[Machine] When the Prophet ﷺ was in the Farewell Pilgrimage, he stood up while Fuḍayl ibn ʿAbbās was on a camel and said, "O people, acquire knowledge before knowledge is taken away and before it is raised." Allah had revealed the verse "O you who believe, do not ask about things that, if they are shown to you, will distress you." We used to mention this verse frequently, so it prevented us from asking. Then, an Arab came and spread a blanket for us. We covered ourselves with it, and he clung to it until I saw the edge of the blanket on his right eyebrow. Then we said, "Ask the Prophet ﷺ ." So he said, "O Prophet of Allah, how will knowledge be taken away from us while we have the Qur'ans with us, in which we have learned and have taught our women and children and servants?" The Prophet ﷺ raised his head, and his face had turned red out of anger, and he said, "May your mother lose you! You see these Jews and Christians among them with the Scriptures between their hands, but they do not adhere to the teachings of their prophets. Indeed, one of the ways knowledge is taken away is when the people belonging to it are taken away." This was repeated three times.
لَمَّا كَانَ حَجَّةُ الْوَدَاعِ قَامَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ وَهُوَ يَوْمَئِذٍ مُرْدِفٌ الْفَضْلَ بْنَ عَبَّاسٍ وَهُوَ عَلَى جَمَلٍ فَقَالَ «يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ خُذُوا مِنَ الْعِلْمِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْبَضَ الْعِلْمُ وَقَبْلَ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ الْعِلْمُ» وَقَدْ كَانَ أَنْزَلَ اللهُ ﷻ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمِنٌوا لَا تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ} الْآيَةَ فَكُنَّا نَذْكُرُهَا كَثِيرًا فَتَمْنَعُنَا مِنْ مَسْأَلَتِهِ فَأَتَيْنَا أَعْرَابِيًّا فَرَشَوْنَاهُ بُرْدًا فَأَعْتَمَ بِهِ حَتَّى رَأَيْتُ حَاشِيَةَ الْبُرْدِ عَلَى حَاجِبِهِ الْأَيْمَنِ ثُمَّ قُلْنَا سَلِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللهِ كَيْفَ يُرْفَعُ الْعِلْمُ مِنَّا وَبَيْنَ أَظْهُرِنَا الْمَصَاحِفُ قَدْ تَعَلَّمْنَا فِيهَا وَعَلَّمْنَاهَا نِسَاءَنَا وَذَرَارِيَّنَا وَخَدَمَنَا فَرَفَعَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ رَأْسَهُ وَقَدْ عَلَتْ وَجْهَهُ حُمْرَةٌ مِنَ الْغَضَبِ فَقَالَ «أَيْ ثَكِلَتْكَ أُمُّكَ وَهَذِهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمِ الْمَصَاحِفُ لَمْ يُصْبِحُوا يَتَعَلَّقُوا بِالْحَرْفِ مِمَّا جَاءَتْهُمْ بِهِ أَنْبِيَاؤُهُمْ أَلَا وَإِنَّ مِنْ ذَهَابِ الْعِلْمِ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ أَهْلُهُ» ثَلَاثَ مَرَّاتٍ