Part 2

7 he abandons what he has knowledge of and doesn't act upon it."

So did those of our Salaf (predecessors) from the past reach the high levels that they did except through sincerity in Creed (Beliefs), righteous actions and overwhelming abstinence of the attractive features of this worldly life? And did the wise people reach the greatest level of success (that they did) except by working hard in their efforts, being pleased with little sustenance, and giving away any of their excess provisions to the poor and needy?

Is not the one who collects books of knowledge just like the one who collects gold and silver? Is not the one who has an intense craving for them just like the one who yearns and longs for gold and silver? Is not the one who is deeply in love with them just like the one who treasures gold and silver?

So just as there is no benefit in wealth unless it is spent, then likewise, there is no benefit in knowledge unless it is acted upon and its obligations carried out.

Therefore, let each individual examine himself and take advantage of his time, for indeed the resting place (i.e. this world) is short, the (time for) departure is near, the road is hazardous, deviating from it is common, the danger is great, the one who takes himself to account has insight, Allaah, the Most High, is watching, and to Him is the (final) recourse and return.

"And whosoever does an atom's weight of good, shall see it. And whosoever does an atom's weight of evil, shall see it." [Surah Az-Zilzaal: 7-8]

[1] The Judge, Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Al-Hasan bin Ahmad Al-Hirshee reported to us in Naisapur, saying: Abul-'Abbaas Muhammad bin Ya'qoob Al-Asam narrated to us, saying: Muhammad bin Ishaaq As-Saghaanee narrated to us, saying: Al-Aswad bin 'Aamir informed us, saying: Abu Bakr bin 'Ayyaash reported to us from Al-A'mash from Sa'eed bin 'Abdillaah that Abu Barzah Al-Aslamee said: Allaah's Messenger said:

"The two feet of the servant will not cease (from standing before Allaah) on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about four things: On his life and how he spent it; On his knowledge and what he did for it; On his wealth and where he earned it and how he spent it; And on his body and in what way he utilized it." 6

[2] Abul-Hasan 'Alee bin Ahmad bin Muhammad bin Dawood Ar-Razaaz informed me, saying: 'Alee bin Ibraaheem bin Hammaad Al-Azdee informed us, saying: AlMufdil bin Muhammad Al-Janadee narrated to us: Saamit bin Mu'aadh Al-Janadee narrated to us: 'Abdul-Majeed bin 'Abdil-'Azeez bin Abee Rawwaad narrated to us from Sufyaan Ath-Thawree [from Safwaan bin Saleem] from 'Adiyy bin 'Adiyy from As-Sunaabihee7 that Mu'aadh bin Jabal said: The Messenger of Allaah said:

"The two feet of the servant will not cease (from standing before Allaah) on the Day of Judgement until he is asked about four matters: On his life and how he spent it; On his wealth and where he earned it; And on what he spent it;8 And on his knowledge and what he did for it." 9

[3] Abul-Husayn 'Alee bin 'Abdil-Wahhaab bin Ahmad bin Muhammad As-Sukree informed us: Abu 'Umar Muhammad bin Al-'Abbaas Al-Kharraaz narrated to us, saying: Abu Muhammad Ja'far bin Ahmad Al-Marwazee, the Mu'adhin, reported to us: Ismaa'eel bin Muhammad bin Yahyaa bin Hammaad bin Habeeb bin Sa'ad, the freed slave of Al-Fadl bin Al-'Abbaas bin 'Abdil-Malik, narrated to us in Koofah: Ibn Fudayl narrated to us from Layth from 'Adiyy bin 'Adiyy from Rajaa bin Haywah that Mu'aadh bin Jabal said:

"The foot of the servant will not cease (from standing before Allaah) on Day of Judgement until he is asked about four things: On his body and how used it; On his life and how he spent it; On his wealth and where he earned it and on what he spent it; And on his knowledge and how he acted due to it." 10

6 Its chain of narration is authentic. It was reported by Ad-Daarimee and At-Tirmidhee, who said it was a "hasan sahih hadith." 7 He was Abu 'Abdillaah 'Abdur-Rahmaan bin 'Aseelah Al-Muraadee As-Sunaabihee, a reliable narrator from die senior Taabi'een. He came to Madeenah five days after the death of the Prophet He died during the Khilaafah of'Abdul-Malik. [Zuhayr] 8 It must be noted here that the Prophet made the earning of wealth one matter and spending it another matter. [Zuhayr] 9 An authentic hadith based on the prior narration. Al-Mundhiree said in at-Targheeb: "Al-Bazaar and At-Tabaraanee reported it with an authentic chain!" 10 Its chain of narration is weak. Layth here refers to Ibn Abee Saleem, and he is not to be relied on. The narration may be acceptable as a statement of a Companion. However the two previous narrations that have been raised to sayings of the Prophet are sufficient over this one.

