47. Knowledge
٤٧۔ كتاب العلم
"He it is Who revealed to thee (Muhammad) the Book (the Qur'an) wherein there are clear revelations-these are the substance of the Book and others are allegorical (verses). And as for those who have a yearning for error they go after the allegorical verses seeking (to cause) dissension, by seeking to explain them. And none knows their implications but Allah, and those who are sound in knowledge say: We affirm our faith in everything which is from our Lord. It is only the persons of understanding who really heed" (Al-Qur'an 3:7). 'A'isha (further) reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ said (in connection with these verses): When you see such verses, avoid them, for it is they whom Allah has pointed out (in the mentioned verses).
تَلاَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ { هُوَ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ عَلَيْكَ الْكِتَابَ مِنْهُ آيَاتٌ مُحْكَمَاتٌ هُنَّ أُمُّ الْكِتَابِ وَأُخَرُ مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ فَأَمَّا الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلاَّ أُولُو الأَلْبَابِ} قَالَتْ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا رَأَيْتُمُ الَّذِينَ يَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ فَأُولَئِكَ الَّذِينَ سَمَّى اللَّهُ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ
I went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ in the morning and he heard the voice of two persons who had an argumentation with each other about a verse. Allah's Apostle ﷺ came to us (and) the (signs) of anger could be seen on his face. He said: Verily, the (peoples) before you were ruined because of their disputation in the Book.
هَجَّرْتُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا قَالَ فَسَمِعَ أَصْوَاتَ رَجُلَيْنِ اخْتَلَفَا فِي آيَةٍ فَخَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُعْرَفُ فِي وَجْهِهِ الْغَضَبُ فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بِاخْتِلاَفِهِمْ فِي الْكِتَابِ
Recite the Qur'an as long as your hearts agree to do so, and when you feel variance between them (between your hearts and tongues), then get up (and leave its recital for the time being).
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ مَا ائْتَلَفَتْ عَلَيْهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ فَإِذَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِيهِ فَقُومُوا
Recite the Qur'an as long as your hearts agree to do so and when you find variance between them, then stand up.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ مَا ائْتَلَفَتْ عَلَيْهِ قُلُوبُكُمْ فَإِذَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فَقُومُوا
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ اقْرَءُوا الْقُرْآنَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِهِمَا
47.2 The One Who Is Harsh In Arguing
٤٧۔٢ باب فِي الأَلَدِّ الْخَصِمِ
The most despicable amongst persons in the eye of Allah is one who tries to fall into dispute with others (for nothing but only to display his knowledge and power of argumentation).
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَبْغَضَ الرِّجَالِ إِلَى اللَّهِ الأَلَدُّ الْخَصِمُ
47.3 Following The Ways Of The Jews And Christians
٤٧۔٣ باب اتِّبَاعِ سُنَنِ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى
You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Messenger of Allah, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)?
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا فِي جُحْرِ ضَبٍّ لاَتَّبَعْتُمُوهُمْ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ آلْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ فَمَنْ
This hadith is reported through Muhammad bin Muttarif from Zayd bin Aslam with the same chain.
عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Ata' b. Yasir through another chain of transmitters.
عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ نَحْوَهُ
47.4 The Destruction Of Those Who Go To Extremes
٤٧۔٤ باب هَلَكَ الْمُتَنَطِّعُونَ
Ruined, were those who indulged in hair-splitting. He (the Holy Prophet) repeated this thrice.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هَلَكَ الْمُتَنَطِّعُونَ قَالَهَا ثَلاَثًا
47.5 The Taking Away Of Knowledge And The Spread Of Ignorance At The End Of Time
٤٧۔٥ باب رَفْعِ الْعِلْمِ وَقَبْضِهِ وَظُهُورِ الْجَهْلِ وَالْفِتَنِ فِي آخِرِ الزَّمَانِ
(When) the time would draw close to the Last Hour, knowledge would be snatched away, turmoil would be rampant, miserliness would be put (in the hearts of the people) and therewould be much bloodshed. They said: What is al-harj? Thereupon he said: It is bloodshed.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَتَقَارَبُ الزَّمَانُ وَيُقْبَضُ الْعِلْمُ وَتَظْهَرُ الْفِتَنُ وَيُلْقَى الشُّحُّ وَيَكْثُرُ الْهَرْجُ قَالُوا وَمَا الْهَرْجُ قَالَ الْقَتْلُ
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu Huraira with a slight variation of wording.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَتَقَارَبُ الزَّمَانُ وَيُقْبَضُ الْعِلْمُ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ
The time would draw close to the Last Hour and knowledge would decrease. The rest of the hadith is the same.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ يَتَقَارَبُ الزَّمَانُ وَيَنْقُصُ الْعِلْمُ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ مِثْلَ حَدِيثِهِمَا
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُمْ لَمْ يَذْكُرُوا وَيُلْقَى الشُّحُّ
It is from the conditions of the Last Hour that knowledge would be taken away and ignorance would prevail (upon the world), the liquor would be drunk, and adultery would become rampant.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ الْعِلْمُ وَيَثْبُتَ الْجَهْلُ وَيُشْرَبَ الْخَمْرُ وَيَظْهَرَ الزِّنَا
May I not narrate to you a hadith which I heard from Messenger of Allah ﷺ which no one would narrate to you after me who would have personally heard it from him (the Holy Prophet) (as I have the good fortune to do so)? -" It is from the signs of the Last Hour that knowledge would be taken away, ignorance would prevail upon (the world), adultery would become common, wine would be drunk, the number of men will fall short and the women would survive (and thus such a disparity would arise in the number of men and women) that there would be one man to look after fifty women.
أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكُمْ حَدِيثًا سَمِعْتُهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يُحَدِّثُكُمْ أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي سَمِعَهُ مِنْهُ إِنَّ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِ السَّاعَةِ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ الْعِلْمُ وَيَظْهَرَ الْجَهْلُ وَيَفْشُوَ الزِّنَا وَيُشْرَبَ الْخَمْرُ وَيَذْهَبَ الرِّجَالُ وَتَبْقَى النِّسَاءُ حَتَّى يَكُونَ لِخَمْسِينَ امْرَأَةً قَيِّمٌ وَاحِدٌ
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of narrators, but with a slight variation of wording.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ بِشْرٍ وَعَبْدَةَ لاَ يُحَدِّثُكُمُوهُ أَحَدٌ بَعْدِي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فَذَكَرَ بِمِثْلِهِ
I was sitting with 'Abdullah and Abu Musa that they reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ having said: Prior to the Last Hour, there would be a time when knowledge would be taken away, and ignorance would take its place and there would be bloodshed on a large scale.
كُنْتُ جَالِسًا مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَبِي مُوسَى فَقَالاَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ بَيْنَ يَدَىِ السَّاعَةِ أَيَّامًا يُرْفَعُ فِيهَا الْعِلْمُ وَيَنْزِلُ فِيهَا الْجَهْلُ وَيَكْثُرُ فِيهَا الْهَرْجُ وَالْهَرْجُ الْقَتْلُ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) and Abu Musa (al-Asha'ri) through other chains of transmitters.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَبِي مُوسَى الأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالاَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ح وَحَدَّثَنِي الْقَاسِمُ بْنُ زَكَرِيَّاءَ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنٌ الْجُعْفِيُّ عَنْ زَائِدَةَ عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ قَالَ كُنْتُ جَالِسًا مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَبِي مُوسَى وَهُمَا يَتَحَدَّثَانِ فَقَالاَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ وَكِيعٍ وَابْنِ نُمَيْرٍ
A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Abu Musa through another chain of transmitters.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ
I was sitting with Abu Musa and 'Abdullah and they were conversing with each other and Abu Musa reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying (that we find in the above-mentioned ahadith).
إِنِّي لَجَالِسٌ مَعَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَبِي مُوسَى وَهُمَا يَتَحَدَّثَانِ فَقَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمِثْلِهِ
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.
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
, I met 'Abdullah b. 'Amr at the end of the year and I asked him about it, and he narrated to us the hadith as he had narrated before that he had heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying.... (The rest of the hadith is the same).
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ وَزَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ثُمَّ لَقِيتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو عَلَى رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ فَسَأَلْتُهُ فَرَدَّ عَلَيْنَا الْحَدِيثَ كَمَا حَدَّثَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b. Amr b. al-'As through another chain of transmitters.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ
This news has reached me that 'Abdullah b. 'Amr al-'As would pass by us during the Hajj season, so you meet him and ask him (about religious matters) as he has acquired great knowledge from Messenger of Allah ﷺ. I thus met him and asked him about things which he narrated from Messenger of Allah ﷺ. And amongst these the one he mentioned was that Allah's Apostle ﷺ said: Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge from people directly but he takes away the scholars and consequently takes away (knowledge) along with them and leaves amongst persons the ignorant as their leaders who deliver religious verdicts without (adequate) knowledge and themselves go astray and lead others astray. 'Urwa said: When I narrated this to 'A'isha, she deemed it too much (to believe) and thus showed reluctance to accept that (as perfectly true) and said to, 'Urwa: Did he ('Abdullah b. 'Amr) say to you that he had heard Allah's Apostle ﷺ as saying: ('Urwa had forgotten to ask this from 'Abdullah b. 