Name

Abū Al-Dardāʾ

Noble Companion of the Prophet ﷺ and one of the great scholars and reciters of the Qurān amongst them. He is one of the Companions who read the Qurān and memorized it under the auspices of the Prophet ﷺ. He taught the Qurān in Damascus. He was known for his knowledge and piety. He died in 32H. Allāh be pleased with him.

12sayings

Knowledge 6 Dunyā 4 Bidʿah 3 Advice 2 Character 2

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Author

Sayings attributed to this name.

Knowledge only comes from learning, and forbearance comes from trying to be forbearing, and whoever seeks what is good will be given it, and whoever avoids evil will be protected from it.

Abū Khaythumah, Kitāb Al-ʿIlm (Albānī edition) ḥadīth 114. Al-Albānī grades its chain of transmission ṣaḥīḥ, and states it has been reported from the Prophet ﷺ. See Al-Ṣaḥīḥah 342.

Character Guidance Knowledge Patience

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When you adorn your copies of the Qurān and embellish your mosques, destruction will be upon you.

Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqāʾiq, article 746. Shaykh Al-Albānī stated that the chain of transmission of this narration consists of reliable reporters, except he did not know if the reporter Bakr b. Suwādah had heard directly from Abū Al-Dardāʾ. The narration corroborates a similar ḥadīth reported from the Prophet ﷺ himself. See Al-Ṣaḥīḥah ḥadīth 1351.

Bidʿah Fitnah Mosque Qurān

There is no good in this life except for one of two men: a man listening carefully, receiving and holding [knowledge]; or someone knowledgeable speaking.

Ibn Ḥibbān, Rawḍatu Al-ʿUqalāʾ 1:42.

Dunyā Guidance Humility Knowledge

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I entered upon Abū Al-Dardāʾ – Allāh be pleased with him – at his home in Ḥims and found him standing in prayer at his place of prayer. When he sat for tashahhud he started to seek protection with Allāh from al-nifāq (hypocrisy). So when he had finished praying, I said “May Allāh forgive you o Abū Al-Dardāʾ, what have you got to do with nifāq?” He said, “O Allāh forgive!”, three times, and replied, “Who can feel secure from trial, who can feel secure from trial? By Allāh, a man can be tested with fitnah in a single hour and turn away from his religion.”

Al-Bayhaqī, Shuʿab Al-Īmān 1:857.

Character Fear Fitnah Hypocrisy

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Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmiʿ Bayān Al-ʿIlm wa Faḍlihī article 1239.

Good Deeds Knowledge Taqwā

Be a scholar or a learner, or a person who loves [the scholars] or a follower [of the scholars], but do not be the fifth. Ḥumayd (one of the reporters) asked Al-Ḥasan (Al-Baṣri, who reported this from Abū Al-Dardā`), “And who is the fifth?” He replied, “A heretic (mubtadi’, religious innovator}.” Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm 1:142.

Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm 1:142.

Bidʿah Knowledge Love

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Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā Vol. 2 p498. Note The supplication mentioned above is as follows in Arabic:

The supplication mentioned above is as follows in Arabic:

Īman Knowledge Supplication

Abū Al-Dardāʾ

Food for Thought, not for Stomachs

It is reported that Abū Al-Dardā` – Allāh be pleased with him – used to say, “Learn knowledge before it is taken way, and it is taken away by its people (scholars) being taken away. The scholar and the student are partners in good and there is no good in any other people. The richest of men is the knowledgeable man whose knowledge is needed: he benefits those who need him and if done without, he benefits himself with the knowledge Allāh ‘azza wa jalla has placed with him. So how is it I see your scholars dying yet the ignorant amongst you not learning? I fear that the predecessor will depart and the successor will not learn. If the scholar studies, he only increases in knowledge, and he does not take anything away from knowledge. And if the ignorant studies, he will find knowledge firm and established. So how is it that I see you full up with food, yet starved of knowledge?”

Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Fadlihi Vol. 2 p233.

