Mishkat al-Masabih

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

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

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

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

Anas b. Malik said that God’s messenger asked, “Do you know who is most generous?" On receiving the reply that God and His messenger knew best, he said, “God is the most generous, then I am the most generous of mankind, and the most generous of them after me will be 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 also reported the Prophet as saying, “Two greedy ones never attain satisfaction: he who is greedy for knowledge can never get enough of it, and he who is greedy for worldly goods can never get enough of them." Baihaqi transmitted the three traditions in Shu'ab al-iman, and quoted the imam Ahmad as saying about Abu Darda''s tradition, “This is a well-known text among the people, but it does not have a sound isnad."

‘Aun reported Ibn Mas'ud as saying, “Two greedy ones never attain satisfaction, the learned man and the worldly man, but they are not equal. The learned man becomes more pleasing to the Compassionate One, but the worldly man perseveres in transgression." Then ‘Abdallah recited, “Nay, but man transgresses in considering that he is self-sufficient. "* He added, “The other is preferable, for ‘only those of His servants who are learned fear God.’ " Darimi transmitted it. *Qur’an, xcvi, 6 f.

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

‘Abdallah b. Mas'ud said: If the learned were to guard learning and entrust it to those who are worthy of it, they would thereby, rule their contemporaries. But they have bestowed it on worldly people to get thereby some of their worldly goods, and have been despised by them. I heard your Prophet say, "If anyone makes the care of his eternal welfare the sum total of his cares God will protect him from worldly 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 he perishes.” Ibn Majah transmitted it, and Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu'ab al-iman from Ibn ‘Umar beginning with "If anyone makes the care.”

Al-A‘mash reported God’s messenger as saying, "The calamity which affects knowledge is forgetfulness, and wasting it is to convey it to those who are unworthy of it.” Darimi transmitted it in mursal form.

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

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

Abu Darda’ said that the one who would have the worst position in God’s sight on the day of resurrection would be a learned man who did not profit from his learning.” Darimi transmitted it.

Ziyad b. Hudair said that ‘Umar asked him whether he knew what demolishes Islam, and that when he replied that he did not, he said, "The slip of a learned man, the disputation of a hypocrite about the Book, and the rule of imams who lead men astray.” Darimi transmitted it.

Al-Hasan said that knowledge is of two kinds: knowledge in the heart, which is the beneficial type; and knowledge on the tongue, which is God’s allegation against a human being.” Darimi transmitted it.

Abu Huraira said, "I have kept in my memory two large quantities* of learning from God’s messenger, one of which I have disclosed among you; but were I to disclose the other, this bul'um, meaning the food tract, would be cut". Bukhari transmitted it. *Lit. receptacles, or vessels.

‘Abdallah said: If any of you people knows anything he should make it known, but if anyone does not know he should say that God knows 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 reward for it, and I am not a pretender.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.) *Qur’an, xxxviii, 86.

Ibn Sirin said, “This knowledge is a religion, so consider from whom you receive your religion.” Muslim transmitted it.

Hudhaifa said, “ If you Qur'an readers follow a straight course you will have attained great precedence; but if you go right and left you will have fallen into vast error.” Bukhari transmitted it.

Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “Seek refuge in God from the pit of sorrow.” On being asked what the pit of sorrow was, he replied, “ It is a wadi in jahannam from which jahannam seeks refuge four hundred times every day.” When God’s messenger was asked who would enter it, he replied, “The Qur’an readers who are ostentatious in what they do.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, and Ibn Majah has the same, adding in it, “Among the Qur’an readers who are most hateful to God are those who visit princes.” Al-Muharibi said that he meant tyrants.