Part 9

[114] 'Abdur-Rahmaan bin Ahmad Al-Qazweenee informed us, saying: 'Alee bin Ibraaheem bin Salamah Al-Qattaan informed us, saying: Abu Haatim Ar-Raazee narrated to us: Hadbah narrated to us: Salaam, i.e. Ibn Abee Mutee', narrated to us, saying: I heard Ayoob As-Sakhtiyaanee say:

"There is no evil more despicable than a sinful reciter (i.e. of the Qur'aan)."

[115] And Abu Haatim said: Hadbah narrated to us: Hazm, i.e. Al-Qutay'ee, narrated to us, saying: I heard Maalik bin Deenaar say:

"I am indeed more fearful of the sinful reciter of the Qur'aan than of the sinful person who openly displays his evil, since this person (i.e. the later) is the least deceiving of the two."

[116] Abul-Qaasim Bakraan bin at-Tayyib bin Al-Hasan As-Saqatee informed me in Jarjaraayaa:60 Muhammad Ahmad bin Ya'qoob Al-Mufeed narrated to us: Ahmad bin Al-Hasan bin 'Abdil-Jabbaar and Ahmad bin 'Alee bin Al-Mathnaa both narrated to us, saying: 'Abdus-Samad bin Yazeed narrated to us, saying: I heard Al-Fudayl say:

58 Its chain of narration is weak due to the 'an 'ana of Muhammad bin Ishaaq, the author of the Seerah (The Prophet's Biography), for he was mudallis. 59 Translator's Note: The author is indicating here that there are two paths of narration that lead from Al-Marwazee to Ma'roof. 60 Jarjaraayaa is a land from the districts of lower Nahrawaan between Waasit and Baghdad on the eastern side. [Zuhayr]

38 have just taken its recitation as an action." It was said: "How is it to be acted upon?" He said: "By permitting it's lawful, prohibiting its unlawful, implementing its commandments, abstaining from its prohibitions, and refraining with regard to its miracles."

[117] Abul-Hasan Muhammad bin 'Umar bin 'Eesaa bin Yahyaa Al-Baladee informed me, saying: Muhammad bin Al-'Abbaas bin Al-Fadl bin Yoonus Al-Khayyaat narrated to us in Mawsil: Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Abil-Mathnaa narrated to us: Qabeesah bin 'Uqbah narrated to us from Sufyaan Ath-Thawree from Mansoor that Abu Ruzain said concerning Allah's statement: "They recite it (the Qur'aan) the way it should be recited": 61

"(Meaning): They follow it the way it should be followed, and they act upon it the way it should be acted upon."

[118] The Judge, Abu Muhammad Yoosuf bin Rabaah bin 'Alee Al-Ba informed us: Abu 'Abdillaah Muhammad bin Al-Muhsin bin Al-Husayn Al-Azdee narrated to us in Egypt, saying: Al-'Abbaas bin Ahmad Al-Khawaateemee reported to us in Tarsoos: Al-'Abbaas bin Al-Fadl Al-Ursoofee narrated to us: Ahmad bin 'Abdil-'Azeez narrated to us: Nasr bin 'Eesaa narrated to us: Maalik bin Anas narrated to us from Naafi' from Ibn 'Umar that the Prophet H said concerning Allaah's statement: "They recite it (the Qur'aan) the way it should be recited": 62

"(Meaning): They follow it the way it should be followed." 63

61 Surah Al-Baqarah: 121 62 Surah Al-Baqarah: 121 63 Its chain of narration is weak, since Al-'Abbaas bin Al-Fadl Al-Ursoofee was accused of fabricating hadith by Adh-Dhahabee. As for Al-Khawaateemee, the one who reported from him is unknown. The same goes for Ahmad bin 'Abdil-'Azeez and Nasr bin 'Eesaa. In their biographical accounts of him, both Adh-Dhahabee and Al-'Asqalaanee quoted this hadith and said: "Al-Khateeb said: 'There are more than one unknown narrators in its chain of narration.'" Al-Khateeb stated this in the book arRuwaat 'an Maalik, and As-Suyootee attributed this to him in ad-Durr-ul-Manthoor (1/111), saying: "There are unknown narrators in its chain." Ibn Jareer and Al-Haakim also reported this hadith (2/266) in mawquf form from Ibn 'Abbaas - and this is what is correct.

39 the Sake of Worship

[119] Abu Sa'eed Muhammad bin Moosaa bin Al-Fadl bin Shaadhaan As-Sayrafee informed us in Naisapur: Abul-'Abbaas Muhammad bin Ya'qoob Al-Asam narrated to us: A1-'Abbaas bin Al-Waleed bin Mazeed Al-Bayrootee informed us, saying: My father informed me: Al-Awzaa'ee narrated to us, saying:

"I have been informed that it used to be said: 'Woe to those who acquire (religious) knowledge for other than the sake of worship and to those who permit the unlawful due to doubtful arguments."

