Hadith #584
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى عَنْ هِشَامٍ أَمْلَاهُ عَلَيْنَا حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ عَمْرٍو مِنْ فِيهِ إِلَى فِيَّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنْ النَّاسِ وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يَتْرُكْ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُؤَسَاءَ جُهَّالًا فَسُئِلُوا فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا
English Translation
It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr (رضي الله عنهما) — via Yahya, from Hisham al-Dastawa'i, from his father — who said: 'I heard 'Abdullah ibn 'Amr from his very mouth say: "I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: 'Indeed Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it from people. Rather, He takes knowledge by the death of the scholars, until no scholar remains. Then the people take the ignorant as leaders, and they are asked [for rulings] and give fatwa without knowledge — so they are astray and lead others astray.'"'
Quran References
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 15, Hadith 584
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 6222
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-42612