Chapter 8: THIRST FOR KNOWLEDGE

Since the Kalimah is the foundation of Islam and the basis for all achievements, no good action is, therefore, acceptable without belief in the Kalimah. Therefore, the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ devoted most of their energy, especially in the early days of Islam, in the propagation of the Kalimah and by fighting against the kuffaar. Although their activities left them very little time to devote themselves in the pursuit of knowledge, yet their zeal even in this direction has preserved for us 14 centuries later a legacy in the form of knowledge about the Qur-aan and Hadith, which is a shining example for us. Later, when the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ we’re not as preoccupied in the field of da’wat and jihaad, and the number of people in Islam also grew considerably, Allah Ta’ala revealed the following verse in the Qur-aan:

Translation: “And it is not (correct) for the believers to go out (in the path of Allah) all together. Why does a small group from every large party not proceed to attain deep understanding of Deen, so that they may warn their people (who had been engaged in the part of Allah Ta’ala) when they return to them so that they may beware (of sin)?” (Surah Taubah -Aayah 122)

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) says: “The verses of the Qur-aan which were revealed in the beginning of Islam, demanding every Muslim to move out in the path of Allah Ta’ala; for example:

Translation: “If you do not go forth, He (Allah Ta’ala) shall punish you severely;” (Surah Taubah - Aayah 39)

Translation: “Proceed (in the path of Allah Ta’ala) when light or heavy (in good conditions and adverse conditions), and exert yourselves (for the welfare of deen) with your wealth and your lives in the way of Allah Ta’ala;” (Surah Taubah - Aayah 41)

These verses were later on superseded by the foregoing verse, which advised only a party from each group to leave their places.

Translation: “And it is not (correct) for the believers to go out (in the path of Allah) all together. Why does a small group from every large party not proceed to attain deep understanding of Deen, so that they may warn their people (who had been engaged in the part of Allah Ta’ala) when they return to them so that they may beware (of sin)?” (Surah Taubah -Aayah 122)

The Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ were very few in number and they had to assume the responsibilities of Islam in all fields. Therefore, Allah Ta’ala gifted them with the talent in all fields of Deen. In the time of the Tabieen, Islam spread far and wide and the Muslims grew in number. Since the later people lacked the talent in all fields of Deen like that of the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ , Allah Ta’ala used different people to specialize in different branches of Islamic learning.

Muhadditheen devoted themselves to the collection and propagation of Hadith. Similarly, the Fuqaha (jurists), Soofia (Experts in Zikr), Qurraa (Experts in recitation of Qur-aan), Mujahidin (Fighters in the path of Allah Ta’ala), etc; each group specialised in its own field. This was very necessary at that time because the different branches of Islamic learning would not have developed to the level of perfection, as it is difficult for one man to specialise in all the branches. The Ambiyaa عَلَيْهِم السَّلَامُ , and especially Muhammad ﷺ , who was the leader amongst them, were specially gifted with such a capability. This will explain why the stories of other eminent personalities, besides the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ have also been narrated in this chapter.

Most of the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ , were involved in Jihaad, daawat, learning and teaching. However, there was a group of Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ who were totally responsible for issuing Fatwa, even during the lifetime of Nabi ﷺ .

They were the following Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ : Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Usmaan رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Ali رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Abdur Rahmaan bin ‘Auf رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Ubayy bin Ka’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Mu’aaz bin Jabal رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Ammaar bin Yaasir رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Salmaan Farsi رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , Hadhrat Zaid bin Saabit رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ ,

Hadhrat Abu Musa عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ and Hadhrat Abu Darda رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ . To give Fatwa during the lifetime of Nabi ﷺ was a great honour for these Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ , and it gives us an idea of their deep and great knowledge.

