[Machine] "What makes you cry?" I said, "By Allah, I do not cry over the worldly possessions that I gain from you, nor over the lineage between you and me. Rather, I cry over what I used to hear from you that is now gone." He said, "Do not cry. Verily, knowledge and faith are matters that whoever seeks, will find. They sought knowledge wherever Ibrahim sought it, for he asked Allah and did not forget. They sought it after me among a group of four. If you do not find it among them, then ask the people. Seek knowledge from Abdullah bin Mas'ood, Abu Ad-Darda, Salman, and Abdullah bin Salam. Beware of the eloquent speaker, for Shaytan may cast false wisdom upon the tongue of a wise man. So, take knowledge when it comes to you." He said, "So, I said to Mu'adh bin Jabal, 'How can I know the false wisdom of a wise man and the ruling of a hypocrite?' He said, 'Verily, the truth is light. Beware of distorting matters. Indeed, some men from the Companions of Muhammad, ﷺ , said, 'Our children are better than us. They were born into Islam and did not associate partners with Allah, while we used to associate partners with Him.' When this reached the Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , he said, 'We are better than our children, and our children are better than their children, and the children of our children are better than the children of their children.'"  

مَا يُبْكِيكَ؟ قُلْتُ وَاللهِ مَا أَبْكِي عَلَى دُنْيَا أَنَالُهَا مِنْكَ وَلَا نَسَبٍ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَكَ وَلَكِنْ أَبْكِي عَلَى مَا كُنْتُ أَسْمَعُ مِنْكَ تذْهَبُ الْآنَ قَالَ لَا تَبْكِ إِنَّ الْعِلْمَ وَالْإِيمَانَ شَأْنُهُمَا مَنِ ابْتَغَاهُمَا وَجَدَهُمَا ابْتَغُوا الْعِلْمَ حَيْثُ ابْتَغَاهُ إِبْرَاهِيمُ فَإِنَّهُ سَأَلَ اللهَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ نَسِيًّا وابْتَغُوهُ بَعْدِي عِنْدَ أَرْبَعَةِ نَفَرٍ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَجِدُوهُ عِنْدَهُمْ فَشَامُّوا النَّاسَ اطْلُبُوا الْعِلْمَ عِنْدَ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ وَأَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ وَسَلْمَانَ وَعَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ سَلَامٍ وَإِيَّاكَ وَزَيْغَةَ الْحَكِيمِ فَإِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يُلْقِي الْحِكْمَةَ الضَّالَّةَ عَلَى لِسَانِ الرَّجُلِ الْحَكِيمِ فَخُذِ الْعِلْمَ إِذَا جَاءَكَ قَالَ فَقُلْتُ لِمُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ كَيْفَ بِي أَنْ أَعْلَمَ زَيْغَةَ الْحَكِيمِ وَحُكْمَ الْمُنَافِقِ؟ فَقَالَ إِنَّ الْحَقَّ نُورٌ وَإِيَّاكَ وَتَقْضِيبَ الْأُمُورِ وَإِنَّ رِجَالًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ قَالُوا يَوْمًا إِنَّ أَبْنَاءَنَا خَيْرٌ مِنَّا وُلِدُوا عَلَى الْإِسْلَامِ وَلَمْ يُشْرِكُوا وَقَدْ كُنَّا أَشْرَكْنَا فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ «نَحْنُ خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبْنَائِنَا وَبَنُونَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبْنَائِهِمْ وَأَبْنَاءُ بَنِينَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ أَبْنَاءِ أَبْنَائِهِمْ»