[120] Al-Hasan bin 'Alee Al-Jawharee informed us: Muhammad bin Al-'Abbaas AlKharraaz narrated to us: Yahyaa bin Muhammad bin Saa'id narrated to us: Al-Husayn bin Al-Hasan Al-Marwazee narrated to us, saying: Ibn Al-Mubaarak informed us, saying: Bakaar bin 'Abdillah informed us, saying: I heard Wahb bin Munabbih say: "Allaah, the Most High, said in His censure of the Rabbis (scholars) from amongst the Children of Israa'eel (i.e. Jews):

'Will you learn for other than the sake of the Religion, and acquire knowledge for other than the sake of acting on it? Will you purchase the worldly life using deeds (meant) for the Hereafter? You wear the skins of sheep yet conceal (within yourselves) the souls of wolves. You quickly clean the filth that falls into your drinks yet you readily swallow the equivalent of mountains from the unlawful. You make the Religion burdensome upon the people like the weight of mountains, and you don't assist them by even lifting up your pinky fingers. You prolong the prayer and whiten the garments. You illegally seize the wealth of the orphan and the widow. By My might, I swear that I will indeed strike you with a calamity in which the opinion of every opinionative person and the wisdom of every wise person (amongst you) will be led astray.'"

[121] Al-Hasan bin Abee Bakr informed us, saying: 'Uthmaan bin Ahmad Ad-Daqaaq informed us: Al-Hasan bin Salaam narrated to us: Abu Nu'aim narrated to us: AbulJaabiyah narrated to us: Al-Farraa' narrated to us, saying: Ash-Sha'abee said:

"Verily, we are not Fuqahaa (men of understanding). We merely listen to the hadith and then narrate it (to others). Rather, the Fuqahaa are those who when they know something, act upon it."

[122] Al-Hasan bin Muhammad Al-Khallaal narrated to us: 'Umar bin Ahmad, the Admonisher, narrated to us: 'Abdullaah bin Muhammad bin Ziyaad narrated to us: Al- 'Abbaas bin Al-Waleed bin Mazeed narrated to us, saying: My father narrated to us, saying: I heard Al-Awzaa'ee say:

"When Allaah desires evil for a people, He opens the door of argumentation for them and prevents them from (doing good) deeds."

[123] Abu 'Abdillaah Al-Husayn bin Ja'far As-Salmaasee informed us, saying: Ahmad bin Ibraheem bin Shaadhaan informed us: Ahmad bin Muhammad bin 'Abdil-Kareem

40 Ibraaheem Al-Bakaa say: I heard Ma'roof bin Fayrooz Al-Kurkhee say:

"When Allaah intends good for a servant, He opens for him the door of actions and closes for him the door of argumentation. And when Allaah intends evil for a servant, He opens for him the door of argumentation and closes for him the door of actions."

[124] Abul-Qaasim 'Ubaydullaah bin 'Umar bin Ahmad, the Admonisher, informed us, saying: My father narrated to me, saying: 'Alee bin Muhammad Al-Misree narrated to us: Muhammad bin Zayd narrated to us that Ibn Suwayd said: Abu Nu'aim Al-Fadl bin Dukain narrated to us saying: I entered into the presence of Zafar when he was at the point of death, so he raised his head up to me and said to me:

"O Abu Nu'aim, I wished that what we were upon (from seeking hadith) was instead tasbeeh (glorification of Allaah)."

41 Gatherings or Gain Followers And Companions through Narration

[125] The Judge, Abu Bakr Ahmad bin Al-Hasan bin Ahmad Al-Hayree informed us in Naisapur: Abu Muhammad Haajib bin Ahmad bin Yarham bin Sufyaan At-Toosee informed us: Muhammad bin Hammaad, who is Al-Abyurdee narrated to us, saying: Yazeed bin Haaroon narrated to us from Sulaymaan At-Tameemee from Siyaar from 'Aa'idhullaah that he said:

"The one who follows after the hadith in order to (just) narrate it (to others and not act on it) will not smell the fragrance of Paradise."

[126] Abul-Hasan 'Alee bin Al-Qaasim bin Al-Hasan, the Witness, informed us in Basrah: 'Alee bin Ishaaq Al-Maadiraa'ee narrated to us: Ahmad bin Muhammad AlKhaleelee narrated to us, saying: Sulaymaan bin Dawood narrated to me: Khaalid bin Al-Haarith Al-Hujaymee said: It was said to Ibn Shabramah: "Narrate hadith (to us), and you will be rewarded (for is)." So he began to say:

"They expect that I will receive an immense reward, yet I wish that I would be saved by just enough to get by, which is neither against me nor for me."