9 Muhammad bin Ishaaq bin Ibraaheem, the Judge in AlAhwaaz informed us: Muhammad bin 'Abdoos, the Scribe, narrated to us: Zayd bin Al-Hirsh narrated to us: 'Abdullaah bin Kharraash narrated to us from Al-'Awaam from Abu Saadiq that 'Alee said:

"A man said: 'O Messenger of Allaah! What will eradicate the burden of ignorance from me?' He said: 'Knowledge.' The man said: "Then what will cancel out the burden of knowledge from me?' He said: 'Action.'" 11

[5] Abul-Fat'h Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abil-Fawaaris, the Haafidh, and Abu Bakr Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Yoosuf As-Sayaad and Abu 'Alee Al-Hasan bin Ahmad bin Ibraaheem bin Shaadhaan all informed us, saying: Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Yoosuf bin Khalaad An-Nasyee reported to us: Al-Haarith bin Muhammad bin Abee Usaamah narrated to us: Al-Hakam bin Moosaa narrated to us: Al-Waleed, i.e. Ibn Muslim, narrated to us from a shaikh from the area of Kalb, whose kunyah was Abu Muhammad, that he heard Mak'hool narrate that Abud-Dardaa said: The Messenger of Allaah said to me:

"How will you be, O 'Uwaymir, when it will be said to you on the Day of Judgement: 'Did you have knowledge or were you ignorant?' So if you respond: 'I had knowledge', it will be said to you: 'What did you do based on your knowledge?' And if you say: 'I was ignorant', it will be said to you: 'What was your excuse for being ignorant, did you not try to acquire knowledge?'" 12

[6] Abu 'Abdillaah Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Waahid bin Ahmad At-Tarqee, the reliable one in Kurj (i.e. Georgia) informed us: Abu Bakr 'Umar bin Ibraaheem bin Mardaweeh Al-Kurjee narrated to us: Abaan bin Ja'far bin Abee Ja'far An-Nujair narrated to us: Ahmad bin Sa'eed Ath-Thaqafee Al-Matoo'ee narrated to us: Sufyaan bin 'Uyainah narrated to us, saying: Ibraaheem bin Maysarah reported to us that Anas said: The Messenger of Allaah said:

"Acquire knowledge and act upon it, and teach it to others [and do not place it in people that are not deserving of it], nor prevent it from those who are deserving of it." 13

11 Its chain of narration is very weak. Concerning 'Abdullaah bin Kharraash, Al-Haafidh (i.e. Ibn Hajr) said in at-Taqreeb: "He is weak." Ibn 'Ammaar labeled him an extreme liar. 12 Its chain of narration is weak due to the shaikh from Kalb, Abu Muhammad. I am not aware of who he is. Also, Mak'hool is mudallis and he would not explicitly state who he was narrating from in his narrations. 13 Its chain of narration is fabricated (mawdoo'). Its defect lies in Abaan bin Ja'far. Adh-Dhahabee said in Dhayl-ud-Du'afaa: "An extreme liar who lived in Basrah." However, he failed to mention him in alMeezaan. So Al-Haafidh corrected him in al-Lisaan, noting that Abaan was spelled wrong, and that his correct name was Abaa' with a hamzah at the end, not a noon (n). So based on this correction, it was shown that Adh-Dhahabee did in fact mention him in al-Meezaan where he quoted Ibn Hibbaan as saying about him: "He fabricated more than three hundred hadith on Imaam Abu Haneefah, which Abu Haneefah never narrated at all." Al-Haafidh added to this, saying: "Hamzah said, reporting from Al-Hasan bin 'Alee bin Ghulaam Az-Zuhree: "Abaa' bin Ja'far would fabricate ahaadeeth. He would narrate from a manuscript on the authority of one of his shaikhs who was unknown, whose name he used to claim was Ahmad bin Sa'eed bin 'Amr Al-Matoo'ee from Ibn 'Uyainah from Ibraaheem bin Maysarah from Anas, in which there were many objectionable reports. Abul-Haarith narrated many times from him in the Musnad of Imaam Abu Haneefah!'"