Hadhrat Aa’ishah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “My father, Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , had a book of 500 Ahaadith. One night I noticed that he was very restless. He was tossing about in bed and could not sleep. I got worried and asked him, ‘Are you suffering from any illness or worried about something?’ However he did not speak and remained restless throughout the night. The next morning he called me and said, ‘Bring the book of Hadith that I gave you to keep.’ I brought the book and he set fire to it, till it was burnt. He said, ‘The book had many Ahaadith that I had heard from other people. I thought that if I passed away and left behind a Hadith accepted as true by me, but really not authentic, then I should have to answer for that.’” It was Hadhrat Abu Bakr’s رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ thirst for knowledge that caused him to write a book of 500 Ahaadith. But it was due to his extreme carefulness that he burnt the collection. The Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ were very careful and cautious about Hadith. That is why we find very few Ahaadith narrated by the famous Sahaabah رَضِى اللهُ عَنْ هُمْ . People who nowadays quote Hadith (without first checking) in their lectures from the mimbar should take a lesson from this story. Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ remained in the company of Nabi ﷺ most of his time, in Madinah and on journeys, and was his companion during Hijrah. Many of the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ used to say: “Hadhrat Abu Bakr ٠٠٢٦ was the most learned amongst us.”

Hadhrat Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ has mentioned that, “After the death of Nabi ﷺ , when discussion regarding the selection of the Khalifah was taking place, Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ advised the people mentioning all the Aayaat of the Qur-aan and all those Ahaadith of Nabi ﷺ which spoke about the virtues and qualities of the Ansaar. This shows how much knowledge of the Qur-aan he had and how many Ahaadith he remembered. Despite all this, there are very few Ahaadith which have been narrated by Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ . This is the underlying reason because of which Imaam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ too was not so free in reporting Hadith.

A story about Hadhrat Mus’ab bin Umair رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ has already been given in Chapter seven. When the first group of people from Madinah Munawwarah accepted Islam in Mina, Nabi ﷺ chose Hadhrat Mus’ab bin Umair رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ to go with them to Madinah to teach Islam and also preach to others. He was busy all the time teaching the Qur-aan and other Islamic practices to the people. He stayed with Hadhrat As’ad bin Zurarah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ and was known as ‘Muqree’ (the teacher). Sa’d bin Mu’aaz and Usaid bin Hudhair, who were from the chiefs of Madinah Munawwarah, did not like what Hadhrat Mus’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was doing. Sa’d told Usaid: “You go to As’ad and tell him that we do not like him bringing a stranger to Madinah, who will mislead the poor and simple people of the town.” Usaid went to Hadhrat As’ad رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ and talked to him very rudely. Hadhrat As’ad رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ told him: “You listen to him first and if you like his teachings, you may accept them. If not, then you can stop him.” Usaid said, “This is a fair proposal”. Hadhrat Mus’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ then explained the beauty of Islam and read a few Aayaat of the Noble Qur-aan to him. Usaid said: “These teachings are excellent and these Aayaat are really beautiful. How does a person accept Islam?” Hadhrat Mus’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ said: “You take a bath, put on clean clothes and read the Kalimah.” Usaid immediately followed these instructions and accepted Islam. He then went to Sa’d and brought him to Hadhrat Mus’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ to listen to his dawat to Islam. Sa’d also accepted Islam. As soon as Sa’d accepted Islam, he went to the people of his tribe (Banu Ash-hal) and told them: “What type of a person do you think I am?” They replied: “You are the best and the noblest of the tribe.” He then said: “I have taken a qasm (oath) not to talk to you until you all accept Islam and believe in Muhammad ﷺ .” All the men and women of the Banu Ash-hal tribe immediately accepted Islam. Hadhrat Mus’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ began to teach and train them in Islam.

Note: It was a common practise of the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ that when any of them accepted Islam, then he immediately began to preach it. Every one of them considered it compulsory upon himself to preach and teach to others what he knew about Islam. His business, farm, job or studies did not stop him from inviting others to Islam.

Hadhrat Ubayy bin Ka’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ is one of the most famous Sahaabah رض اللهُ عَدْه and was an expert Qaari of the Qur-aan. Very few Arabs knew how to read and write before Islam, and he was one of them. Nabi ﷺ used to read out the revealed verses of the Qur-aan to him. He memorised the Qur-aan during the lifetime of Nabi ﷺ and had a very good understanding of it. Nabi ﷺ said: “Ubayy bin Ka'ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ is the greatest Qaari of my Ummat.” He used to finish reciting the entire Qur-aan in eight nights in Tahajjud Salaah. Nabi ﷺ once told him: “I have been commanded by Allah Ta’ala to read the Qur-aan to you.” He said: “O, Nabi of Allah! Did Allah Ta’ala mention me by my name?” Nabi ﷺ replied: “Yes, He mentioned you by your name.” Tears began to roll down his cheeks with extreme joy.

