Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, "Learn thethings which are made obligatory and the Qur’an, and teach them topeople, for I shall die.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

‘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.

Ikrima reported Ibn ‘Abbas as saying, “Talk to the people onceevery Friday, but if you object, then twice, and if you want more, thenthree times, but do not weary the people with this Qur’an. And do notlet me find you coming to the people when they are talking about theirconcerns, interrupting them in their talk by addressing them, and sowearying them. Keep silent, and when they request you, talk to themat a time when they want it. Look out for rhymed prose in supplications and avoid it, for I know that God’s messenger and his companionsdid not use it.” Bukhari transmitted 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.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Among theactions and good deeds for which a believer will continue to receive reward after his death are knowledge which he taught and spread, a goodson whom he left behind, or a copy of the Qur'an which he left as alegacy, or a mosque which he built, or a house which he built for thetraveller, or a stream which he caused to flow, or a sadaqa which hegave from his property when he was alive and well, for which he willcontinue to receive reward after his death.” Ibn Majah transmitted it,and also Baihaqi in Shu'ab al-iman.

‘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.

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

‘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.

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."

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.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Some amongmy people will become learned in religion, will recite the Qur’an, andsay that they will go to princes and get some of their worldly goods,but withdraw from them with their religion. That cannot be; for, aswhat is gathered from tragacanth trees consists only of thorns, so whatis gathered from drawing near to them consists only of . . . ” Muhammadb. as-Sabbah said that he obviously meant “sins." Ibn Majah transmitted it.