10 Bazaar] informed us: Abu 'Amr 'Uthmaan bin Ahmad bin "Abdillaah Ad-Daqaaq narrated to us, saying: 'Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin Ismaa'eel At-Tabaan Al-Basree narrated to us: Muhammad bin Abee Bakr Al-Maqdamee narrated to us: Bishr [bin 'Ubaad] narrated to us from Bakr bin Khunais, saying: Hamzah An-Nusaybee narrated to me from Yazeed bin Yazeed bin Jaabir from his father that Mu'aadh bin Jabal said: The Messenger of Allaah said:

"Learn whatever you wish to learn, for Allaah, Mighty and Sublime, will never benefit (i.e. reward) you until you act upon what you know." 14

[8] Muhammad bin Abee 'Alee Al-Asbahaanee informed me, saying: Ahmad bin 'Abdaan Ash-Sheeraazee, the Haafidh, informed us, saying: Muhammad bin Muhammad bin Sulaymaan Al-Baaghandee narrated to us: "Alee bin Al-Madeenee narrated to us: 'Uthmaan bin 'Abdir-Rahmaan Al-Jamhee narrated to us from Yazeed bin Yazeed bin Jaabir from his father that Mu'aadh bin Jabal said: The Messenger of Allaah said:

"Learn whatever you wish to learn, for Allaah will never reward you until you do deeds." 15

[9] Abu Sa'eed Al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah, the Scribe, reported to us in Asbahaan, saying: The Judge, Abu Bakr Muhammad bin 'Umar bin Salam, the Haafidh, narrated to us, saying: 'Abdullaah bin Imraan An-Najjaar narrated to me: Ibraaheem bin Sa'eed narrated to us, saying: Al-Hasan bin Bishr narrated to us from his father from Sufyaan Ath-Thawree from Thuwair bin Abee Faakhitah from Yahya bin Ja'dah that 'Alee said:

"O carriers of knowledge! Act upon your knowledge, for indeed the one with knowledge is only he who acts on it. There will come a people who will carry knowledge, yet compete with one another to the point that a man will become angry at one of his students for sitting in another person's I gathering. These are the people whose deeds will not be raised up to heaven." 16

[10] Abul-Hasan 'Alee bin Ahmad bin Ibraaheem bin Ismaa'eel Al-Bazaar reported to us in Basrah, saying: Abu 'Alee Al-Hasan bin Muhammad bin 'Uthmaan Al-Fasawee narrated to us: Ya'qoob bin Sufyaan narrated to us: Khalf bin Al-Waleed AbulWaleed narrated to us: Khaalid bin 'Abdillaah narrated to us....

And Abu Bakr Ahmad bin 'Alee bin Yazdaad Al-Qaaree informed us, saying: 'Abdullaah bin Ibraaheem bin 'Abdil-Malik Al-Asbahaanee reported to us in it (i.e.

14 Its chain of narration is very weak. Hamzah An-Nusaybee here refers to Ibn Abee Hamzah, and he is rejected, accused of fabricating ahaadeeth. Also, Bakr bin Khunais is honest. However, he made many mistakes, which Ibn Hibbaan expounded on in at-Taqreeb. Adh-Dhahabee mentioned him in ad-Du 'afaa and said: Ad-Daaraqutnee said: "He is rejected.'" 15 Its chain of narration is weak. Ibn 'Adiyy said concerning Al-Jamhee: "The majority of what he reports is rejected," I say: Ad-Daarimee reported this narration in his Sunan (1-81) from Sa'eed bin 'Abdil-'Azeez from Yazeed bin Jaabir that Mu'aadh said...and then he mentioned the narration in mawquf form (i.e. as a saying of Mu'aadh. And this is what is correct. 16 Its chain of narration is suspended (mawquf) and broken (munqati'). Thuwair bin Abee Faakhitah is weak.

11 bin 'Amr narrated to us: Khaalid bin 'Abdillaah narrated to us....

And Abu Muhammad Yahyaa bin Al-Hasan bin Al-Hasan bin 'Alee Ibnul-Mundhir, the Judge, informed us: 'Alee bin 'Umar bin Ahmad, the Haafidh, narrated to us: Muhammad bin Yahyaa bin Haaroon Al-Iskaafee narrated to us in Iskaaf:17 Ishaaq bin Shaaheen narrated to us: Khaalid bin 'Abdillaah narrated to us from...18