Knowledge
كتاب العلم
Chapter 39: The writing of knowledge
In the year of the Conquest of Mecca, the tribe of Khuza`a killed a man from the tribe of Bani Laith in revenge for a killed person, belonging to them. They informed the Prophet (ﷺ) about it. So he rode his Rahila (she-camel for riding) and addressed the people saying, "Allah held back the killing from Mecca. (The sub-narrator is in doubt whether the Prophet (ﷺ) said "elephant or killing," as the Arabic words standing for these words have great similarity in shape), but He (Allah) let His Apostle and the believers over power the infidels of Mecca. Beware! (Mecca is a sanctuary) Verily! Fighting in Mecca was not permitted for anyone before me nor will it be permitted for anyone after me. It (war) in it was made legal for me for few hours or so on that day. No doubt it is at this moment a sanctuary, it is not allowed to uproot its thorny shrubs or to uproot its trees or to pick up its Luqat (fallen things) except by a person who will look for its owner (announce it publicly). And if somebody is killed, then his closest relative has the right to choose one of the two-- the blood money (Diyya) or retaliation having the killer killed. In the meantime a man from Yemen came and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Get that written for me." The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered his companions to write that for him. Then a man from Quraish said, "Except Al-Idhkhir (a type of grass that has good smell) O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), as we use it in our houses and graves." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Except Al-Idhkhir i.e. Al-Idhkhir is allowed to be plucked."
There is none among the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) who has narrated more Hadiths than I except `Abdullah bin `Amr (bin Al-`As) who used to write them and I never did the same.
Ibn `Abbas said, "When the ailment of the Prophet (ﷺ) became worse, he said, 'Bring for me (writing) paper and I will write for you a statement after which you will not go astray.' But `Umar said, 'The Prophet is seriously ill, and we have got Allah's Book with us and that is sufficient for us.' But the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) differed about this and there was a hue and cry. On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said to them, 'Go away (and leave me alone). It is not right that you should quarrel in front of me." Ibn `Abbas came out saying, "It was most unfortunate (a great disaster) that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prevented from writing that statement for them because of their disagreement and noise. (Note: It is apparent from this Hadith that Ibn `Abbas had witnessed the event and came out saying this statement. The truth is not so, for Ibn `Abbas used to say this statement on narrating the Hadith and he had not witnessed the event personally. See Fath Al-Bari Vol. 1, p.220 footnote.) (See Hadith No. 228, Vol. 4).
Chapter 42: (What is said regarding) the memorization of (religious) knowledge
I said to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) "I hear many narrations (Hadiths) from you but I forget them." Allah's Apostle said, "Spread your Rida' (garment)." I did accordingly and then he moved his hands as if filling them with something (and emptied them in my Rida') and then said, "Take and wrap this sheet over your body." I did it and after that I never forgot any thing.
Narrated Ibrahim bin Al-Mundhir:
Ibn Abi Fudaik narrated the same as above (Hadith...119) but added that the Prophet (ﷺ) had moved his hands as if filling them with something and then he emptied them in the Rida' of Abu Huraira.
Chapter 45: Whosoever, while standing, asked a religious learned man who was sitting (on a pulpit or a similar thing, about something)
A man came to the Prophet (ﷺ) and asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What kind of fighting is in Allah's cause? (I ask this), for some of us fight because of being enraged and angry and some for the sake of his pride and haughtiness." The Prophet (ﷺ) raised his head (as the questioner was standing) and said, "He who fights so that Allah's Word (Islam) should be superior, then he fights in Allah's cause."
Chapter 49: Whoever selected some people to teach them (religious) knowledge preferring them over others for fear that the others may not understand it
The above mentioned Statement of `Ali.
Chapter 52: Teaching religious knowledge and giving religious verdicts in a masjid
`Abdullah bin `Umar said: "A man got up in the mosque and said: O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) 'At which place you order us that we should assume the Ihram?' Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) replied, 'The residents of Medina should assure the Ihram from Dhil-Hulaifa, the people of Syria from Al-Juhfa and the people of Najd from Qarn." Ibn `Umar further said, "The people consider that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had also said, 'The residents of Yemen should assume Ihram from Yalamlam.' " Ibn `Umar used to say, "I do not: remember whether Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had said the last statement or not?"
Chapter 10: It is essential to know a thing first before saying or acting upon it.
Chapter 18: At what age may a youth be listened to (i.e. quotation of the Hadith from a boy be acceptable)
Once I came riding a she-ass and had (just) attained the age of puberty. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was offering the prayer at Mina. There was no wall in front of him and I passed in front of some of the row while they were offering their prayers. There I let the she-ass loose to graze and entered the row, and nobody objected to it.
Chapter 26: To travel seeking an answer to a problematic matter, and to teach it to one's family
`Uqba bin Al-Harith said that he had married the daughter of Abi Ihab bin `Aziz. Later on a woman came to him and said, "I have suckled (nursed) `Uqba and the woman whom he married (his wife) at my breast." `Uqba said to her, "Neither I knew that you have suckled (nursed) me nor did you tell me." Then he rode over to see Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) at Medina, and asked him about it. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "How can you keep her as a wife when it has been said (that she is your foster-sister)?" Then `Uqba divorced her, and she married another man.
