot be; for, as what is gathered from tragacanth trees consists only of thorns, so what is gathered from drawing near to them consists only of . . . ” Muhammad b. as-Sabbah said that he obviously meant “sins." Ibn Majah transmitted it.

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud said: If the learned were to guard learning and entrust it to those who are worthy of it, they would thereby, rule their contemporaries. But they have bestowed it on worldly people to get thereby some of their worldly goods, and have been despised by them. I heard your Prophet say, "If anyone makes the care of his eternal welfare the sum total of his cares God will protect him from worldly care, but if he has a variety of cares consisting of matters related to this world God will not be concerned in which of its wadis he perishes.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman from Ibn ‘Umar beginning with "If anyone makes the care.”