25 Quotes From The Salaf On Knowledge
Here are some quotes from the famous book Jaami’ul Bayaan al-’ilm wa fadhlihi by the great scholar Ibn ‘AbdilBar
1. Aboo Hurayrah: ”It is more beloved for me to sit a little while, learning my religion, than for me to pray the entire night up until dawn” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-‘ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1. page 60]
2. al-Hasan al-Basree: ”The scholar is better than the one who is Zaahid (very religious) and worships a lot” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1. page 61]
3.‘Umar bin al-Khattaab: ”That one thousand worshippers who fast during the day and pray during the night, all die, is easier to bare than the death of one single scholar who understands the halaal from the haraam.” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1. page 65]
4. Sufyaan ath-Thawree: ”There is no deed better than seeking knowledge – if the intentions are pure” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1. page 63]
5. al-Azdi: ”I asked Ibn ‘Abbaas about Jihaad whereupon he replied ‘Do you wish to know something better than Jihaad? Build a Masjid and teach the people their obligations in Islaam and the Sunnah’ “‘ [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 76]
6. ‘Umar bin ‘AbdilAzeez: ”He who acts without knowledge, causes more harm than benefit” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 66]
7. ‘Abdullaah bin al-Mubaarak: ”Allaah gave Prophet Suleymaan a choice between either knowledge or power, and he chose knowledge above power. And because he did that Allaah granted him power as well.” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 114]
8. al-Hasan al-Basree: ”The entire world is a place of darkness except the gatherings of the scholars!” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 114]
9. Luqmaan al-Hakeem: ”O my dear son, seek knowledge whilst you are still young, seeking knowledge at an old age is difficult” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 174]
10. Sufyaan ath-Thawree: ”Knowledge will bring honour to you in this world and the hereafter” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 118]
11. az-Zuhree: ”Knowledge is a treasure, the key to that treasure is asking questions” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 176]
12. Sa’eed bin al-Mussayib: ”I would travel days and nights in search of one single hadeeth” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 188]
13. Imaam Maalik: ”Knowledge is not gained until one tastes poverty (ie seeking knowledge is not easy)” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 194]
14. Imaam ash-Shaafi’ee: ”I was born an orphan (without a father) and my mother was poor so she did not have money to buy paper for me, so I would look for bones of dead animals to write on” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 157]
15. ‘Abdullaah bin Mas’ood: ”No one is born a scholar, knowledge comes with studies” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 200]
16. az-Zuhree: ”Whoever wishes to gain ALL knowledge at once and become a scholar over night, that knowledge will leave him quickly, rather take things one step at a time” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 206]
17. az-Zuhree: ”Knowledge is lost through forgetfulness and no revision” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 213]
18. Aboo Dardaa’: ”The one thing I fear the most about being questioned on the day of Judgment is that it will be said ‘You had the knowledge, but what did you do with it?’ ” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 2 page 5]
19. Aboo Dardaa’: ”Why do I see you hungry for food but fed up with knowledge?” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 1 page 305]
20. Qaasim bin Muhammad; ”That my tongue is cut off is more beloved to me that for me to speak without knowledge” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 2 page 114]
21. Aboo Bakr as-Sideeq: ”Which sky will shield me and which earth will bare me, if I was to say about the Book of Allaah, that which I had no knowledge of?” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 2 page 111]
22. ‘Umar bin al-Khattaab: ”Learn the Sunnah and learn the Arabic language” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 2 page 322]
23. Ibn ‘Abbaas: ”He who answers ALL questions is insane! [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 2 page 315]
24. Ibn ‘AbdilBar: ”None of the people of innovation interpreted the Qur’aan based upon the Sunnah, this is why they went astray and led others astray too” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 2 page 369]
25. al-Hasan al-Basree: ”Few actions according to the Sunnah will always be better than many actions based upon innovation” [Jaami'ul Bayaan al-'ilm wa fadhlihi volume 2 page 372]