Poetic Translation: My name being taken is better than me being in the gathering Hadhrat Jundub bin Abdullah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “When I went to Madinah Munawwarah to study, I found that the people were sitting in groups and each group had a teacher. In one of the groups I saw a person dressed in two sheets of cloth, teaching Hadith and looking like a traveller. I asked the people, ‘Who is this person?’ They said, ‘He is our respected Imaam, Hadhrat Ubayy bin Ka’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ .’ When he finished teaching, I followed him to his house. He lived in a very old and simple building, with little or no furniture. I noticed Hadhrat Ubayy رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ living a very simple and poor life.”

Hadhrat Ubayy رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “Once Nabi ﷺ tested me in my knowledge of the Qur-aan. He asked me, ‘Ubayy, which is the best Aayat of the Qur-aan?’ I said, ‘Allah and His Nabi ﷺ know best.’ He again asked me the same question and I gave the same humble and respectful reply. When he asked me once again, I replied, ‘The best Aayah in the Qur-aan is Aayatul Kursi.' My reply made him very happy. He said, ‘May Allah Ta’ala bless you through your knowledge.’ Once, when Nabi ﷺ was leading the Salaah, he missed one Aayah. Hadhrat Ubayy رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ corrected the mistake from behind. After finishing the Salaah, Nabi ﷺ asked, ‘Who corrected me?’ He was told that it was Hadhrat Ubayy bin Ka’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ . He said, ‘I also thought that it was him.’”

Note: Together with his love for knowledge and his special job of writing the Qur-aan, he took part in all the battles by the side of Nabi ﷺ . He did not miss a single battle with Nabi ﷺ .

Hadhrat Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ is one of the well-known Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ . He is known as the ‘Keeper of Secrets’. Nabi ﷺ had told him the names of the Munaafiqeen (hypocrites) and had informed him of the order of all the evils which the Muslims were to face till the last day. He gave him full details (namely, the name of the mischief maker, his parent’s names, his community, etc.) about the incidents that were going to affect 300 or more people. Hadhrat Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “Other people used to ask Nabi ﷺ about good things, while I always asked him about the evil things, so that I may save myself from them.” He then mentioned the following conversation with Nabi ﷺ :-Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ asked: “O Nabi of Allah, shall we slip back to evil, after the good that you have brought to us?” Nabi ﷺ replied: “Yes. The evil is coming.” Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ asked: “Shall we have good again after that evil?”

Nabi ﷺ replied: “Huzayfah! Go and read the Qur-aan, think about its meaning and follow its orders.” However Huzayfah’s رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ worry grew even more and he con-tinued his questions about evils that were to come to the Muslims. Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ asked again: “O Nabi of Allah, tell me if good will come after the evil?” Nabi ﷺ replied: “Yes, good will come again, but the hearts of the people will not be as clean as before.” Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ asked: “And will there be any evil coming after this good?” Nabi ﷺ replied: “Yes, There will be such persons who will mislead the people and take them to Jahannam.” Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ asked: “What should I do if I see that time?” Nabi ﷺ replied: “If the Muslims are united under one ruler, then join them; otherwise separate yourself from all such groups and be hidden in a corner, or take safety under a tree (i.e. in a forest) and remain there till you pass away.” As Nabi ﷺ had told him the names of the Munaafiqeen of that time, Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ used to ask him: “Is there any Munaafiq among my governors?” He once replied: “Yes. There is one, but I shall not tell you his name.” Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ sent the man home, probably by his own judgment. Whenever somebody passed away, Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ would ask if Hadhrat Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was taking part in the Janaazah Salaah. If Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was not present, then Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ would also not attend that funeral. When Hadhrat Huzayfah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was about to pass away, he cried in worry and discomfort. People asked him: “Are you weeping because you are leaving this world?” He replied: “No, I am not weeping over that. I love to die. I am weeping because I don’t know, whether Allah Ta’ala is pleased with me or not.” He then made dua: “O, Allah! These are the last moments of my life. You know that I have always loved You. Bless my meeting with You.”

Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ is another famous Sahaabi. No other person has narrated as many Ahaadith as him. He had been with Nabi ﷺ for only four years, as he accepted Islam in 7 A.H. and Nabi ﷺ passed away in 11 A.H. People used to wonder as to how he could remember so many Ahaadith in such a short period. He explains this himself, saying: “People wonder how I remember so many Ahaadith. The fact is that while my Muhaajir brothers were busy in business and my Ansaar brothers did their farming, I was always with Nabi ﷺ . I was from the people of Suffah. I never cared to earn my living. I was happy with the little food that Nabi ﷺ gave me. I would be with Nabi ﷺ at times when no one else was there. I once complained to Nabi ﷺ about my poor memory. He said, ‘Spread your shawl!’ I did so. He made some signs on the shawl with his own hands and said, ‘Now wrap this shawl around yourself.’ I wrapped it around my chest. Since then, I have never forgotten anything that I had wished to remember.”

Note: The people of Suffah were living in Nabi’s ﷺ Masjid. They had no means of income. They were the guests of Nabi ﷺ , who gave them Sadaqah and shared with them the gifts that he received. Abu Hurayrah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was one of them. He would sometimes go without food for days together and would sometimes behave like a mad person because of hunger, as we have already seen in Chapter three. Despite these difficulties, he was always busy in memorising the sayings of Nabi ﷺ .This enabled him to narrate such a large number of Ahaadith.

Imaam Ibn Jauzi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ has attributed as many as 5374 Ahaadith to him. Once he mentioned the following Hadith: “A person taking part in a funeral gets one Qeeraat of reward if he returns after the Janaazah salaah, but gets two Qeeraats of reward if he remains there till the burial is over, and one Qeeraat is heavier than mount Uhud.” Hadhrat Abdullah bin ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ heard this and had some doubt. He said: “O, Abu Hurayrah! Think before you speak.”

Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ got upset and took Hadhrat Abdullah bin ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ to Hadhrat Aa’ishah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهَا and told her: “O, Ummul-Mu’mineen, I request you to say by Allah if you have heard from Nabi ﷺ the Hadith regarding Qeeraats of reward?” She replied: “Yes. I have heard this Hadith.” Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ then said to Hadhrat Abdullah bin ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ : “During the time of Nabi ﷺ , I had no tree to plant in the orchard and no goods to sell in the market. I was always with Nabi ﷺ . My only job was to memorise what Nabi ﷺ had said, and to eat only what he gave me.” Hadhrat Abdullah bin ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ said: “No doubt, of us all, you were always with him and therefore you know the most about Nabi ﷺ .”

With all this achievements, Hadhrat Abu Hurayrah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “I read Istighfaar 12 000 times daily.” He had a piece of string with 1000 knots. He would not go to sleep until he had read ‘Subhaanallah’ on all of these knots.

Musaylamah, who was a liar, called himself a prophet even during the lifetime of Nabi ﷺ . After the death of Nabi ﷺ , people of weak Imaan began to leave Islam. Musaylamah took advantage of the situation and caused many people to follow him. Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ took up arms against him. A fierce battle was fought with Musaylamah, in which the Muslims won with the help of Allah Ta’ala and Musaylamah was killed. However, many Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ , including many Huffaaz, lost their lives. After this battle, Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ went to Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ and said: “Many Huffaaz have been killed in this battle. I am afraid that we will lose a good part of the Qur-aan if we have to fight a few more battles and lose more Huffaaz. I, therefore, suggest that the Qur-aan may be compiled and protected in the form of one complete book.”

Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ said: “How can I do something that was not done in the lifetime of Nabi ﷺ ?” However, Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ insisted so much that Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ agreed to it. He sent for Hadhrat Zaid bin Saabit رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ and told him what had been discussed between him and Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ and then said: “You are young and intelligent. Everybody considers you to be trustworthy. You were also chosen by Nabi ﷺ to write the Qur-aan during his lifetime. I therefore request you to go to the people and collect the Qur-aan from them and put it into a book form.” Hadhrat Zaid رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “By Allah, if Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ had asked me to shift the rocks of a mountain from one place to another, it would not have been so hard for me as compared to the collecting of the Qur-aan. I said, ‘How do you both dare to do something which was not done by Nabi ﷺ ?’. In one Hadith it is mentioned that Hadhrat Abu Bakr رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ told Hadhrat Zaid رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , “If you are in agreement with Hadhrat Umar’s رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ proposal, I will give the instruction to proceed, otherwise I shall also hold back”. Hadhrat Zaid رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says, “After a lengthy discussion Allah Ta’ala opened my heart to the merit of this task. I then started going to the people and collecting the Qur-aan from those who had written it and from those who had learnt it by heart, till the final compilation was ready.”

