Knowledge
كتاب العلم
Chapter 1: The superiority of knowledge
And the Statement of Allah جل جلاله: "… Allah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge. And Allah is Well-Acquainted with what you do." (V.58:11) And the Statement of Allah تعالى: "... My Lord, increase me in knowledge." (V.20:114)
Chapter 2: Whoever is asked about knowledge while he is busy in some conversation, so he finished talking and then answered the questioner
While the Prophet (ﷺ) was saying something in a gathering, a Bedouin came and asked him, "When would the Hour (Doomsday) take place?" Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) continued his talk, so some people said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had heard the question, but did not like what that Bedouin had asked. Some of them said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had not heard it. When the Prophet (ﷺ) finished his speech, he said, "Where is the questioner, who inquired about the Hour (Doomsday)?" The Bedouin said, "I am here, O Allah's Apostle ." Then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When honesty is lost, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday)." The Bedouin said, "How will that be lost?" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "When the power or authority comes in the hands of unfit persons, then wait for the Hour (Doomsday.)"
Chapter 3: Whoever raises his voice in (conveying) knowledge
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) remained behind us in a journey. He joined us while we were performing ablution for the prayer which was over-due. We were just passing wet hands over our feet (and not washing them properly) so the Prophet (ﷺ) addressed us in a loud voice and said twice or thrice: "Save your heels from the fire."
Chapter 4: Concerning the variety of words used by narrators conveying different significations regarding the concept of narrating and which has importance for the Hadith scholars only
Al-Humaidi said: In the opinion of Ibn ‘Uyainah the words haddatha-na, akhbara-na, and anba’-na, I heard that they had the same meaning. Ibn Mas‘ud said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrated (haddatha-na) to us and he was truthful, and whatever is told from him was also true. Shaqiq reported from ('an) ‘Abdullah (ibn Mas‘ud): I heard (sami‘tu) from the Prophet ﷺ such a word. Hudhaifah said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ narrated (haddatha-na) to us two hadith. Abul ‘Aliyah reported from Ibn ‘Abbas who reported from the Prophet ﷺ about what he used to report from his Lord. Anas reported from the Prophet ﷺ who reported it from his Lord. Abu Hurairah reported from the Prophet ﷺ who reported it from your Lord, the Blessed and Most High.
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Amongst the trees, there is a tree, the leaves of which do not fall and is like a Muslim. Tell me the name of that tree." Everybody started thinking about the trees of the desert areas. And I thought of the date-palm tree but felt shy to answer the others then asked, "What is that tree, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ?" He replied, "It is the date-palm tree."
Chapter 5: The Imam questioning his companions in order to test their knowledge
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Amongst the trees, there is a tree, the leaves of which do not fall and is like a Muslim. Tell me the name of that tree." Everybody started thinking about the trees of the desert areas. And I thought of the date-palm tree. The others then asked, "Please inform us what is that tree, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" He replied, "It is the date-palm tree."
Chapter 6: What is said about knowledge
And the Statement of Allah تعالى: "And say: My Lord! Increase me in knowledge." (V.20:114)
To recite or read (something) and present it in front of a scholar.
Al-Hasan and al-Thauri and Malik consider such reciting permissible, and some of them have deduced (the sanction for) reciting (a hadith) before the teacher from the hadith of Dimam ibn Tha‘labah who said to the Prophet ﷺ: “Has Allah commanded you that we should say prayers?” He (the Prophet) said: “Yes.” He (Dimam) said: “So this was reciting before the Prophet ﷺ.” Dimam reported this to his people, so they considered it permissible. And Malik deduced it from documents which were read to the people, so they used to say: “So and so have made us witness (to this document).” And it is read out before the teacher, so that the reader will say: “So and so has made me to read it.”
Al-Hasan (al-Basri) reported: “There is no harm in reciting (a hadith) before the teacher.” ‘Ubaidullah ibn Musa narrated to us from Sufyan: “When one recites (a hadith) before a narrator of hadith there is no harm if he says that ‘he (the latter) narrated it to me’.” He (al-Hasan) said: “And I heard Abu ‘Asim reporting from Malik and Sufyan: ‘Reciting before the teacher is the same as the latter reciting it’.”
