Hadiths on the Importance of Seeking Knowledge
The following are some hadiths emphasizing the significance of seeking knowledge:
- Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Indeed, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the servants, but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars. Until when there remains no scholar, the people will take ignorant leaders, and they will be asked, and they will issue rulings without knowledge; thus, they will go astray and mislead others.”
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “When a person dies, his deeds come to an end except for three: charity that continues, knowledge that is beneficial, or a righteous child who supplicates for him.”
- Anas ibn Malik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim, and indeed, the seeker of knowledge is forgiven by all things, even the fish in the sea.”
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The world is cursed, and everything in it is cursed, except for the remembrance of Allah and what is allied, and a scholar or a student.”
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever follows a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise.”
Hadiths on the Virtue of Knowledge and Its People
Below are hadiths that highlight the virtues of knowledge and its scholars:
- According to Ibn Shuhab, Hamid ibn Abdul-Rahman said: I heard Muawiya (may Allah be pleased with him) addressing a gathering, saying: I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: “Whoever Allah intends good for, He grants him understanding of the religion. I am just a distributor, and Allah is the Giver. This Ummah will continue to remain on the right path until the Hour comes, or until the Command of Allah comes.”
- Uthman ibn Affan (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The best among you are those who learn the Qur’an and teach it.”
- Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that two men were mentioned to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him): one was a worshipper, and the other was a scholar. He said: “The scholar is superior to the worshipper like my superiority over the most inferior among you.” Then he said: “Indeed, Allah, His angels, and the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, even the ant in its hole and the fish, pray for the one who teaches people good.”
- Abu Sa’id Al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “You will shortly come across people seeking knowledge. So when you see them, say to them: ‘Welcome, welcome to the advice of the Messenger of Allah,’ and teach them.” I asked Al-Hakam: What do you mean by ‘teach them’? He replied: “Instruct them.”
- Qais ibn Kathir narrated that a man came from Medina to Abu al-Darda (may Allah be pleased with him) while he was in Damascus. The man said: “What brought you here, my brother?” He replied: “A hadith that I heard you narrate from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him).” Abu al-Darda asked: “Did you come for other needs?” The man replied: “No.” Abu al-Darda further asked: “Did you come for trade?” The man answered: “No.” Abu al-Darda then said: “So you came solely in pursuit of this hadith? I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: ‘Whoever follows a path in search of knowledge, Allah will make easy for him a path to Paradise. The angels lower their wings in contentment for the seeker of knowledge, and the scholar is sought forgiveness by those in the heavens and on earth, including the fish in the depths of the sea. The superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like that of the moon on the night of its fullness over all other stars. And scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, for the Prophets do not leave behind dinars or dirhams; they leave behind knowledge, and whoever takes it has taken a great portion.’
Hadiths on Concealing Knowledge
Islam warns against concealing knowledge, and the following hadiths highlight the dangers of doing so:
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: “People say that I narrate a lot from Abu Hurairah, and if it were not for two verses in the Book of Allah, I would not have narrated a single hadith. Then he recited: ‘Indeed, those who conceal what We have revealed of clear proofs and guidance after We have made it clear for the people in the scripture, they are cursed by Allah and the cursers.’ Except for those who repent, mend their ways, and make clear, for them I will accept their repentance, and I am the Most Merciful of the merciful.”
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever is asked about knowledge and conceals it, Allah will place a bridle of fire on him on the Day of Resurrection.”
- Abu Barzah Al-Aslami (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “No servant’s feet will move on the Day of Judgment until he is questioned about his life, how he spent it; about his knowledge, what he did with it; about his wealth, where he acquired it and where he spent it; and about his body, how he utilized it.”
Hadiths on Spreading Knowledge
Islam encourages the dissemination of knowledge, and numerous hadiths urge this practice, including:
- Abu Musa Al-Ashari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “The example of what Allah has sent me with of guidance and knowledge is like that of abundant rain that fell on the earth. Some of it was fertile soil that accepted the water and grew abundant vegetation. Some of it was hard land that retained the water and benefited the people there, allowing them to drink, irrigate, and plant. And some of it was barren land that could neither retain water nor grow vegetation. Such is the example of one who gains understanding in the religion of Allah, who benefits from what Allah has sent me with, learns, and teaches it, and the one who does not raise his head to accept the guidance of Allah that I have been sent with.”
- Abdullah ibn Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “There is no envy except in two cases: A man whom Allah has given wealth, and he spends it righteously; and a man whom Allah has given wisdom, and he judges by it and teaches it.”
- Abdullah ibn Amr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “Convey from me, even if it is just an ayah (verse). And narrate stories from the Children of Israel, and there is no harm. And whoever lies about me intentionally, let him take his place in Hell.”
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever calls to guidance will have a reward similar to the rewards of those who follow him, without diminishing their rewards at all. And whoever calls to misguidance will have a burden of sins like the sins of those who follow him, without diminishing their burdens at all.”
- Muhammad ibn Jubayr ibn Mut’im reported from his father (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood at Al-Khayf in Mina and said: “May Allah brighten the face of a man who hears my words and conveys them, for perhaps a person with understanding may receive it from someone less knowledgeable than himself.”
- Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “Whoever comes to this mosque of mine does not come but for good to learn or to teach, he is like the one who struggles in the cause of Allah. And whoever comes for other reasons is like one who looks at the possessions of others.”
- Abu Kabshah Al-Anmari (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “The worldly life is for four types of people: A servant whom Allah has granted wealth and knowledge, and he fears Allah with it, maintains family ties, and recognizes the rights of Allah therein; he is in the best ranks. A servant whom Allah has granted knowledge but not wealth, and he has sincere intentions saying: ‘If only I had wealth, I would act like so-and-so’; their rewards are equal. A servant whom Allah has granted wealth but not knowledge; he spends his wealth heedlessly and does not fear Allah with it or maintain family ties, nor does he fulfill the rights of Allah; he is in the most wretched rank. A servant whom Allah has not granted wealth or knowledge and says: ‘If only I had wealth, I would act like so-and-so’; their sins are equal.”