[127] The Judge, Abul-'Alaa Al-Waasitee informed us: Muhammad bin Ahmad bin Muhammad Al-Mu'eed informed us: Muhammad bin As-Simt narrated to us: AbunNasr Rajaa bin Sahl narrated to us: Abu Mas'har 'Abdul-A'laa bin Mas'har narrated to us, saying:

"(One day), the students of hadith set out early to go and see Al-Awzaa'ee, so he turned towards them and said:

'How many dedicated (students of knowledge) there are, Seeking to gather it and desirous of obtaining it, Yet they do not gain benefit from it Nor do they give benefit out to others.'"

[128] 'Alee bin Al-Qaasim informed us: 'Alee bin Ishaaq narrated to us, saying: It was read to Al-Mufdil bin Muhammad bin Ibraaheem in Makkah, while I was present: Abu Ya'qoob Ishaaq bin Ibraaheem At-Tabaree narrated to us, saying: I heard AlFudayl say:

"If you had requested Deenaars from me it would have been easier on me than if you had requested ahaadeeth from me." So I said to him: "If you would narrate to me, by way of ahaadeeth, points of benefit that I am not aware of, that would be more beloved to me than if you were to give me the equivalent of that in Deenaars." He said: "You are truly afflicted. By Allah, if (only) you would act upon what you heard (from narrations), that would surely preoccupy you from what you have yet to hear." Then he said: "I heard Sulaymaan bin Mihraan say: 'If you had food in front of you, which you were eating, and every time you took a piece from it you threw it behind your back (instead of your mouth), when would your hunger be satisfied?'"

42 us: Ja'far bin Muhammad As-Saa'igh narrated to us: 'Ubaydullaah bin 'Umar AlQawaadeeree said:

"I saw the foster brother of Sufyaan bin 'Uyainah come to Fudayl (i.e. for knowledge). So he (Fudayl) said to him: 'Is there not sufficient evil in your home such that you had to come here?'" 64

[130] 'Alee narrated to us, saying: 'Alee narrated to us: Ja'far As-Saa'igh narrated to us: Khaalid bin Khidaash narrated to us, saying:

"Al-Fudayl said to me: 'Will you go to Sufyaan?' I said: 'Yes.' He said: 'What a great man he is, if only he weren't one of the People of hadith.'"

[131] Abu Taalib Muhammad bin Al-Fat'h Al-Harbee informed us, saying: 'Umar bin Ahmad, the Admonisher, informed us, saying: Abu Habeeb Al-'Abbaas bin Ahmad Al-Baratee narrated to us: Sawaar bin 'Abdillaah narrated to us, saying: I heard Sufyaan bin 'Uyainah say:

"If I were to be asked why I sought (knowledge of) the hadith, I don't know what I would say."

[132] Abu Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah bin Yahyaa bin 'Abdil-Jabbaar As-Sukree informed us, saying: Muhammad bin 'Abdillaah bin Ibraaheem Ash-Shaafi'ee informed us: Ja'far bin Muhammad bin Al-Azhar narrated to us: Al-Ghilaabee narrated to us, saying: A man once asked Sufyaan bin 'Uyainah about the chain of narration (isnaad) of a hadith, so he said:

"What will you do with its chain of narration? As for you, then the wisdom in it (i.e. the hadith) has already been conveyed to you, and (now) the exhortation in it is what is binding on you."

[133] 'Abdul-'Azeez bin 'Alee Al-Azjee informed me: 'Umar bin Muhammad bin Ibraaheem Al-Bajlee narrated to us: Ahmad bin 'Ubaydillaah bin 'Ammaar Ath-Thaqafee narrated to us: Abu Zayd 'Umar bin Shubah narrated to us, saying: Khalaad bin Yazeed Al-Arqat - and whenever Abu Zayd would mention Khalaad, he would describe him as being prestigious and noble, and he would say that he was from the firm mountains in terms of nobility - narrated to me, saying: I came to Sufyaan bin 'Uyainah, so he said to me:

"Indeed it is only ignorance that has brought you here, not your desire for seeking knowledge. If your neighbours would limit themselves to just your knowledge, it would be sufficient for them."65 Then he gathered a pile of dirt and divided it in half with his finger, and said: "This is knowledge -You have acquired half of it, now you are seeking after the other half. So if it were to be said to you: Have you used what you have acquired? If you were truthful and responded: No, it would then be said to you: What then is your need for that which will increase you in burden upon burden?! Use what you have acquired first."