The Book of the Sunnah
كتاب المقدمة
Chapter 35: Concerning what the Jahmiyyah denied (i.e., seeing Allah in the Hereafter, etc.)
"The Messenger of Allah said: Allah will seize the earth on the Day of Ressurection, and He will roll up the heavens in his Right Hand, then He will say, "I am the Sovereign. Where are the kings of the earth?'"
The Prophet said: "When Allah decrees a matter in heaven, the angels beat their wings in submission to his decree (with a sound) like a chain beating a rock. Then "When fear is banished from their hearts, they say: 'What is it that your Lord has said?' They say: 'The truth. And He is The Most High, The Most Great." He said: 'Then the eavesdroppers (from among the jinn) listen out for that, one above the other, so (one of them) hears the words and passes it on to the one beneath him. The Shihab (shooting star) may strike him before he can pass it on to the one beneath him and the latter can pass it on to the soothsayer or sorcerer, or it may not strike him until he has passed it on. And he ads one hundred lies to it, and only that word which was overheard from the heavens is true."
"I heard the Messenger of Allah say, when he was on the pulpit: 'The Compeller will seize the heavens and the earth in His Hand' and he clenched his fist and began to open and close it. Then He will say: "I am the Compeller! Where are the tyrants? Where are the arrogant?" He said, the Messenger of Allah was turning to his right and to his left, until he saw the pulpit moving from below and I thought: 'What if it falls with the Messenger of Allah on it?'"
Chapter 39: The virtue of the scholars, and encouragement to seek knowledge
"Seeking knowledge is a duty upon every Muslim, and he who imparts knowledge to those who do not deserve it, is like one who puts a necklace of jewels, pearls and gold around the neck of swines."
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'You must acquire this knowledge before it is taken away, and its taking away means that it will be lifted up.' He joined his middle finger and the one that next to the thumb like this, and said: 'The scholar and the seeker of knowledge will share the reward, and there is no good in the rest of the people.'"
Chapter 42: The reward of the one teaching the people the good
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'The rewards of the good deeds that will reach a believer after his death are: Knowledge which he taught and spread; a righteous son whom he leaves behind; a copy of the Qur'an that he leaves as a legacy; a mosque that he built; a house that he built for wayfarers; a canal that he dug; or charity that he gave during his lifetime when he was in good health. These deeds will reach him after his death.'"
Chapter 43: He who dislikes having people walk behind him
"When the Prophet walked, his Companions would walk in front of him, and he would leave his back for the angels."
Chapter 44: The directive regarding seekers of knowledge
"We entered upon Hasan to inquire after him until we filled the house. He tucked up his legs, the he (hasan) said: 'We entered upon Abu Hurairah to inquire after him until we filled the house. He (Abu Hurairah) tucked up his legs and said: "We entered upon the Messenger of Allah until we filled the house. He was lying on his side, but when he saw us he tucked up his legs then he said: 'After I am gone, there will come to you people seeking knowledge. Welcome them, greet them and teach them.'" (Maudu')A narrator said: By Allah! We came across some people who did not welcome us, greet us, nor teach us unil we used to go to them, then they treated us rudely.
Chapter 45: Gaining benefit from knowledge and acting in accordance with it
"The Messenger of Allah used to say: 'Allahummanfa'ni bima 'allamtani, wa 'allimnima yanfa'uni, wa zidni 'ilman. Wal-hamdu Lillahi 'ala kulli hal. [O Allah, benefit me by that which You have taught me, and teach me that which will benefit me, and increase my knowledge. Praise is to Allah in all circumstances].'"
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever acquires knowledge by which the pleasure of Allah is sought, but he only acquires it for the purpose of worldly gain, will not smell the fragrance of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection.'" (Hasan)Another chain with similar wording.
The Prophet said: "There will be some people among my Ummah (nation) who will gain knowledge of the religion, and they will recite Qur'an, and will say: 'We come to the rulers so that we may have some share of their worldly wealth, and we will make sure that our religious commitment is not affected,' but that will not be the case. Just as nothing can be harvested from the Qatad except thorns, so nothing can be gained from being close to them except (sins).'" (Da'if)(One of the narrators) Muhammed bin As-Sabbah said: "It is as if he meant, 'except sins'."
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Seek refuge with Allah from the pit of grief.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, what is the pit of grief?' He said: 'A valley in Hell from which Hell itself seeks refuge four hundred times each day.' It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, who will enter it?' He said: 'It has been prepared for reciters of the Qur'an who want to show off their deeds. The most hateful of reciters of the Qur'an to Allah are those who visit the rulers.'" (Da'if)Other chains of narrators.
"If the people of knowledge had taken care of it and presented it only to those who cared for it, they would have become the leaders of their age by virtue of that. But they squandered it on the people of wealth and status in this world in order to gain some worldly benefit, so the people of wealth and status began to look down on them. I heard your Prophet say: 'Whoever focuses all his concerns on one issue, the concerns of the Hereafter, Allah will suffice him and spare him the worries of this world. But whoever wanders off in concern over different worldly issues, Allah will not care in which of these valleys he is destroyed.'" (Da'if)Another chain with similar wording.
"The Messenger of Allah said: 'Whoever seeks knowledge in order to argue with the foolish, or to show off before the scholars, or to attract people's attention, Allah will admit him to Hell.'"
Chapter 46: One who is asked about knowledge but conceals it
'I heard Anas bin Malik say: "I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "Whoever is asked about knowledge and conceals it, it will be bridled on the Day of Resurrection with reins of fire.'"
Chapter 12: The Virtue of Abu Bakr Siddiq (ra)
"It was said: 'O Messenger of Allah, which of the people is most beloved to you?' He said: "Aishah.' It was asked, 'And among men?' He said: 'Her father.'"
Chapter 14: The Virtues of 'Uthman (ra)
The Messenger of Allah said: "Every Prophet will have a friend in Paradise, and my friend there will be 'Uthman bin 'Affan."
The Messenger of Allah said: "O 'Uthman, if Allah places you in authority over this matter (as the caliph) some day and the hypocrites want to rid you of the garment with which Allah has clothed you (i.e., the position of caliph), do not take it off." He said that three times. (One of the narrators) Nu'man said: "I said to 'Aishah: 'What kept you from telling the people that?' She said: 'I was made to forget it.'"
"When he was ill, the Messenger of Allah said: 'I would like to have some of my Companions with me.' We said: 'O Messenger of Allah! Shall we call Abu Bakr for you?' But he remained silent. We said: 'Shall we call 'Umar for you?' But he remained silent. We said: 'Shall we call 'Uthman for you?' He said: 'Yes.' So 'Uthman came and he spoke to him in private. The Prophet started to speak to him and 'Uthman's expression changed." Qais said: "Abu Sahlah, the freed slave of 'Uthman, narrated to me that on the Day of the House, 'Uthman bin 'Affan said: 'The Messenger of Allah told me what would come to pass and now I am coming to that day.'"In his narration of the Hadith, 'Ali (one of the narrators) said (that he said): "And I am going to bear it with patience."Qais said: "They used to think that that was the Day of the House."
Chapter 15: The Virtue of `Ali ibn Abi Talib (ra)
"The Unlettered Prophet informed me (saying) that none but a believer would love me and none but a hypocrite would hate me."