Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
Qurʾān Bukhārī Muslim Nasāʾī Abū Dāwūd Tirmidhī Ibn Mājah Mālik Aḥmad Dārimī Ḥākim Ibn Ḥibbān Ṭabarānī Nasāʾī's Kubrá Bayhaqī al-Luʾluʾ wa-al-Marjān Ibn Rajab's Fifty Riyāḍ al-Ṣāliḥīn Aḥmad's Zuhd Suyūṭī
bayhaqi:20352 – [Chain 1] Abū Muḥammad ʿAbdullāh b. Yūsuf al-Aṣbahānī Imlāʾ > Abū Saʿīd Aḥmad b. Muḥammad b. Ziyād al-Baṣrī Bimakkah [Chain 2] Abū ʿAbdullāh Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū al-ʿAbbās Muḥammad b. Yaʿqūb > al-Ḥasan b. ʿAlī b. ʿAffān al-ʿĀmirī > Abū Usāmah > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people, but He takes away knowledge by causing the death of scholars until, when there remains no scholar, people take ignorant leaders who, when consulted, give rulings without knowledge, thus they go astray and lead others astray with them." This is the wording of the hadith of Abu al-Abbas.  

البيهقي:٢٠٣٥٢ – حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ يُوسُفَ الْأَصْبَهَانِيُّ إِمْلَاءً أنبأ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ الْبَصْرِيُّ بِمَكَّةَ ح وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو الْعَبَّاسِ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ قَالَا ثنا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ عَفَّانَ الْعَامِرِيُّ ثنا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو ؓ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ

رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَنْزِعُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعُلَمَاءَ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالًا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا لَفْظُ حَدِيثِ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي كُرَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ مِنْ أَوْجُهٍ أُخَرَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Tirmidhī, Aḥmad, Dārimī
muslim:2673a – Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > Jarīr > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when He leaves no learned person, people turn to the ignorant as their leaders; then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they deliver them without knowledge, they go astray, and lead others astray.  

مسلم:٢٦٧٣a – حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالاً فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا  

tirmidhi:2652 – Hārūn b. Isḥāq al-Hamdānī > ʿAbdah b. Sulaymān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr b. al-ʿĀṣ

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Indeed Allah does not take away knowledge by removing it from the people, but He takes away knowledge by taking the scholars, until there remains no scholar and the people begin to ask the ignorant leaders, so they give their verdict without knowledge. They will go astray and lead the people astray."  

الترمذي:٢٦٥٢ – حَدَّثَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالاً فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ وَزِيَادِ بْنِ لَبِيدٍ  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ رَوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ الزُّهْرِيُّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو وَعَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ عَائِشَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَ هَذَا
ahmad:6511 – Yaḥyá > Hishām Amlāh ʿAlaynā from my father

Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from the people but He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when He leaves no learned person, people turn to the ignorant as their leaders; then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they deliver them without knowledge, they go astray, and lead others astray. (Using translation from Muslim 2673a)  

أحمد:٦٥١١ – حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى عَنْ هِشَامٍ أَمْلَاهُ عَلَيْنَا حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو مِنْ فِيهِ إِلَى فِيَّ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُؤَسَاءَ جُهَّالًا فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا  

ahmad:6787 – Wakīʿ > Hishām from his father > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Allah will not take away knowledge by removing it from people (from their hearts). Rather He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars, then when there are no scholars left, the people will take the ignorant as their leaders. They will be asked questions and they will issue verdicts without knowledge, thus they will go astray and lead others astray.'" (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 52)  

أحمد:٦٧٨٧ – حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ اللهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَبِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُؤَسَاءَ جُهَّالًا فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا  

darimi:245 – Jaʿfar b. ʿAwn > Hishām from his father > ʿAbdullāh b. ʿAmr

the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'Allah will not take away knowledge by removing it from people (from their hearts). Rather He will take away knowledge by taking away the scholars, then when there are no scholars left, the people will take the ignorant as their leaders. They will be asked questions and they will issue verdicts without knowledge, thus they will go astray and lead others astray.'" (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 52)  

الدارمي:٢٤٥ – أَخْبَرَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ عَوْنٍ أَنبَأَنَا هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ قَبْضُ الْعِلْمِ قَبْضُ الْعُلَمَاءِ فَإِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالًا فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا