Ibn Battah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā Vol. 2 p498. Note The supplication mentioned above is as follows in Arabic:
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Knowledge
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Topic
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Mu’āwiyah b. Qurrah reports that Abū Al-Dardā` used to say, “We ask Allāh for a lasting faith (īmān), true certainty and beneficial knowledge.” Mu’āwiyah b. Qurrah then said, “So this indicates that there is a type of faith that does not last, and a type of certainty that is not true, and a type of knowledge that is not beneficial.”
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:
It is reported that Abū Hurayrah – Allāh be pleased with him – said, “People say, ‘Abū Hurayrah reports so many [hadīth ],’ but if it were not for two verses in Allāh’s book, I would not narrate a single hadīth .” Then he recited, “Verily, those who hide what Allāh has sent down of the Book (Al-Baqarah: 174),” and “Verily, those who hide what We have sent down of clear explanation and guidance. (Al-Baqarah: 159)” He then said, “Our brothers, the Muhājirūn, used to be occupied with trading in the markets, and our brothers, the Ansār, would be occupied with dealing with their wealth and property, but Abū Hurayrah used to stay with Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – for his fill, and would be present when they were not.”
This wording has been reported by Al-Hāfidh Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm Vol.1 p464. Commenting on this narration, Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr states, “In this narration there are a number of meanings to understand, including: [1] The hadīth from Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – has the same ruling as the revealed Book of Allāh ‘azza wa jall. [2] Knowledge should be shown, spread and taught. [3] One should stick with the scholars. [4] One should be satisfied with the little he can get of worldly provision in order to pursue his desire for knowledge. [5] One should prefer knowledge over being occupied with worldly pursuits and income.
[1] The hadīth from Allāh’s Messenger – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – has the same ruling as the revealed Book of Allāh ‘azza wa jall. [2] Knowledge should be shown, spread and taught. [3] One should stick with the scholars. [4] One should be satisfied with the little he can get of worldly provision in order to pursue his desire for knowledge. [5] One should prefer knowledge over being occupied with worldly pursuits and income.
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.
It is reported that Hishām b. ‘Urwah said, reporting from his father, ‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr – Allāh have mercy on him , “He used to say to us when we were youths, ‘Why do you not seek knowledge? Even though [today] you are the youngsters, you are about to be the elders [in the future]. What is the use of being a shaykh when the shaykh is ignorant? Four years before the death of ‘Ā`ishah, I would say, if she died today, I would not feel regret about a single hadīth she had, for I had gathered them from her. I would hear that a Companion had a hadīth and would go to him. I might find that he was napping, so I would sit at his door and wait, and then ask him about it [later when he woke].’”
Al-Dhahabī, Siyar A’lām Al-Nubalā`, in his biography of ‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr. ‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr was the son of Al-Zubayr b. Al-‘Awām and Asmā bint Abī Bakr, and the nephew of Ā`ishah – Allāh be pleased with them all. He studied under her and was regarded as one of the senior scholars of his time. He is one of the famous Seven Jurists.
‘Urwah b. Al-Zubayr was the son of Al-Zubayr b. Al-‘Awām and Asmā bint Abī Bakr, and the nephew of Ā`ishah – Allāh be pleased with them all. He studied under her and was regarded as one of the senior scholars of his time. He is one of the famous Seven Jurists.
ʿAbdullāh b. Mas’ūd – Allāh be pleased with him – said, “Verily, Allāh looked inside the hearts of people and found the heart of Muhammad – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – to be the best of all hearts, and so He chose him for Himself and sent him with His message. Then Allāh looked inside the hearts of people after Muhammad – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him – and found the hearts of his Companions to be the best hearts; so He made them the ministers and representatives of His Prophet, fighting for his religion. Thus, what the Muslims regard as good is good with Allāh, and what they regard as evil is evil with Allāh. And the Companions unanimously chose to take Abū Bakr – Allāh be pleased with him – as the successor [to lead the Muslims after the Prophet].”
