(Worksheet) Hadeeth Lesson On The Encouragement Of Seeking Knowledge
Adapted from “Lessons in Tawheed, Fiqh and Hadeeth”
Printed by the Ministry of Education of The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Adapted and Translated by: Abu ‘Abdis Salaam Siddiq Al Juyaanee
Text of the Hadeeth
On the authority of Abee Ad Dardaa (radi Allahu ‘Anhu) who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying,
“Whoever takes a path seeking therein knowledge; Allah will make easy for him a path to Jennah. And Verily the Angels lower their wings to the student of knowledge due to their being pleased to what they do. Verily everything in the heavens and earth even the fish in the water ask that the scholar be forgiven (for their sins). The superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like that of the moon over the rest of the stars. Verily the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets (ﷺ). Surely the Prophets (ﷺ) do not leave behind dinaar nor dirham (money) to be inherited. Verily they only leave behind knowledge to be inherited, so whoever takes it has taken hold of a great prosperity.” [Collected by Abu Dawud and At Tirmidhee]
The meaning of the words and phrases from the Hadeeth
*Takes a path: strives in the seeking of knowledge [1].
*Allah will make easy for him a path to Jennah: Allah will make good (righteous deeds) easy for him.
*Do not leave behind to be inherited: They do not leave anything behind after them to be inherited (except that which is mentioned in the Hadeeth i.e. beneficial knowledge).
*They only leave behind knowledge to be inherited: They leave beneficial knowledge behind to be inherited by their nations.
The general meaning of the Hadeeth
In this Hadeeth which was narrated to us by this noble companion (radi Allahu anhu) we see that verily the one who strives hard to seek (beneficial) knowledge and goes to the sittings (classes) of the scholars, studies and reviews (what he has learnt); then verily Allah will make easy for him the knowledge that he seeks and all that is necessitated for him to attain it. This is providing that his intentions are sincerely for Allah Alone. This will be a great cause for him being guided, benefiting by way of his knowledge and his ultimate success by receiving Allah’s reward.
[1] Knowledge here refers to beneficial knowledge, which is the knowledge of the Kitaab (Qur’an) and Sunnah. This is the knowledge that is referred to and that which we are encouraged to seek; the knowledge of the Deen of Islaam, knowledge of the Sharee’ah, knowledge of the Kitaab and Sunnah.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to Salafy Ink Publications to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.