Knowledge (Kitab Al-Ilm)

Kathir ibn Qays said: I was sitting with AbudDarda' in the mosque of Damascus. A man came to him and said: AbudDarda, I have come to you from the town of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) for a tradition that I have heard you relate from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I have come for no other purpose. He…

مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَطْلُبُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَلَكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا مِنْ طُرُقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي…

Narrated by Abu ad-Dardā’ + 6 other versions

The tradition mentioned above has also been transmitted by Abu al-Darda through a different chain of narrators to the same effect from the Holy Prophet (ﷺ)

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْوَزِيرِ الدِّمَشْقِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ، قَالَ لَقِيتُ شَبِيبَ بْنَ شَيْبَةَ فَحَدَّثَنِي بِهِ، عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ أَبِي سَوْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ، - يَعْنِي عَنِ النَّبِيِّ…

Narrated by Abu ad-Dardā’

If anyone pursues a path in search of knowledge, Allah will thereby make easy for him a path to paradise; and he who is made slow by his actions will not be speeded by his genealogy.

مَا مِنْ رَجُلٍ يَسْلُكُ طَرِيقًا يَطْلُبُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا إِلاَّ سَهَّلَ اللَّهُ لَهُ بِهِ طَرِيقَ الْجَنَّةِ وَمَنْ أَبْطَأَ بِهِ عَمَلُهُ لَمْ يُسْرِعْ بِهِ نَسَبُهُ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 30 other versions

When he was sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and a Jew was also with him, a funeral passed by him. He (the Jew) asked (Him): Muhammad, does this funeral speak? The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Allah has more knowledge. The Jew said: It speaks. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Whatever the people of the…

اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ الْيَهُودِيُّ إِنَّهَا تَتَكَلَّمُ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا حَدَّثَكُمْ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ فَلاَ تُصَدِّقُوهُمْ وَلاَ تُكَذِّبُوهُمْ وَقُولُوا آمَنَّا…

Narrator: عمر بن معاذ الأنصاري + 1 other version

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered me (to learn the writing of the Jews), so I learnt for him the writing of the Jews. He said: I swear by Allah, I do not trust Jews in respect of writing for me. So I learnt it, and only a fortnight passed before I mastered it. I would write for him when he wrote…

إِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا آمَنُ يَهُودَ عَلَى كِتَابِي ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَتَعَلَّمْتُهُ فَلَمْ يَمُرَّ بِي إِلاَّ نِصْفُ شَهْرٍ حَتَّى حَذَقْتُهُ فَكُنْتُ أَكْتُبُ لَهُ إِذَا كَتَبَ وَأَقْرَأُ لَهُ إِذَا كُتِبَ إِلَيْهِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit

Write down; for by the One in Whose Hand my soul is, nothing comes out of it except the truth

I used to write down everything I heard from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) in order to memorize it. The Quraysh prohibited me, saying: "Do you write down everything that you hear from the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while…

اكْتُبْ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ مَا يَخْرُجُ مِنْهُ إِلاَّ حَقٌّ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr + 3 other versions Explained

Al-Muttalib ibn Abdullah ibn Hantab said: Zayd ibn Thabit entered upon Mu'awiyah and asked him about a tradition. He ordered a man to write it. Zayd said: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) ordered us not to write any of his traditions. So he erased it.

أَمَرَنَا أَنْ لاَ نَكْتُبَ شَيْئًا مِنْ حَدِيثِهِ فَمَحَاهُ ‏.‏

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit

"We used not to write anything but the Tasha-hud and the Qur'an."

مَا كُنَّا نَكْتُبُ غَيْرَ التَّشَهُّدِ وَالْقُرْآنِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri

When Mecca was conquered, the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) stood up. He (Abu Hurairah) then mentioned the sermon of the Holy Prophet (ﷺ). He said: A man of the Yemen, who was called Abu Shah, got up and said: Messenger of Allah! Write it for me. He said: Write it for Abu Shah.

