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
suyuti:22213a –
Request/Fix translation

  

السيوطي:٢٢٢١٣a –

"مَنْ طَلَبَ العِلْمَ، كَانَ كَفَّارَةً لِمَا مَضَى".  

[ت] الترمذي وضعَّفه، وابن قانع، [طب] الطبرانى في الكبير عن عبد الله بن سِخْبَرَةَ عن أَبيه

See similar narrations below:

Collected by Tirmidhī, Dārimī
tirmidhi:2648 – Muḥammad b. Ḥumayd al-Rāzī > Muḥammad b. al-Muʿallá > Ziyād b. Khaythamah > Abū Dāwud > ʿAbdullāh b. Sakhbarah > Sakhbarah

narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever seeks knowledge, he is atoning for what has passed (of sins while doing so)."  

الترمذي:٢٦٤٨ – حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ الرَّازِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُعَلَّى حَدَّثَنَا زِيَادُ بْنُ خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَخْبَرَةَ عَنْ سَخْبَرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَنْ طَلَبَ الْعِلْمَ كَانَ كَفَّارَةً لِمَا مَضَى  

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ ضَعِيفُ الإِسْنَادِ أَبُو دَاوُدَ يُضَعَّفُ وَلاَ نَعْرِفُ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَخْبَرَةَ كَبِيِرَ شَيْءٍ وَلاَ لأَبِيهِ وَاسْمُ أَبِي دَاوُدَ نُفَيْعٌ الأَعْمَى تَكَلَّمَ فِيهِ قَتَادَةُ وَغَيْرُ وَاحِدٍ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ
darimi:580 – Muḥammad b. Ḥumayd > Muḥammad b. al-Muʿallá > Ziyād b. Khaythamah > Abū Dāwud > ʿAbdullāh b. Sakhbarah > Sakhbarah

narrated that the Prophet ﷺ said: "Whoever seeks knowledge, he is atoning for what has passed (of sins while doing so)." (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2648)  

الدارمي:٥٨٠ – أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُعَلَّى حَدَّثَنَا زِيَادُ بْنُ خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَخْبَرَةَ عَنْ سَخْبَرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «مَنْ طَلَبَ الْعِلْمَ كَانَ كَفَّارَةً لِمَا مَضَى»