If any of you people knows anything he shouldmake it known, but if anyone does not know he should say that Godknows best, for saying this when one does not know is a part of knowledge. God said to His prophet, “Say, I do not ask you for any rewardfor it, and I am not a pretender.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.)*Qur’an, xxxviii, 86.

Ibn Mas'ud reported that God's messenger said to him, "Acquireknowledge and teach it to the people, learn the obligatory duties andteach them to the people, learn the Qur’an and teach it to the people;for I am a man who will be taken away, knowledge will be taken away,dissensions will appear, so that two men will disagree about an obligatory duty and find no one to decide between them.” Darimi andDaraqutni transmitted it.

sincere action for God’s sake, good counsel to Muslims, and hold-ing fast to their community, for their invitation includes those who arebeyond them.” Shafi‘i transmitted it, also Baihaqi in al-Madkhal.Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah and Darimi transmitted it fromZaid b. Thabit, but Tirmidhi and Abu Dawud did not mention, “Thereare three things on account of which no rancour enters..." to the end.

Ibn Mas'ud said that he heard God’s messenger saying, “Godbrighten a man who hears something from us and conveys it to othersas he heard it, for many a one to whom it is brought retains it betterthan the one who heard it.” Tirmidhi and Ibn Majah transmitted it,and Darimi transmitted it from Abu Darda'.

‘Auf b. Malik al-Ashja‘i reported God’s messenger as saying, "Onlya ruler, or one put in charge, or one who is presumptuous gives instruction."* Abu Dawud transmitted it, and Darimi transmitted it from ' Amr b. Shu'aib from his father from his grandfather. A version has, "Or a hypocrite” instead of "one who is presumptuous”. *The word used here is yaqussu, which may be translated as given above, but which may alsobe translated as “inflicts punishment.”

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

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

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

He also reported in mursal form that God’s messenger was askedwhich of two men who had been among the B. Isra’il was superior, onewho was a learned man who observed the prescribed prayers, then satand taught men what is good, the other who fasted by day and prayedduring the night. He replied, “The superiority of this learned man whoobserved the prescribed prayers, then sat and taught men what is goodover the devout man who fasted by day and prayed during the night islike my superiority over the most contemptible among you.” Darimitransmitted 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.

Al-Ahwas b. Hakim told on his father’s authority that a man askedthe Prophet about evil, and he replied, "Do not ask me about evil, butask me about good,” saying it three times. Then he said, "The worstevil consists in learned men who are evil, and the best good consists inlearned men who are good.” Darimi transmitted it.

‘Ali reported God’s messenger as saying, “ A time is soon coming tomankind when nothing of Islam but its name will remain and only thewritten form of the Qur’an will remain. Their mosques will be in finecondition but will be devoid of guidance, their learned men will be theworst people under heaven, corruption coming forth from them andreturning among them.” Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman.

they set parts of God’s Book against others, whereas God'sBook was sent down only to be consistent; so do not use parts to falsifyothers. Speak about as much of it as you know, but where you are ignorant entrust it to him who knows.” Ahmad and Ibn Majah transmitted it.

Ibn Mas'ud reported God's messenger as saying, “The Qur'an wassent down in seven modes. Every verse in it has an external and aninternal meaning, and every interdiction has a source of reference.”Baghawi transmitted it in Sharh as-sunna.

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

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

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

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

Anas b. Malik said that God’s messenger asked, “Do you knowwho is most generous?" On receiving the reply that God and Hismessenger knew best, he said, “God is the most generous, then I am themost generous of mankind, and the most generous of them after me willbe 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."

If the learned were to guard learningand entrust it to those who are worthy of it, they would thereby, ruletheir contemporaries. But they have bestowed it on worldly people toget thereby some of their worldly goods, and have been despised bythem. I heard your Prophet say, "If anyone makes the care of hiseternal welfare the sum total of his cares God will protect him fromworldly 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 heperishes.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Baihaqi transmitted it inShu'ab al-iman from Ibn ‘Umar beginning with "If anyone makes thecare.”