لَمَّا فُتِحَتْ مَكَّةُ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرَ الْخُطْبَةَ خُطْبَةَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ فَقَامَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْيَمَنِ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو شَاهٍ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 1 other version

I asked Abu `Amr: What are they writing? He said: The sermon which he heard that day.

الْخُطْبَةَ الَّتِي سَمِعَهَا يَوْمَئِذٍ مِنْهُ ‏.‏

I asked al-Zubair : What prevents you from narrating traditions from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as his Companions narrate from him? He said: By Allah I was very close to him. But I heard him (ﷺ) say: He who lies about me deliberately will certainly come to his abode in Hell.

مَنْ كَذَبَ عَلَىَّ مُتَعَمِّدًا فَلْيَتَبَوَّأْ مَقْعَدَهُ مِنَ النَّارِ ‏"

Narrated by Az-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām + 2 other versions

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone interprets the Book of Allah in the light of his opinion even if he is right, he has erred.

مَنْ قَالَ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ بِرَأْيِهِ فَأَصَابَ فَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ ‏"

Narrated by Jundab ibn Abdullah

AbuSallam said on the authority of a man who served the Holy Prophet (ﷺ) that whenever he talked, he repeated it three times.

إِذَا حَدَّثَ حَدِيثًا أَعَادَهُ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ ‏.‏

Abu Hurairah sat beside the apartment of `A’ishah while she was praying. He then began to say: Listen, O lady of the apartment, saying it twice (in quick succession). When she finished her prayer, she said: Are you not surprised at him and the way he narrates traditions from the Apostle of the…

لَيُحَدِّثُ الْحَدِيثَ لَوْ شَاءَ الْعَادُّ أَنْ يُحْصِيَهُ أَحْصَاهُ ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

Are you not surprised at AbuHurayrah? He came and sat beside my apartment, and began to narrate traditions from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) making me hear them. I was saying supererogatory prayer. He got up (and went away) before I finished my prayer. Had I found him, I would have replied to him…

لَمْ يَكُنْ يَسْرُدُ الْحَدِيثَ مِثْلَ سَرْدِكُمْ ‏.‏

Narrated by Ā’ishah

The Holy Prophet (ﷺ) forbade the discussion of thorny questions.

نَهَى عَنِ الْغَلُوطَاتِ ‏.‏

Narrated by Mu‘āwiyah + 1 other version

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: If anyone is given a legal decision ignorantly, the sin rests on the one who gave it. Sulayman al-Mahri added in his version: If anyone advises his brother, knowing that guidance lies in another direction, he has deceived him. These are the wordings of Sulayman.

مَنْ أُفْتِيَ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ كَانَ إِثْمُهُ عَلَى مَنْ أَفْتَاهُ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 1 other version

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who is asked something he knows and conceals it will have a bridle of fire put on him on the Day of Resurrection.

مَنْ سُئِلَ عَنْ عِلْمٍ فَكَتَمَهُ أَلْجَمَهُ اللَّهُ بِلِجَامٍ مِنْ نَارٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 10 other versions

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: You hear (from me), and others will hear from you; and people will hear from them who heard from you.

تَسْمَعُونَ وَيُسْمَعُ مِنْكُمْ وَيُسْمَعُ مِمَّنْ سَمِعَ مِنْكُمْ ‏"

Narrated by Ibn ‘Abbās

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: May Allah brighten a man who hears a tradition from us, gets it by heart and passes it on to others. Many a bearer of knowledge conveys it to one who is more versed than he is; and many a bearer of knowledge is not versed in it.

