Chapters on Knowledge

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ibn ‘Abbas reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whomever Allah wishes good for, He grants understanding of the religion.’ This hadith is hasan sahih. Reports on this topic are also related from ‘Umar, Abu Hurairah, and Mu‘awiyah.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever follows a path seeking knowledge, Allah will make a path to Paradise easy for him.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan.’

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Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever goes out seeking knowledge is in the path of Allah until he returns.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan gharīb. Some narrators reported it without attributing it to the Prophet (mawquf).’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Sakhbarah reported that the Prophet said: ‘Seeking knowledge is an expiation for what came before.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘The chain of this hadith is weak. Abu Dawud is considered weak, and we know little about ‘Abdullah ibn Sakhbarah or his father. Abu Dawud’s name was Nufay‘ al-A‘ma; Qatadah and more than one scholar criticized him.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever is asked about knowledge he possesses and then conceals it will be bridled with a bridle of fire on the Day of Resurrection.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘The hadith of Abu Hurairah is hasan.’ Reports on this topic are also related from Jabir and ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Harun al-‘Abdi said: ‘We used to visit Abu Sa‘id, and he would say, “Welcome, those entrusted to us by the Messenger of Allah.” The Messenger of Allah said: “People will follow you, and men will come to you from the far regions of the earth seeking understanding of the religion. When they come to you, treat them well as I have instructed.”’ ‘Ali said that Yahya ibn Sa‘id reported: ‘Shu‘bah used to regard Abu Harun al-‘Abdi as weak.’ Yahya ibn Sa‘id also said: ‘Ibn ‘Awn continued narrating from Abu Harun al-‘Abdi until he died.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘Abu Harun’s name was ‘Umara ibn Juwayn.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Abu Harun al-‘Abdi reported from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri that the Prophet said: ‘Men will come to you from the East to learn. When they come, treat them well as I have instructed.’ Abu Sa‘id would say whenever he saw us: ‘Welcome, those entrusted to us by the Messenger of Allah.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘We know this hadith only through the narration of Abu Harun from Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibn al-‘As reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Allah does not take knowledge away by snatching it from people. Rather, He takes knowledge by taking the scholars, until He leaves no scholar. Then people will take ignorant leaders, ask them questions, and they will give legal verdicts without knowledge. They will go astray and lead others astray.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan sahih.’ Reports on this topic are also related from ‘A’ishah and Ziyad ibn Labid. Al-Zuhri also narrated it from ‘Urwah, from ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, and from ‘Urwah, from ‘A’ishah, from the Prophet, with similar wording.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Jubayr ibn Nufayr reported from Abu al-Darda’: ‘We were with the Messenger of Allah when he gazed toward the sky and said, “This is the time when knowledge will be snatched from people, until they will be unable to retain any of it.” Ziyad ibn Labid al-Ansari said, “How can knowledge be snatched from us when we have recited the Quran? By Allah, we will recite it and teach it to our women and children.” He replied, “May your mother be bereaved of you, Ziyad! I used to count you among the jurists of the people of Madinah. The Torah and the Gospel are with the Jews and Christians—what benefit do they bring them?”’ Jubayr said: ‘I met ‘Ubadah ibn al-Samit and said, “Will you not hear what your brother Abu al-Darda’ says?” I told him what Abu al-Darda’ had said. He replied, “Abu al-Darda’ spoke the truth. If you wish, I will tell you the first knowledge to be taken from people: humility in prayer (khushu‘). Soon you will enter a congregational mosque and see no man in it who has humility.”’

Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan gharīb. Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih is considered reliable by hadith scholars; we know of no one who criticized him except Yahya al-Qattan. A similar report has been narrated from Mu‘awiyah ibn Salih. Some narrators transmitted this hadith from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Jubayr ibn Nufayr, from his father, from ‘Awf ibn Malik, from the Prophet.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ibn Ka‘b ibn Malik reported from his father, who said he heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘Whoever seeks knowledge in order to rival the scholars, argue with the foolish, or turn people’s attention toward himself, Allah will admit him to the Fire.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is gharīb; we know it only through this route. Ishaq ibn Yahya ibn Talhah is not particularly strong according to the scholars, who criticized his retention.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Ibn ‘Umar reported that the Prophet said: ‘Whoever learns knowledge for other than Allah, or seeks through it something other than Allah, let him prepare his place in the Fire.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan gharīb; we know it from Ayyub only through this route.’ A report on this topic is also related from Jabir.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Aban ibn ‘Uthman reported from his father: ‘Zayd ibn Thabit left Marwan’s presence at midday. We said, “He must have summoned him at this hour to ask him something.” We went to ask him, and he said, “Yes, he asked us about things we heard from the Messenger of Allah. I heard the Messenger of Allah say: ‘May Allah brighten the face of a person who hears a hadith from us and memorizes it until he conveys it to someone else. Perhaps someone conveys understanding to one more learned than himself, and perhaps the one who carries understanding is not himself learned.’”’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘The hadith of Zayd ibn Thabit is hasan.’ Reports on this topic are also related from ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud, Mu‘adh ibn Jabal, Jubayr ibn Mut‘im, Abu al-Darda’, and Anas.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Simak ibn Harb said: ‘I heard ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud narrate from his father, who said: I heard the Prophet say: “May Allah brighten the face of one who hears something from us and conveys it just as he heard it. Perhaps the one to whom it is conveyed will understand it better than the one who heard it.”’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan sahih. ‘Abd al-Malik ibn ‘Umayr also narrated it from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn ‘Abdullah.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud reported from the Prophet: ‘May Allah brighten the face of one who hears my words, understands them, remembers them, and conveys them. Perhaps someone carries understanding to one more learned than himself. There are three things toward which a Muslim’s heart bears no treachery: sincerity in deeds for Allah, sincere counsel to the leaders of the Muslims, and holding fast to their community, for the supplication encompasses them from behind.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever deliberately lies about me, let him take his seat in the Fire.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Ali ibn Abi Talib reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Do not lie about me, for whoever lies about me will enter the Fire.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘The hadith of ‘Ali is hasan sahih.’ Reports on this topic are also related from Abu Bakr, ‘Umar, ‘Uthman, al-Zubayr, Sa‘id ibn Zayd, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr, Anas, Jabir, Ibn ‘Abbas, Abu Sa‘id, ‘Amr ibn ‘Abasah, ‘Uqbah ibn ‘Amir, Mu‘awiyah, Buraydah, Abu Musa al-Ghafiqi, Abu Umamah, ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar, al-Munqi‘, and Aws al-Thaqafi.

‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Mahdi said: ‘Mansur ibn al-Mu‘tamir was the most reliable of the people of Kufa.’ Waki‘ said: ‘Rib‘i ibn Hirash never told a lie in Islam.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Anas ibn Malik reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Whoever lies about me’—I think he said, ‘deliberately’—‘let him take his dwelling in the Fire.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan sahih gharīb through this route, from al-Zuhri from Anas. It has also been narrated through other routes from Anas from the Prophet.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Al-Mughirah ibn Shu‘bah reported that the Prophet said: ‘Whoever relates a hadith from me while knowing it to be false is one of the liars.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan sahih.’ Reports on this topic are also related from ‘Ali ibn Abi Talib and Samurah. Shu‘bah narrated it through al-Hakam, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from Samurah, from the Prophet. Al-A‘mash and Ibn Abi Layla narrated it through al-Hakam, from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla, from ‘Ali, from the Prophet. Hadith scholars consider the route of ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Abi Layla from Samurah more sound.

I asked Abu Muhammad ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman about the Prophet’s statement, ‘Whoever relates a hadith from me while knowing it to be false is one of the liars.’ I asked him: ‘If someone relates a hadith knowing its chain is wrong, should he fear that he has fallen under this warning? Or if people narrate a mursal report and someone connects its chain, or reverses its chain, has he fallen under this warning?’ He replied: ‘No. The meaning is that a man relates a hadith for which no basis from the Prophet is known, and reports it; I fear he has fallen under this warning.’

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi‘ reported from his father and others, attributing it to the Prophet: ‘Let me not find one of you reclining on his couch when a command of mine or a prohibition of mine reaches him, saying, “I do not know. We follow only what we find in the Book of Allah.”’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan.’ Some narrators transmitted it from Sufyan, from Ibn al-Munkadir, from the Prophet, as a mursal report, and from Salim Abu al-Nadr, from ‘Ubaydullah ibn Abi Rafi‘, from his father, from the Prophet. When Ibn ‘Uyaynah narrated this hadith separately, he distinguished the report of Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir from that of Salim Abu al-Nadr; when he combined them, he narrated it in this form. Abu Rafi‘, the freedman of the Prophet, was named Aslam.

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Al-Miqdam ibn Ma‘dikarib reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘Beware: a hadith from me may reach a man while he is reclining on his couch, and he will say, “Between us and you is the Book of Allah. Whatever we find lawful in it, we will consider lawful; and whatever we find unlawful in it, we will consider unlawful.” Yet what the Messenger of Allah has forbidden is like what Allah has forbidden.’ Abu ‘Isa said: ‘This hadith is hasan gharīb through this route.’