Chapter 29: Whoever knelt down before the Imam or a (religious) preacher
One day Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came out (before the people) and `Abdullah bin Hudhafa stood up and asked (him) "Who is my father?" The Prophet (ﷺ) replied, "Your father is Hudhafa." The Prophet (ﷺ) told them repeatedly (in anger) to ask him anything they liked. `Umar knelt down before the Prophet (ﷺ) and said thrice, "We accept Allah as (our) Lord and Islam as (our) religion and Muhammad as (our) Prophet." After that the Prophet (ﷺ) became silent.
Chapter 31: A man teaching (religion to) his woman-slave and his family
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said "Three persons will have a double reward:
1. A Person from the people of the scriptures who believed in his prophet (Jesus or Moses) and then believed in the Prophet (ﷺ) Muhammad (i .e. has embraced Islam).
2. A slave who discharges his duties to Allah and his master.
3. A master of a woman-slave who teaches her good manners and educates her in the best possible way (the religion) and manumits her and then marries her."
Chapter 35: Should a day be fixed for women in order to teach them religion (apart from men)?
as above (the sub narrators are different). Abu Huraira qualified the three children referred to in the above mentioned Hadith as not having reached the age of committing sins (i.e. age of puberty) .
Chapter 37: It is incumbent on those who are present [in a religious meeting (or conference)] to convey the knowledge to those who are absent
Abu Shuraih said, "When `Amr bin Sa`id was sending the troops to Mecca (to fight `Abdullah bin Az- Zubair) I said to him, 'O chief! Allow me to tell you what the Prophet (ﷺ) said on the day following the conquests of Mecca. My ears heard and my heart comprehended, and I saw him with my own eyes, when he said it. He glorified and praised Allah and then said, "Allah and not the people has made Mecca a sanctuary. So anybody who has belief in Allah and the Last Day (i.e. a Muslim) should neither shed blood in it nor cut down its trees. If anybody argues that fighting is allowed in Mecca as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did fight (in Mecca), tell him that Allah gave permission to His Apostle, but He did not give it to you. The Prophet (ﷺ) added: Allah allowed me only for a few hours on that day (of the conquest) and today (now) its sanctity is the same (valid) as it was before. So it is incumbent upon those who are present to convey it (this information) to those who are absent." Abu- Shuraih was asked, "What did `Amr reply?" He said `Amr said, "O Abu Shuraih! I know better than you (in this respect). Mecca does not give protection to one who disobeys (Allah) or runs after committing murder, or theft (and takes refuge in Mecca).
Chapter 38: The sin of a person who tells a lie against the Prophet (saws)
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not tell a lie against me for whoever tells a lie against me (intentionally) then he will surely enter the Hell-fire."
Chapter 41: To speak about (religious) knowledge at night
Once the Prophet (ﷺ) led us in the `Isha' prayer during the last days of his life and after finishing it (the prayer) (with Taslim) he said: "Do you realize (the importance of) this night?" Nobody present on the surface of the earth tonight will be living after the completion of one hundred years from this night."
I stayed overnight in the house of my aunt Maimuna bint Al-Harith (the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) ) while the Prophet (ﷺ) was there with her during her night turn. The Prophet (ﷺ) offered the `Isha' prayer (in the mosque), returned home and after having prayed four rak`at, he slept. Later on he got up at night and then asked whether the boy (or he used a similar word) had slept? Then he got up for the prayer and I stood up by his left side but he made me stand to his right and offered five rak`at followed by two more rak`at. Then he slept and I heard him snoring and then (after a while) he left for the (Fajr) prayer.
Chapter 47: The Statement of Allah Ta'ala: "And of knowledge you (mankind) have been given only a little"
While I was going with the Prophet (ﷺ) through the ruins of Medina and he was reclining on a date-palm leaf stalk, some Jews passed by. Some of them said to the others: Ask him (the Prophet) about the spirit. Some of them said that they should not ask him that question as he might give a reply which would displease them. But some of them insisted on asking, and so one of them stood up and asked, "O Abul-Qasim ! What is the spirit?" The Prophet (ﷺ) remained quiet. I thought he was being inspired Divinely. So I stayed till that state of the Prophet (while being inspired) was over. The Prophet (ﷺ) then said, "And they ask you (O Muhammad) concerning the spirit --Say: The spirit -- its knowledge is with my Lord. And of knowledge you (mankind) have been given only a little)." (17.85)
Chapter 48: Whosoever left some optional things simply for the fear that some people may not be able to understand them and may fall into something more difficult
Ibn Az-Zubair said to me, "Aisha used to tell you secretly a number of things. What did she tell you about the Ka`ba?" I replied, "She told me that once the Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'O `Aisha! Had not your people been still close to the pre-Islamic period of ignorance (infidelity)! I would have dismantled the Ka`ba and would have made two doors in it; one for entrance and the other for exit." Later on Ibn Az-Zubair did the same.