نَضَّرَ اللَّهُ امْرَأً سَمِعَ مِنَّا حَدِيثًا فَحَفِظَهُ حَتَّى يُبَلِّغَهُ فَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ إِلَى مَنْ هُوَ أَفْقَهُ مِنْهُ وَرُبَّ حَامِلِ فِقْهٍ لَيْسَ بِفَقِيهٍ ‏"

Narrated by Zayd ibn Thābit + 4 other versions

I swear on Allah, it will be better for you that Allah should give guidance to one man through your agency than that you should acquire the red ones among the camels.

وَاللَّهِ لأَنْ يُهْدَى بِهُدَاكَ رَجْلٌ وَاحِدٌ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ حُمْرِ النَّعَمِ ‏"

Narrated by Sahl ibn Sa‘d

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: relate traditions from the children of Isra'il; there is no harm.

حَدِّثُوا عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَلاَ حَرَجَ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 2 other versions

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to relate to us traditions from the children of Isra'il till morning came; he would not get up except for obligatory prayer.

يُحَدِّثُنَا عَنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ حَتَّى يُصْبِحَ مَا يَقُومُ إِلاَّ إِلَى عُظْمِ صَلاَةٍ ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Amr + 1 other version

Whoever acquires knowledge that should be pursued for the sake of Allah Almighty for the sole purpose of securing worldly gains shall not smell the ‘Arf of Paradise on the Day of Judgment

"Whoever acquires knowledge that should be pursued for the sake of Allah Almighty for the sole purpose of securing worldly gains shall not smell the ‘Arf of Paradise on the Day of Judgment." i.e., its fragrance.

مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ عِلْمًا مِمَّا يُبْتَغَى بِهِ وَجْهُ اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لاَ يَتَعَلَّمُهُ إِلاَّ لِيُصِيبَ بِهِ عَرَضًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا لَمْ يَجِدْ عَرْفَ الْجَنَّةِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ‏"

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 5 other versions Explained

I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Only a ruler, or one put in charge, or one who is presumptuous, gives instructions.

لاَ يَقُصُّ إِلاَّ أَمِيرٌ أَوْ مَأْمُورٌ أَوْ مُخْتَالٌ ‏"

Narrated by Awf ibn Mālik + 5 other versions

I was sitting in the company of the poor members of the emigrants. Some of them were sitting together because of lack of clothing while a reader was reciting to us. All of a sudden the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came along and stood beside us. When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood, the reader stopped…

مَا كُنْتُمْ تَصْنَعُونَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ كَانَ قَارِئٌ لَنَا يَقْرَأُ عَلَيْنَا فَكُنَّا نَسْتَمِعُ إِلَى كِتَابِ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ الْحَمْدُ…

Narrated by Abu Sa‘īd al-Khudri + 1 other version

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: That I sit in the company of the people who remember Allah the Exalted from morning prayer till the sun rises is dearer to me than that I emancipate four slaves from the children of Isma`il, and that I sit with the people who remember Allah from afternoon prayer till the sun…

لأَنْ أَقْعُدَ مَعَ قَوْمٍ يَذْكُرُونَ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى مِنْ صَلاَةِ الْغَدَاةِ حَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ أَحَبُّ إِلَىَّ مِنْ أَنْ أُعْتِقَ أَرْبَعَةً مِنْ وَلَدِ إِسْمَاعِيلَ وَلأَنْ أَقْعُدَ مَعَ قَوْمٍ يَذْكُرُونَ…

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik + 1 other version

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to me: recite Surat al-Nisa’. I asked: Shall I recite to you what was sent down to you? He replied: I like to here it from someone else. So I recited (it) until I reached this verse “How then shall it be when We bring from every people a witness?”. Then I raised my…

اقْرَأْ عَلَىَّ سُورَةَ النِّسَاءِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ قُلْتُ أَقْرَأُ عَلَيْكَ وَعَلَيْكَ أُنْزِلَ قَالَ ‏"‏ إِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَسْمَعَهُ مِنْ غَيْرِي ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَرَأْتُ عَلَيْهِ حَتَّى إِذَا انْتَهَيْتُ إِلَى…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd + 18 other versions