Gems: Knowledge

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

Abu Zur’ah ar-Raazee (died 264A.H.)

"I have in my house (something) I wrote 50 years (ago) and have not read it since I (first) wrote it. Certainly, I know which book it is in, (and) which page it is on (and) which line it is on."​

al-Hifth – Ahammiyyatuhu, ‘Ajaa.ibuhu, Tareeqatuhu, Asbaabuhu – Page 32
Taareekh Baghdaad - Volume 10, Page 332

"My ears have never heard anything of knowledge except that it has rested upon my heart (i.e. I have memorised it).

Whilst I would walk through the market of Baghdad, I could hear the sound of female singers from the rooms, so I would put my fingers in my ears (to block out the sound) out of fear that it may rest upon my heart (i.e. I may end up memorising the words)."​

al-Hifth – Ahammiyyatuhu, ‘Ajaa.ibuhu, Tareeqatuhu, Asbaabuhu – Page 19
Taareekh Baghdaad – Volume 15, Page 333

 

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

Shaykh Ibn 'Uthaymeen

"If we carefully consider that which many of the du'aat are upon today, we find some of them are overcome by enthusiasm and as a result cause offence, such that the people have an aversion to their invitation (da'wah).

If they find someone doing something which is haraam, they make such a big thing of it and forcefully say: Don't you fear Allaah? or something similar to this, such that the person has an aversion to them, and this is not good because this is dealing with the issue in completely the opposite manner to that which is correct."​

Kitaabul-'Ilm

"That he who has knowledge does not become tired in protecting it.

This is because, if Allaah bestows knowledge upon you, then its place is in the heart and there is no need for containers or keys or the like.

It is protected in the heart and soul, and in time itself it is a protector for you, because it protects you from danger, with Allaah’s permission.

So knowledge protects you, whilst with property, you protect it by placing it in locked up containers, and despite all this, you still remain insecure about it."​

Kitaabul-'Ilm

"There is no comparison between one who has knowledge and one who does not, just as there is no comparison between the living and the dead, and one who hears and one who is deaf, and one who can see and one who is blind.

Knowledge is light with which one is guided, and with it removes one from the darkness (of ignorance) to the light (of knowledge, i.e. Islaam).

With knowledge, Allaah raises the ranks of whom He wishes from His creation:

{Allaah will exalt in degree those of you who believe, and those who have been granted knowledge}, [Soorah al-Mujaadalah, Aayah 11]."​

Kitaabul-'Ilm

"There is no doubt, the more a person increases in knowledge, naturally he increases in learning and differentiating the truth from the falsehood, and the harmful from the beneficial, and like this he reaches a level whereby Allaah bestows understanding upon him.

This is because taqwa is a means for strengthening understanding, and strong understanding assists in increasing knowledge.

So you see two men memorising an aayah from the Book of Allaah, one of them can extract from it three rulings, whilst the other is able to extract more than this, according to that which Allaah has blessed him with in understanding."​

Kitaabul-'Ilm

"So the expiation (of sins) is by good actions.

And this means that if a person fears Allaah (has taqwa), Allaah will make it easy for him to do good actions with which he can make expiation (for the sins)."​

Kitaabul-'Ilm

 

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

ash-Shaafi’ee

al-Buwaytee said:

"I heard ash-Shaafi’ee say: Adhere to the people of hadeeth, for certainly they are the most correct people."​

Siyar A'laam an-Nubalaa. - Volume 10, Page 70

"Knowledge is that which benefits, not that which is memorised."​

Siyar A'laam an-Nubalaa. - Volume 10, Page 89

 

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

Ibn Hazam al-Andalusee

"A man who is a miser with his knowledge is worse than a man who is a miser with his money, for the money-miser is afraid of using up what he possesses but the knowledge-miser is being mean with something which does not get used up and is not lost when it is given away."​

al-Akhlaaq was-Siyar - Ibn Hazam al-Andalusee

"The most noble branches of knowledge are those which bring you close to the Creator and help you to be pleasing to Him."​

al-Akhlaaq was-Siyar - Ibn Hazam al-Andalusee

"When you compare yourself with others in matters of wealth, position, and health, you should look at people less favoured than yourself. When you compare yourself with others in matters of religion, knowledge and virtue, look at people who are better than yourself."​

al-Akhlaaq was-Siyar - Ibn Hazam al-Andalusee

"Anyone who spends his time studying something inferior, abandoning higher studies of which he is capable, is like someone who sows corn in a field capable of growing wheat, or who plants bushes in a soil which could support palm trees and olives."​

al-Akhlaaq was-Siyar - Ibn Hazam al-Andalusee

 

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

ash-Sha'bee

"For 20 years, I have not heard a man narrate hadeeth except that I know more about it than him; (however) I had forgotten some knowledge (the extent of which) if a man was to memorise that (which I had forgotten) he would be an 'aalim."​

Siyar A'laam an-Nubalaa. - Volume 4, Page 301

"For 20 years I have not heard from any man who narrates hadeeth except that I know more about it than him."​

al-Hifth – Ahammiyyatuhu, ‘Ajaa.ibuhu, Tareeqatuhu, Asbaabuhu – Page 46
Tathkiratul-Huffaath – Volume 1, Page 88

 

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

‘Abdullaah ibn Mas’ood

"Certainly, I consider/regard a man who has forgotten knowledge which he used to know/possess to be the result of the sins he used to do."​

al-Hifth – Ahammiyyatuhu, ‘Ajaa.ibuhu, Tareeqatuhu, Asbaabuhu – Page 67

 

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

al-Haafith Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalaanee

"I drank some (Zam Zam water) once, whilst I was (just) beginning my studies in hadeeth, and asked Allaah to bless me with the level/calibre of ath-Thahabee in memorising hadeeth. I then performed hajj after a period of about 20 years, and found myself to have exceeded that level/calibre. So I asked Allaah for more than that, and I hope that Allaah will grant me that."​

al-Hifth – Ahammiyyatuhu, ‘Ajaa.ibuhu, Tareeqatuhu, Asbaabuhu – Page 65
Juz. fee Hadeeth ((maa.u Zam-Zam limaa shuriba lahu)) libni Hajar – Page 37

 

[MinAhlilHadeeth]

al-Imaam al-Haakim

...said about his Shaykh, al-Haafidth Abee 'Alee an-Neesaabooree (rahima-hullaah):

"I do not say this as a dedicated fanatic since he was my teacher, but I simply never saw anything comparable to him."​

as-Seer - Volume 16, Page 54

"Twice I travelled to (visit) at-Toosee in Toos, and I asked him when he would be free from compiling these many fataawa? So he said: I have divided the night into three (parts): A third in which I compile (fataawa), a third in which I sleep, and a third in which I read the Qur.aan."​

Siyar A'laam an-Nubalaa. - Volume 15, Page 491