Anas said that when the Prophet made a statement he repeated itthree times so that it would be understood, and that when he met a company and gave them a salutation he did it three times. Bukharitransmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God's messenger as saying, “A word whichcontains wisdom is the stray beast* of the wise man, so wherever he findsit he is most entitled to it.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it,Tirmidhi saying that this is a gharib tradition and that Ibrahim b. al-Fadl the transmitter is declared to be weak in tradition.*i.e. something to be sought.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “One faqih hasmore power over the devil than a thousand devout men.” Tirmidhi andIbn Majah transmitted it.

Anas reported God’s messenger as saying, “The search for knowledge is an obligation laid on every Muslim, but he who commits it tothose who are unworthy of it is like one who puts necklaces of jewels,pearls and gold on swine.” Ibn Majah transmitted it. Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman up to the word “Muslim”, saying that thisis a tradition whose text is well known but whose isnad is weak, it beingtransmitted by many ways all of which are weak.

Sakhbara al-Azdi reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyoneseeks knowledge, it will be an atonement for past sins.” Tirmidhi andDarimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi saying that this is a tradition whoseisnad is weak, and that Abu Dawud the transmitter is declared to beweak.

Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s messenger as saying, “A believer will never be satisfied with the good he hears till he reachesparadise.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Ka'b b. Malik reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyoneseeks knowledge to use it in vying with the learned, or disputing withthe foolish, or to attract men’s attention to himself, God will bring himinto hell.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah transmitted it fromIbn ‘Umar.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyoneacquires knowledge of things by which God’s good pleasure is sought,but acquires it only to get some worldly advantage, he will not experience the ‘arf, i.e. the odour, of paradise on the day of resurrection.”Ahmad, Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Let him whointerprets the Qur’an in the light of his opinion come to his abodein hell.” A version has, “Let him who interprets the Qur’an withoutknowledge come to his abode in hell.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Jundub reported God’s messenger as saying, “ If anyone interpretsthe Qur’an in the light of his own opinion and is right, he has erred.”Tirmidhi transmitted it.

a precise verse, or an established sunna, ora firm obligatory duty. Anything else is an extra.” Abu Dawud and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone isgiven a legal decision ignorantly, the sin rests on the one who gave it;and if anyone advises his brother, knowing that right guidance lies inanother direction, he has deceived him.” Abu Dawud transmitted it.

Mu'awiya said that the Prophet forbade the discussion of thornyquestions. Abu Dawud transmitted it.

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

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

‘Aisha said she heard God’s messenger say that God revealedto him, “ If anyone follows a path in search of knowledge, I shall makeeasy 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 inknowledge is better than superiority in worship, and the basis of thereligion is abstinence.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

‘Abdallah b. ‘Amr told of God’s messenger coming upon twogroups in his mosque and saying, “They are both engaged in what isgood, but one of them is superior to the other. These ones are praying and supplicating God who, if He wills, may answer their prayersbut, if He wills, may refuse them. Those ones are learning knowledge*and teaching the ignorant, so they are superior. I was sent only as ateacher.” 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 thetradition was not sure which word was used by the Prophet on this occasion.

he who is greedy for knowledge can never getenough of it, and he who is greedy for worldly goods can never getenough of them." Baihaqi transmitted the three traditions in Shu'abal-iman, and quoted the imam Ahmad as saying about Abu Darda''stradition, “This is a well-known text among the people, but it does nothave a sound isnad."

‘Aun reported Ibn Mas'ud as saying, “Two greedy ones neverattain satisfaction, the learned man and the worldly man, but they arenot 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 heis self-sufficient. "* He added, “The other is preferable, for ‘only thoseof His servants who are learned fear God.’ " [Ibid, xxxv, 28.] Darimi transmitted it. *Qur’an, xcvi, 6 f.

Sufyan said that ‘Umar b. al-Khattab asked Ka‘b who were the lordsof knowledge, and he replied that they are those who act according towhat they know. He then asked what it is that takes knowledge fromthe hearts of the learned and was told that it is covetousness. Darimitransmitted it.