While we were sitting with the Prophet (ﷺ) in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel down in the mosque, tied its foreleg and then said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time the Prophet (ﷺ) was sitting amongst us (his companions) leaning on his arm. We replied, "This white man reclining on his arm." The man then addressed him, "O Son of `Abdul Muttalib." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "I am here to answer your questions." The man said to the Prophet, "I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Ask whatever you want." The man said, "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who were before you, has Allah sent you as an Apostle to all the mankind?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "By Allah, yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a day and night (24 hours).? He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah! Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year (i.e. Ramadan)?" He replied, "By Allah, Yes." The man further said, "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take Zakat (obligatory charity) from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "By Allah, yes." Thereupon that man said, "I have believed in all that with which you have been sent, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger, and I am Dimam bin Tha`laba from the brothers of Bani Sa`d bin Bakr."
Chapter 7: What is said regarding the hand to hand exchange (of books of knowledge), and the writing of knowledge by religious scholars to different countries
Anas said that ‘Uthman got the Qur’an transcribed and sent its copies to far-off places. ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar, Yahya bin Sa‘id, and Malik consider it permissible, and some people of Hijaz supported this opinion depending on the narration of the Prophet ﷺ, when the Prophet ﷺ got some instructions written to be given to the commander of the army, and told him (the commander) not to read them till he had reached such and such place. When that commander reached that place he read out what had been written to the people and informed them of the orders of the Prophet ﷺ.
Once Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) gave a letter to a person and ordered him to go and deliver it to the Governor of Bahrain. (He did so) and the Governor of Bahrain sent it to Chousroes, who read that letter and then tore it to pieces. (The sub-narrator (Ibn Shihab) thinks that Ibn Al-Musaiyab said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) invoked Allah against them (saying), "May Allah tear them into pieces, and disperse them all totally.)"
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) wrote a letter or had an idea of writing a letter. The Prophet (ﷺ) was told that they (rulers) would not read letters unless they were sealed. So the Prophet (ﷺ) got a silver ring made with "Muhammad Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)" engraved on it. As if I were just observing its white glitter in the hand of the Prophet.
Chapter 8: Whoever sat at the farther end of a gathering. And whoever found a place amongst a gathering and took his seat there
While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was sitting in the mosque with some people, three men came. Two of them came in front of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and the third one went away. The two persons kept on standing before Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for a while and then one of them found a place in the circle and sat there while the other sat behind the gathering, and the third one went away. When Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) finished his preaching, he said, "Shall I tell you about these three persons? One of them betook himself to Allah, so Allah took him into His grace and mercy and accommodated him, the second felt shy from Allah, so Allah sheltered Him in His mercy (and did not punish him), while the third turned his face from Allah and went away, so Allah turned His face from him likewise. "
Chapter 9: The Statement of the Prophet (saws): lt is probable that a person who receives a piece of information indirectly may comprehend it better than he who has heard it directly from its source
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) was riding his camel and a man was holding its rein. The Prophet (ﷺ) asked, "What is the day today?" We kept quiet, thinking that he might give that day another name. He said, "Isn't it the day of Nahr (slaughtering of the animals of sacrifice)" We replied, "Yes." He further asked, "Which month is this?" We again kept quiet, thinking that he might give it another name. Then he said, "Isn't it the month of Dhul-Hijja?" We replied, "Yes." He said, "Verily! Your blood, property and honor are sacred to one another (i.e. Muslims) like the sanctity of this day of yours, in this month of yours and in this city of yours. It is incumbent upon those who are present to inform those who are absent because those who are absent might comprehend (what I have said) better than the present audience."
Chapter 10: It is essential to know a thing first before saying or acting upon it.
According to the Statement of Allah تعالى: "So know (O Muhammad ﷺ) that La ilaha illallah... (none has the right to be worshipped but Allah)," (V.47:19) So Allah stated that one should acquire knowledge first. And religious scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets, i.e., they inherit knowledge. And whoever gains knowledge is lucky and gains a great thing. And whoever followed a way to seek (religious) knowledge, Allah جل جلاله will make easy for him the way to Paradise. Allah تعالى said, "... It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allah..." (V.35:28) And Allah said, "... But none will understand them except those who have knowledge." (V.29:43). (And also Allah’s Statement): "And they will say: Had we but listened or used our intelligence, we would not have been among the dwellers of the blazing Fire." (V.67:10) And Allah تعالى also said, "... Are those who know equal to those who know not?..." (V.39:9)
And the Prophet ﷺ said, “If Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion and verily, knowledge is attained by learning.” Abu Dhar, pointing towards his neck, said, “If you put the sword on this (my neck to kill me) and then I think that, before this sword could work, I can say even one sentence which I heard from the Prophet ﷺ, I would surely say it. (Indicating that one should convey the knowledge that one has acquired to others).” And Ibn ‘Abbas said, “You should be Rabbaniyyin (religious scholars) forgiving, wise, and learned men.” And it is said that a Rabbaniy (religious scholar) is the one who starts teaching people simple subjects of knowledge before touching big (difficult) ones.