'Amr). So when it was the next year, she ('A'isha) said to him ('Urwa): Ibn Amr has come (for Hajj), so meet him. talk to him and ask him about this hadith that he narrated to You (last year on the occasion of the Hajj) pertaining to knowledge. He ('Urwa), said: So I met him, and asked about it and he narrated to me exactly like one that he had narrated (to me) for the first time. So when I informed her ('A'isha) about that, she said: I do not think but this that he has certainly told the truth and I find that be has neither made any addition to it, nor missed anything from it.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ عِلْمًا كَثِيرًا قَالَ فَلَقِيتُهُ فَسَاءَلْتُهُ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ يَذْكُرُهَا عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ فَكَانَ فِيمَا ذَكَرَ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يَنْتَزِعُ الْعِلْمَ مِنَ النَّاسِ انْتِزَاعًا وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعُلَمَاءَ فَيَرْفَعُ الْعِلْمَ مَعَهُمْ وَيُبْقِي فِي النَّاسِ رُءُوسًا جُهَّالاً يُفْتُونَهُمْ بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَيَضِلُّونَ وَيُضِلُّونَ قَالَ عُرْوَةُ فَلَمَّا حَدَّثْتُ عَائِشَةَ بِذَلِكَ أَعْظَمَتْ ذَلِكَ وَأَنْكَرَتْهُ قَالَتْ أَحَدَّثَكَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَقُولُ هَذَا قَالَ عُرْوَةُ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ قَابِلٌ قَالَتْ لَهُ إِنَّ ابْنَ عَمْرٍو قَدْ قَدِمَ فَالْقَهُ ثُمَّ فَاتِحْهُ حَتَّى تَسْأَلَهُ عَنِ الْحَدِيثِ الَّذِي ذَكَرَهُ لَكَ فِي الْعِلْمِ قَالَ فَلَقِيتُهُ فَسَاءَلْتُهُ فَذَكَرَهُ لِي نَحْوَ مَا حَدَّثَنِي بِهِ فِي مَرَّتِهِ الأُولَى قَالَ عُرْوَةُ فَلَمَّا أَخْبَرْتُهَا بِذَلِكَ قَالَتْ مَا أَحْسِبُهُ إِلاَّ قَدْ صَدَقَ أَرَاهُ لَمْ يَزِدْ فِيهِ شَيْئًا وَلَمْ يَنْقُصْ
47.6 The One Who Starts Something Good Or Something Bad; The One Who Calls Others To Guidance Or Misguidance
٤٧۔٦ باب مَنْ سَنَّ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً أَوْ سَيِّئَةً وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى أَوْ ضَلاَلَةٍ
He who introduced some good practice in Islam which was followed after him (by people) he would be assured of reward like one who followed it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who introduced some evil practice in Islam which had been followed subsequently (by others), he would be required to bear the burden like that of one who followed this (evil practice) without their's being diminished in any respect.
جَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنَ الأَعْرَابِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَلَيْهِمُ الصُّوفُ فَرَأَى سُوءَ حَالِهِمْ قَدْ أَصَابَتْهُمْ حَاجَةٌ فَحَثَّ النَّاسَ عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ فَأَبْطَئُوا عَنْهُ حَتَّى رُئِيَ ذَلِكَ فِي وَجْهِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ إِنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ جَاءَ بِصُرَّةٍ مِنْ وَرِقٍ ثُمَّ جَاءَ آخَرُ ثُمَّ تَتَابَعُوا حَتَّى عُرِفَ السُّرُورُ فِي وَجْهِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ سُنَّةً حَسَنَةً فَعُمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ كُتِبَ لَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا وَلاَ يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَىْءٌ وَمَنْ سَنَّ فِي الإِسْلاَمِ سُنَّةً سَيِّئَةً فَعُمِلَ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ كُتِبَ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلُ وِزْرِ مَنْ عَمِلَ بِهَا وَلاَ يَنْقُصُ مِنْ أَوْزَارِهِمْ شَىْءٌ
Jarir reported that Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivered an address in which he exhorted people to give charity.
خَطَبَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَحَثَّ عَلَى الصَّدَقَةِ بِمَعْنَى حَدِيثِ جَرِيرٍ
The servant does not introduce good practice which is followed after him.... The rest of the hadith is the same.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يَسُنُّ عَبْدٌ سُنَّةً صَالِحَةً يُعْمَلُ بِهَا بَعْدَهُ ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ تَمَامَ الْحَدِيثِ
Jarir transmitted this hadith from his father through several other chains of narrators.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُعَاذٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ عَوْنِ بْنِ أَبِي جُحَيْفَةَ عَنِ الْمُنْذِرِ بْنِ جَرِيرٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ
He who called (people) to righteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect.
أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى هُدًى كَانَ لَهُ مِنَ الأَجْرِ مِثْلُ أُجُورِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ أُجُورِهِمْ شَيْئًا وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَى ضَلاَلَةٍ كَانَ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الإِثْمِ مِثْلُ آثَامِ مَنْ تَبِعَهُ لاَ يَنْقُصُ ذَلِكَ مِنْ آثَامِهِمْ شَيْئًا