Note: From this incident gauge at how strictly the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ followed Nabi ﷺ . Shifting of a mountain from its place was not as difficult for them as doing a thing that they had not seen Nabi ﷺ doing. Allah Ta’ala gave them the honour of providing the greatest service to Islam by compiling the Qur-aan into one book. Hadhrat Zaid رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was so careful that he would only accept the Aayaat when these were proved to be written during the lifetime of Nabi ﷺ and only after they were confirmed by those who had memorised the Qur-aan. Many thanks to the efforts of Hadhrat Zaid رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ . No doubt, he had to go from door to door and person to person, before Allah Ta’ala made it possible for every word to be compiled and written down. Hadhrat Zaid رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was helped by Hadhrat Ubayy bin Ka’ab رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , whom Nabi ﷺ had called a great expert in Qur-aanic knowledge. It was with this effort that these Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ were the first people to compile the Qur-aan Shareef.

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ is one of those famous Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ who was given the task of issuing Fatwa, even during the lifetime of Nabi ﷺ . He was one of the very early Muslims who emigrated to Abyssinia. He joined Nabi ﷺ in all his battles and worked as his attendant. He carried the shoes of Nabi ﷺ , gave him a pillow when he needed one, and brought him water for his wudhu. He was therefore called, “The keeper of the shoes,” “The keeper of the pillow” and “The manager of wudhu.” Nabi ﷺ once said: “Abdullah bin Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ is the only person whom I can choose as an Ameer (leader) without asking anybody.” On one occasion Nabi ﷺ said to him, “You have permission to visit me at all times.” Nabi ﷺ said: “If you want to read the Qur-aan as it was revealed to me, then copy the reading of Abdullah bin Mas’ood.”

“Believe in what Abdullah bin Mas’ood says about me.”

Hadhrat Abu Musa Ash’ari عَلَيْهِ السَّلَامُ says: “Abdullah bin Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ and his mother visited Nabi’s ﷺ house so often and were so comfortable there that the people of Yemen, who had come to see Nabi ﷺ , thought that they were part of the Ahl-e-Bayt (family members of Nabi ﷺ ).” Although he was so close to Nabi ﷺ , yet he was very careful about narrating the words of Nabi ال الة لي صَلّ اللّٰهُ عَلَيْهِ وًسَلَّمَ .

Hadhrat Abu Aamir Shaybaani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “I stayed with Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ for one year. I never heard him quoting any words directly to Nabi ﷺ . Whenever he intended doing so, he would shiver with fear.” Hadhrat ‘Amr bin Maimoon رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “I visited Abdullah bin Mas’ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ every Thursday for one year. I never heard him saying; ‘Nabi ﷺ said this.’ Once, when narrating a Hadith, he said the words; ‘Nabi ﷺ said so,’ suddenly his body began to shiver, his eyes became full of tears, his forehead sweated, his veins became swollen and he said, ‘InshaAllah Nabi ﷺ said so,’ or he may have said something similar or a bit less or a bit more.”

Note: Look at the Sahaabah’s رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ caution and care about Hadith. This is because Nabi ﷺ said: “A person who says that I have said something, which I did not say, is making his home in Jahannam.” Because of this warning, the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ explained everything that Nabi ﷺ said or did, but, they were afraid of saying; “Nabi ﷺ said this,” in case they should differ from what Nabi ﷺ had actually said. On the other hand, we go on quoting Ahaadith without being sure of their authenticity and do not fear the serious consequences of attributing anything wrongly to Nabi ﷺ . It may be mentioned that the Fiqah Hanifiyah is based mostly on the Ahaadith narrated by Hadhrat Abdullah bin Mas'ood رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ .

Kaseer bin Qais رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “I was sitting with Hadhrat Abu Darda رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ in a Masjid in Damascus, when someone came to him and said, ‘O, Abu Darda رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ , I have come all the way from Madinah to learn one Hadith from you, because you have heard it directly from Nabi ﷺ .’”