Chapter 11: The Prophet (saws) used to take care of the people in preaching by selecting a suitable time so that they might not run away (never made them averse or bored them with religious talk and knowledge all the time)
The Prophet (ﷺ) used to take care of us in preaching by selecting a suitable time, so that we might not get bored. (He abstained from pestering us with sermons and knowledge all the time).
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Facilitate things to people (concerning religious matters), and do not make it hard for them and give them good tidings and do not make them run away (from Islam).
Chapter 12: Whoever fixed a special day for giving (a religious talk) to the students
`Abdullah used to give a religious talk to the people on every Thursday. Once a man said, "O Aba `Abdur-Rahman! (By Allah) I wish if you could preach us daily." He replied, "The only thing which prevents me from doing so, is that I hate to bore you, and no doubt I take care of you in preaching by selecting a suitable time just as the Prophet (ﷺ) used to do with us, for fear of making us bored."
Chapter 13: If Allah Jalla Jalalahu wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend (the religion). [The understanding of the Qur'an and As-Sunna (legal ways) of the Prophet (Muhammad (saws))]
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "If Allah wants to do good to a person, He makes him comprehend the religion. I am just a distributor, but the grant is from Allah. (And remember) that this nation (true Muslims) will keep on following Allah's teachings strictly and they will not be harmed by any one going on a different path till Allah's order (Day of Judgment) is established."
Chapter 14: (The superiority of) comprehending knowledge
We were with the Prophet (ﷺ) and fresh dates of a palm tree were brought to him. On that he said, "Amongst the trees, there is a tree which resembles a Muslim." I wanted to say that it was the datepalm tree but as I was the youngest of all (of them) I kept quiet. And then the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "It is the date-palm tree."
Chapter 15: Wish to be like the one who has knowledge and Al-Hikmah [wisdom i.e., the knowledge of the Qur'an and the Sunna (legal ways) of the Prophet (saws)]
And ‘Umar رضي الله عنه said, “Everyone must acquire sound religious knowledge early before he becomes a chief.” (Abu ‘Abdullah said:) The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ had studied in spite of the fact that they were old in age.
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur'an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others." (Fath-al-Bari page 177 Vol. 1)
Chapter 16: What has been said about the journey of Prophet Musa ('alaihi as-salam) (when he went) in the sea to meet Al-Khidr
And the Statement of Allah: “…May I follow you so that you teach me” (V.18:66)
That he differed with Hur bin Qais bin Hisn Al-Fazari regarding the companion of (the Prophet) Moses. Ibn `Abbas said that he was Al Khadir. Meanwhile, Ubai bin Ka`b passed by them and Ibn `Abbas called him, saying "My friend (Hur) and I have differed regarding Moses' companion, whom Moses asked the way to meet. Have you heard the Prophet (ﷺ) mentioning something about him? He said, "Yes. I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "While Moses was sitting in the company of some Israelites, a man came and asked him. "Do you know anyone who is more learned than you? Moses replied: "No." So Allah sent the Divine Inspiration to Moses: 'Yes, Our slave Khadir (is more learned than you.)' Moses asked (Allah) how to meet him (Khadir). So Allah made the fish as a sign for him and he was told that when the fish was lost, he should return (to the place where he had lost it) and there he would meet him (Al-Khadir). So Moses went on looking for the sign of the fish in the sea. The servant-boy of Moses said to him: Do you remember when we betook ourselves to the rock, I indeed forgot the fish, none but Satan made me forget to remember it. On that Moses said: 'That is what we have been seeking? (18.64) So they went back retracing their footsteps, and found Khadir. (And) what happened further to them is narrated in the Holy Qur'an by Allah. (18.54 up to 18.82)
Chapter 17: The statement of the Prophet (saws): "O Allah! Bestow on him (Ibn Abbas) the knowledge of the Book (the Qur'an)
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) embraced me and said, "O Allah! Bestow on him the knowledge of the Book (Qur'an).