Reported by Ahmad, Al-Tayālisī and others, excluding the last sentence. Shaykh Al-Albānī graded its chain of transmission hasan. The narration is reported with the last sentence by Al-Hākim, who said its chain of transmission is sahīh. Al-Dhahabī agrees, while Al-Hāfidh Al-Sakhāwī said, “It is mawqūf (reported as a statement of a Companion), hasan.” See Al-Albānī, Al-Da’īfah Vol. 2 pp17-19. Notes This narration emphasizes the significance of the understanding and consensus of the Companions, Allāh be pleased with them all. It highlights their superiority and authority as the ministers of Allāh’s Messenger, Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him. After his analysis of this narration’s veracity, Shaykh Al-Albānī discusses its correct interpretation in the following points: “It is amazing how some people argue for the existence of good innovations in the religion based upon this hadīth, and that the proof that these innovations are good is that the Muslims have taken them as a norm! It has become routine for them to argue on the basis of this hadīth when this issue is brought up. However, they miss the following points…” These are summarized below: [1] This narration is mawqūf (a reported statement of a Companion, or someone other than the Prophet.) It therefore cannot be used as an argument to contradict unequivocal textual evidence that states “every bid’ah is misguidance,” as is authentically reported from the Prophet – Allāh’s peace and blessings be upon him. [2] Even if it is supposed that this narration qualifies as a proof [on a par with the aforementioned texts], it does not in fact contradict those texts, for a number of reasons: [a] The intended meaning is the consensus and agreement of the Companions over a matter. This is proven by the context, and is supported by Ibn Mas’ūd’s line of reasoning about the Companions’ consensus over selecting Abū Bakr as the Caliph. Therefore, “the Muslims” does not refer to all Muslims in all places and times; but instead to the Muslims of that time. [b] If we suppose that “the Muslims” refers to Muslims in general, it definitely does not refer to every single Muslim – even the ignorant one who understands nothing about knowledge. Therefore, the statement must be interpreted to mean the knowledgeable (scholars) amongst the Muslims. That being the case, who are these scholars? Are the blind-followers (al-muqallidūn) who have closed on themselves the door to understanding the religion from Allāh and His Messenger included amongst them? Are they those who claim the door to ijtihād has been locked? For sure they are not included, and here is why: Al-Hāfidh Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr states in Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm Vol. 2 p36, 37, “The definition of knowledge according to the scholars is whatever a person is clear and sure about. Anyone who is certain and clear about something knows it. Therefore, whoever is not certain about something but says it blindly following someone else, does not know it. Blind following is – according to the scholars – different from following (al-ittibā’). Because following is to follow a person based on what has become clear to you of the correctness of his position, whereas blind-following is to say what he says while not understanding it or its reasoning.” So when it comes to following the Sunnah, many of these blind-followers claim they are not qualified to go against the opinions in their schools of thought because – by their own admission – they are muqallidah, but when it comes to arguing for and supporting innovations in religion, they become mujtahidūn, interpreting and misinterpreting to justify the bid’ah that many laypeople practice! And Allāh knows best.
And Allāh knows best.
It is reported that Sufyān b. ‘Uyainah – Allāh have mercy on him – said, “The intelligent person is not one who merely knows what is good and what is bad. The intelligent person is one who, when he sees what is good, follows it, and when he sees evil, shuns it.”
Abū Nu’aym, Hilyah Al-Awliyā`, Vol. 4 p16.
It is reported that Al-Sha’bī said, “The only people who used to seek this knowledge were those who combined two characteristics: intelligence and devout worship. If a person was intelligent but not devout, it would be said that only the worshippers can attain this [knowledge], and so he would not try to seek it. And if a person was devout, but not intelligent, it would be said that only the intelligent can attain this [knowledge], and so he would not try to seek it.” Al-Sha’bī continued, “And I fear that today, people who are neither intelligent nor devout try to seek it.”
Ibn Ḥibbān Al-Bustī, Rawḍatu Al-‘Uqalā` wa Nuzhatu Al-Fuḍalā` Vol.1 p9.
Follow the narrations [ways] of those who have preceded (the Salaf) even if people reject you; and beware of people’s opinions, even if they beautify them for you.
Al-Ājurrī, Kitāb Al-Sharīʿah 1:138; Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmiʿ Bayān Al-ʿIlm wa Faḍlihi 3:373.
Ma’an b. ‘Īsā reports that Imām Mālik said, “I am but a man. I make mistakes sometimes and I am correct sometimes, so examine my opinions and accept anything that agrees with the Book and Sunnah; and leave anything that does not agree with the Book and Sunnah.”
Ibn ʿAbd Al-Barr, Jāmi’ Bayān Al-‘Ilm wa Faḍlihi Vol.2 p465.
I heard Rabīʿah b. ʿAbd Al-Raḥmān say, “The people under the care of their scholars are like children in the laps of their fathers.” Ibn Baṭṭah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā ḥadīth 40.
Ibn Baṭṭah, Al-Ibānah Al-Kubrā ḥadīth 40.