Forty Hadith on the excellence of knowledge

[Islam lays great emphasis on seeking knowledge.  On the occasion of World Literacy Day, we present 40 Hadith on the excellence of seeking knowledge which were related by Shaykh Ul Islam Imam Muhammad Anwaarullah Farooqui (May Allah sanctify his secret), the founder of Jamia Nizamia]

 

 

1.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Knowledge is superior to worship.

 

2.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Knowledge is the life breath of Islam and the pillar of religion.

 

3.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Umme Haani (May Allah be well pleased with her) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Knowledge is my inheritance and the inheritance of the Prophets who came before me.

 

4.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Salman (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Sleeping, armed with knowledge, is better than that Salaat which is offered with ignorance.

 

5.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Wathila (May Allah be well pleased with him) that worship without Fiqh (i.e. understanding of religion) is as if a donkey has been bound to a grindstone.

 

6.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The heart which is without wisdom is like a deserted house.  Thus, learn and teach, and develop understanding and do not die in ignorance as Allah Most High does not accept the excuse of ignorance.

 

7.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Prophet Sulaiman (May peace be upon him) was given the choice that he could take either kingdom, kingship and wealth or knowledge.  He took knowledge, because of which he was given kingdom and wealth as well.

 

8.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar(May Allah be well pleased with them) that everything has a way and the way to paradise is knowledge.

 

9.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Ayyub (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: One Shariah ruling that the Muslims learn is better than worship of 1 year and better than freeing a slave who is of the progeny of Hadhrat Ismail (May peace be upon him).  A seeker of knowledge, a woman who obeys her husband, a boy who obeys his parents, all of them will enter paradise along with the Prophets (May peace be upon them) without any questioning.

 

10.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Hussain bin ‘Ali and Hadhrat Anas and Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas and others (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Seeking knowledge is Obligatory (Fardh) on every Muslim.

 

11.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abudharr and Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: When the death of a seeker of knowledge comes and he (or she) is busy in seeking knowledge at that time, then that person dies as a martyr.

 

12.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Sukhairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Seeking knowledge is the expiation of past sins.

 

13.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever seeks knowledge is in the path of Allah Most High until he (or she) returns.

 

14.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the angels spread their wings beneath the feet of the seeker of knowledge because of their approval of what he (or she) seeks.

 

15.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar(May Allah be well pleased with them) that when a Muslim learns one chapter of knowledge, which he (or she) may or may not act upon, simply that learning is better than offering 1000 Raka’at of Supererogatory (Nafl) Salaat.

 

16.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: With Allah Most High, a seeker of knowledge is superior to the one who performs Jihad in the path of Allah Most High.

 

17.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Aisha (May Allah be well pleased with her) that whoever desires to journey for seeking knowledge, then even before he (or she) takes the first step, the moment he (or she) wears a shoe (i.e. prepares for the journey), that person is pardoned.

 

18.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever dies while seeking knowledge, Allah Most High will meet that person in such a manner that there will be no difference between this person and the Prophets (May peace be upon them), excepting that of Prophethood (Nubuwwah).

 

19.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Hassaan (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: A seeker of knowledge among the ignorant is like a living person among the dead.

 

20.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Ma’adh (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: A scholar is Allah’s representative on earth.

 

21.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The scholars are the lamps of the earth and they are the caliphs of the Prophets (May peace be upon them) and are my heirs and the heirs of other Prophets.

 

22.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The scholars are the heirs of the Prophets (May peace be upon them), whom those of the spiritual realms befriend and when they die, till the Day of Judgment, the fish of the oceans pray for their forgiveness.

 

23.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: When a worshipper and a scholar meet on the bridge (Sirat which everyone has to cross) on the Day of Judgment, then the worshipper will be told: Enter paradise and because of worship, enjoy paradise.  The scholar will be told: Wait here! Whomever you love, intercede for them.  For whomever you intercede, that intercession will be accepted.  Thus, the scholar will stand where the Prophets (May peace be upon them) stand.

 

24.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas and Hadhrat ‘Imran and Hadhrat Abu Darda and Hadhrat Noman (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: On the Day of Judgment, the ink used by the scholars and the blood of the martyrs will be weighed and the ink of the scholars will be of more value than the blood of martyrs.

 

25.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Ali (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: A scholar from whom others benefit is better than 1000 worshippers.

 

26.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Anas (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Everything prays for the forgiveness of the scholar, even the fish of the seas.

 

27.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Umama (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The superiority of a scholar over a worshipper is like my superiority over any layperson from among you.  Indeed! Allah Most High and His angels and those in the skies and the earth, even the ant in its hole and the fish, pray for those who teach good things to others.

 

28.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Wathila (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Nothing is more effective in breaking the back of Satan than the birth of a scholar in a community.

 

29.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Abbas (May Allah be well pleased with them) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Being in the company of scholars is worship.

 

30.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Jabir (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Respect the scholars! They are the heirs of the Prophets.  Whoever respects them respects Allah Most High and His Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam).

 

31.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Jabir (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The leaning of a scholar in his (or her) own bed and thinking over (a point of) knowledge for a short period of time is better than 70 years of worship of a non-scholar.

 

32.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abdur Rahman bin Auf (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: The scholar is 70 degrees superior to a worshipper and each degree is of the distance between the earth and the sky.

 

33.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Ibn Hakeem that whoever welcomes scholars welcomes me and whoever meets scholars meets me and whoever remains in the company of the scholars, remains in my company and whoever remains in my company, it is as if that person remains in the company of my Lord.

 

34.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Ma’adh (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever teaches knowledge will get the reward of the person who puts it into practice and the reward of the person who puts it into practice will not be lessened in any way.

 

35.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Sa’eed (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Whoever teaches somebody a verse of the Holy Quran or any chapter of knowledge, then Allah Most High will keep increasing its reward till the Day of Judgment.

 

36.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Samurah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: No charity is better than spreading knowledge.

 

37.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Bakr Siddiq (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: You become a scholar or seeker of knowledge or the one who listens to it or its friend.  Don’t become any fifth type for you will be destroyed.

 

38.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat ‘Abdullah bin ‘Umar (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Knowledge is religion and Salaat is also religion.  You see from what kind of person you learn this religion and how you offer this Salaat, as on the Day of Judgment, you will be questioned about this.

 

39.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Those people from my Ummah are better who are scholars and among the scholars, those people are better who are merciful.  Allah Most High forgives 40 sins of a scholar before He forgives even 1 sin of an ignorant.  A merciful scholar will be come with such grandeur on the Day of Judgment that radiance will be all around him like a star and he will cover the path in that radiance.

 

40.  It is narrated on the authority of Hadhrat Abu Hurairah (May Allah be well pleased with him) that the Holy Prophet (Sallallahu alaihi wa sallam) said: Excepting in seeking knowledge, jealousy and adulation should not be done in anything.

 

[From Maqaasid Ul Islam, 4th volume, Pg. No. 28-43]