Hadhrat Abu Darda رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ asked: “Do you have any other work in Damascus?” The person replied: “No.” Hadhrat Abu Darda رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ again asked: “Are you sure that you have no other work in Damascus?” The person replied: “I have come to this place only to learn this Hadith.” Hadhrat Abu Darda رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ then said: “I have heard Nabi ﷺ saying, ‘Allah Ta’ala makes the way to Jannah easy for the one who travels some distance to seek knowledge. The Malaa’ikah (Angels) spread their wings under his feet in his honour and all things in the heavens and earth, even the fish in the water, make dua for his forgiveness. The greatness of a person who has knowledge over a person doing ibaadat is like the greatness of the moon over the stars. The Ulama are the inheritors of the Ambiyaa عَلَيْهِم ٱلسَّلَامُ . The inheritance of the Ambiyaa عَلَيْهِم السَّلامُ is not gold or silver. Their inheritance is knowledge. A person who obtains knowledge receives a great wealth.’”

Note: Hadhrat Abu Darda رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was a leader amongst the Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ and had a very good knowledge of Deen. He is called ‘Hakeemul Ummah’ (The wise person of this Ummah). He once said: “Before accepting Islam, I did business. After accepting Islam, I tried to serve Allah Ta’ala together with my business, but I could not do so. I, therefore, gave up the business for the service of Allah Ta’ala. Now, if I have a shop at the gate of a Masjid and therefore have no fear of losing a single Salaah, and even if the shop gives me a daily profit of forty Dinars (gold coins) to spend the whole lot in the path of Allah Ta’ala, even then I am not going to go back to business.” Somebody asked the reason, “Why are you not happy to do such business which will not lead you to the missing of salaah and you will also earn much profit which you can also spend in the path of Allah. Then too you do not prefer this. He replied: “Because of the fear of answering on the day of Qiyaamah.” He used to say: “I love death, so that I may meet Allah Ta’ala. I love poverty, so that I may be humble. I love sickness, so that I may be forgiven of my sins by Allah Ta’ala.”

In this story, we find a person travelling all the way from Madinah Shareef to Damascus for the sake of one Hadith. This was not at all difficult for those people. Hadhrat Sha’abi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous Muhaddith of Koofah. He once narrated a Hadith to one of his students and said: “You are listening to this Hadith while sitting in your home town. People had to travel all the way to Madinah for even less important things, because Madinah was the only seat of learning in those days.” Sa’eed ibnul Musayyab رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous Tabi’ee. He says: “For each Hadith that I have learnt, I had to travel on foot for days and nights together.” Imaam Bukhaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ was born in Shawwal 194 A.H. He started learning Hadith in 205 A.H. That is when he was only eleven years old. He had memorised all the books written by Abdullah bin Mubarak رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ while he was in his early teens. After collecting Ahaadith from all the learned men of his own locality, he set out in 216 A.H. in search of further knowledge. His father died and he could not leave his widowed mother alone. He therefore took her with him on his long and strenuous journey to Balkh, Baghdad, Mecca, Basra, Koofah, Asqalan, Hims and Damascus. He collected all the available Ahaadith from these seats of learning. He was accepted as an expert in Hadith, while he did not have a single hair on his chin. He writes: “I was eighteen when I compiled the Fatwah of the Sahaabah and Tabi'ees.” Haashid رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ and one of his companions say: “Bukhaari and the two of us used to go together to the same teacher. We noted down all the Ahaadith that we learnt, but he wrote nothing. After many days we told him, ‘Bukhaari, you are wasting your time.’ He kept quiet. When we warned him again and again, he said, ‘You are now annoying me too much. Bring your notes.’ We brought our notes, which covered about 15,000 Ahaadith. To our utter amazement, he recited all those Ahaadith by heart.”

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbaas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “After Nabi ﷺ had passed away, I told an Ansaari friend of mine, ‘Nabi ﷺ is no more with us, but many Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ are still with us. Let us go to them and learn the knowledge of Islam.’ He said, ‘Who is going to come to you for learning in the presence of these famous Sahaabah رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمْ ?’ I was not discouraged. I continued learning and went to every person who was thought to have heard something from Nabi ﷺ . I managed to learn a lot from the Ansaar. If, on my visit to one of the Sahaabah و رضوا , I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and sat waiting. Sometimes my face and body would get covered with dust, but I kept sitting till they woke up. I then asked what I needed to. Some of them said: ‘Abdullah! You are the cousin of Nabi ﷺ , you could have sent for us. Why did you take all the trouble of coming to our homes?’ I told them: ‘I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my teachers.’ Some people for whom I had waited said: ‘How long have you been waiting for us?’ I informed them that I had been sitting there for a pretty long time. They said: ‘What a pity, you could have awakened us from our sleep.’ I said: ‘I did not like to disturb you for my own sake.’ I continued learning till there came a time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansaari friend realised this at that time and said with regret, ‘This boy has surely proven himself more intelligent than us.’”

Note: It was this love, pursuit and sacrifice for knowledge, which caused Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbaas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ to be known as Hibr-ul-Ummat (the most learned man of Islam) and Bahrul Uloom (ocean of knowledge) in his time. At the time of his death, he was in Taa’if. Hadhrat Muhammad bin Ali ﷺ performed the janazah salaah and said: “Today we have lost our saintly leader.” Hadhrat Abdullah bin ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “Abdullah bin Abbaas رضو الله عَنه is known for his knowledge regarding the occasions when the different Aayaat of the Qur-aan were revealed.” Hadhrat ‘Umar رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ used to seat Hadhrat Ibn Abbaas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُمَا with honour amongst the most knowledgeable Ulama of his time. This is all due to his hard work in acquiring knowledge. He could not have reached this position if he had thought himself to be part of Nabi’s ﷺ family and demanded respect from the people instead of going to them for knowledge. Nabi ﷺ has said: “Be most humble and respectful to those from whom you receive knowledge.” Mujaahid رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “A proud or shy student cannot gain much.” Hadhrat Ali رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ says: “I am a slave to the person who has taught me even a single word. He may sell me or set me free.” Hadhrat Yahya bin Kaseer رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “Knowledge and easy living cannot go together.” Hadhrat Imaam Shaafi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “A student who learns half-heartedly and ungratefully can never succeed. A student who is humble and hard-living often reaches his goal.” Mughirah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “We feared our teacher Hadhrat Ibrahim رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ more than even the kings of our times.” Hadhrat Imaam Bukhaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ writes about Yahya bin Ma'een (rahamatullahi alaih), the famous Muhaddith: “I have never seen a person more respectful to the Muhadditheen than Yahya.” Imaam Abu Yusuf رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “I have heard from famous people that a student who does not respect his teacher is never successful.” This story shows that Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbaas رَضِيَ اللّٰهُ عَنْهُ was very humble and respectful to those from whom he learnt Islam. It also shows his thirst for knowledge. He did not mind any amount of effort or difficulty in going to those who had some knowledge of Hadith. In fact, nothing can be achieved without hardship. As the Arabic saying goes:

Translation: “A person who wishes for high positions must burn the midnight oil.” (Study till late at night)