Advice Knowledge

Those that make me laugh are a person who puts his hopes in this worldly life while death pursues him, a person who is heedless [of his Lord] while [his Lord] is not heedless of him, and a person who always laughs while he does not know whether he has pleased Allāh or angered Him. What makes me cry is being separated from my beloved: Muhammad and his party (the Companions), the horrors of the time of death, and standing in front of Allāh ‘azza wa jall on the Day when the secrets will be revealed and I do not know will I then go to Paradise or Hell?” Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq article 250.

Ibn Al-Mubārak, Al-Zuhd wa Al-Raqā`iq article 250.

Death Dunyā Fear Paradise Remembrance of Allāh The Fire The Hereafter

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One day, Abû Al-Dardâ` came home angry, so I asked him, “What has made you so angry?” He replied, “By Allâh, I do not recognize anything from the Ummah of Muhammad except that they pray (salâh) in congregation.” Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on the Virtue of Praying Al-Fajr in Congregation. We learn from this narration: · Prayer (salâh) in congregation is from the characteristics of the Ummah of Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him. · The noble Companion Abû Al-Dardâ` was conveying the idea that deficiency and negative changes had begun to creep in to the practices of the Muslims, and he wanted to point out this evil so that people could be aware and try to keep to the original teachings. Al-Hâfidh Ibn Hajr states, “Abû Al-Dardâ` intended to point out that all the deeds of those mentioned had suffered some degree of deficiency and change, except praying in congregation. This [change] is relative, for the condition of the people during the time of the Prophet was better compared to how it changed after that time; and during the time of the Two Shaykhs (Abû Bakr and ‘Umar) it was better compared to how it was after them. It is as if this concern came from Abû Al-Dardâ` towards the end of his life – during the latter part of ‘Uthmân’s Caliphate. And just imagine, if that virtuous generation was described by Abû Al-Dardâ` as it was, then what about those who came after them up to our own time?!” · This narration shows us that we should be angry if some aspect of the religion is changed, and that renouncing evil can be done by showing one’s anger if one is not able to do any more than that. Taken from Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Rajab and Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Hajr; both of which are commentaries on Sahîh Al-Bukhârî.

Taken from Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Rajab and Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Hajr; both of which are commentaries on Sahîh Al-Bukhârî.

Bidʿah Prayer Sunnah

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One day, Abû Al-Dardâ` came home angry, so I asked him, “What has made you so angry?” He replied, “By Allâh, I do not recognize anything from the Ummah of Muhammad except that they pray (salâh) in congregation.” Al-Bukhârî, Al-Sahîh, Chapter on the Virtue of Praying Al-Fajr in Congregation. We learn from this narration: · Prayer (salâh) in congregation is from the characteristics of the Ummah of Allâh’s Messenger – Allâh’s peace and blessings be upon him. · The noble Companion Abû Al-Dardâ` was conveying the idea that deficiency and negative changes had begun to creep in to the practices of the Muslims, and he wanted to point out this evil so that people could be aware and try to keep to the original teachings. Al-Hâfidh Ibn Hajr states, “Abû Al-Dardâ` intended to point out that all the deeds of those mentioned had suffered some degree of deficiency and change, except praying in congregation. This [change] is relative, for the condition of the people during the time of the Prophet was better compared to how it changed after that time; and during the time of the Two Shaykhs (Abû Bakr and ‘Umar) it was better compared to how it was after them. It is as if this concern came from Abû Al-Dardâ` towards the end of his life – during the latter part of ‘Uthmân’s Caliphate. And just imagine, if that virtuous generation was described by Abû Al-Dardâ` as it was, then what about those who came after them up to our own time?!” · This narration shows us that we should be angry if some aspect of the religion is changed, and that renouncing evil can be done by showing one’s anger if one is not able to do any more than that. Taken from Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Rajab and Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Hajr; both of which are commentaries on Sahîh Al-Bukhârî.

Taken from Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Rajab and Fath Al-Bârî of Ibn Hajr; both of which are commentaries on Sahîh Al-Bukhârî.

Bidʿah Prayer Sunnah

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