Translation: It is said about Hadhrat Haaris bin Yazid, Hadhrat Ibn Shubrumah, Hadhrat Qa'qaa, and Hadhrat Mughirah (rahmatullahi alaihim) that they discussed Deeni matters amongst themselves after Isha and would continue till the Azaan of Fajr. Hadhrat Lais bin Sa'eed رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “Imaam Zuhri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ sat after Isha Salaah with wudhu and continued his discussion on Hadith until it was time for Fajr Salaah.” Daraawardi (rahamatullahi alaih) says: “I saw Imaam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ and Imaam Maalik رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ in Nabi’s ﷺ Masjid after Isha, discussing a mas’ala very calmly without offending each other. They returned only after performing Fajr Salaah.” Ibn Furat Baghdadi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ , a Muhaddith, left eighteen boxes full of books when he passed away. Most of these books were written with his own hand. His book is famously known to be a source of reference among the Muhaddithin for its authenticity and systematic record. Ibn Jauzi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ was another famous Muhaddith. He was brought up as an orphan, as he lost his father when he was only three. He was so studious that he would not leave his village except for Jumuah Salaah. He once mentioned from the mimbar, pointing to his fingers: “With these fingers I have written or copied 2000 books.” He himself was the author of more than 250 books. It is said that he never remained idle. He used to write four parts of a book daily. His lessons were so famous that as many as 100 000 students at a time listened to him. The kings, their ministers and chiefs would also sit for his lectures. He himself says: “As many as 100 000 followers have taken bay’at to me and 20 000 kuffaar have accepted Islam at my hands.” He also suffered a lot at the hands of Shiahs, who were in power those days. He saved the shavings when sharpening his pen and at the time of his death, instructed that those shavings be used for warming the water for washing his dead body. It is said that the shavings were more than enough for warming the water and a part was still left unused. Yahya bin Ma’een رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous Shaikh of Hadith. He says: “I have written one million Ahaadith with my own hand.” Ibn Jarir Tabari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous historian. He is an expert on the history of the Sahaabah and Tabi’een. For forty years, he wrote forty pages daily. After his death, his output in written work (since his maturity) was calculated to come to fourteen pages daily. The book on history written by him is very famous. When he planned to write this book, he told the people around him: “You will be pleased to know that I intend writing a book on world history.” They asked: “How big will that book be?” He replied: “About 30 000 pages.” They said: “Who will live to finish this book?” He said: “Innaa lillahi wa innaa ilaihi raaji-oon. People do not have any hope.” He then decided to keep it short, which still came to 6000 pages. The same thing happened when he wrote a book on the meaning of the Qur-aan. This is also a very famous book. Daaraqutni رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous writer on Hadith. He travelled to Baghdad, Basra, Koofah, Waasit, Egypt and Syria for learning Hadith. Once, while sitting in the class of his teacher, he was seen copying from a certain book. One of the other students scolded him saying: “How can you listen to the Shaikh while doing that work?” He replied: “There is a difference in my listening and yours. Tell me how many Ahaadith has the Shaikh recited so far?” The student began to think. Daaraqutni رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ said: “Now let me tell you. The Shaikh has so far recited eighteen Ahaadith and they are …...” He then repeated all the eighteen Ahaadith that the Shaikh had recited in the same order, quoting the chain of narration in each case. Haafiz Athram رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a Muhaddith. He had an excellent memory for Ahaadith. Once, when he was in Makkah for Hajj, two famous Shaikhs from Khuraasaan were giving lectures on Hadith in the Haram separately and a large number of people were listening to each Shaikh. He sat between the two groups and wrote down the lectures of both the Shaikhs at one and the same time. Abdullah bin Mubaarak رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous Muhaddith. His efforts in collecting Ahaadith are well known to everybody. He says: “I have learnt Hadith from four thousand teachers.” Ali bin Hasan رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “It was a very cold night when Ibn Mubaarak and I stepped out from the Masjid after Isha Salaah.

Translation: As we stepped out of the Masjid a discussion on a certain Hadith began. We remained standing there in discussion till the Fajr Azaan was heard.” Humaydi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a Muhaddith who has combined Bukhaari and Muslim Shareef in one book. He used to write throughout the night. When it was very hot, he would write while sitting in a tub of water. He also wrote poetry. The following lines have been written by him:

Translation: Mixing with people does not benefit, except wasting time in gossip.

Translation: Don’t go to the people, except for learning knowledge and piety.

Translation: Imaam Tabraani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous Muhaddith and writer of many books. Somebody asked: “How could you write so many books, Shaikh?” He replied: “I have been on my mat for thirty years.” Abul Abbaas Shirazi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “I have learnt 300 000 Ahaadith from Tabraani.” Imaam Abu Hanifah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ worked very hard in explaining those Ahaadith which contradict one another. Koofah was the centre of Islamic learning in those days. He had collected Hadith from all the Muhadditheen of that place. Whenever a Muhaddith from outside came to Koofah, he sent his students to him to find out if he knew any Hadith that he had not yet learnt. The Imaam gathered a group of famous Ulama who were experts in Hadith, Fiqh and Philology (study of languages). They had discussions on masaail regarding Islamic practices. Sometimes the discussions continued for one month before a point was agreed upon, and written in the book of Fiqh for the people of his mazhab (school of thought). Imaam Tirmizi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is known to one and all. He was known for memorising Ahaadith. His memory was excellent. Some Muhadditheen once tested his memory. They read before him forty one Ahaadith. Imaam Tirmizi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ immediately repeated all of them.

Translation: He himself writes: “On my way to Makkah, I copied two parts from the collections of Hadith by a Shaikh. I happened to come across that Shaikh personally. I told him, ‘I have copied two parts of your collections. I wish to compare those Ahaadith by listening to them directly from you.’ The Shaikh agreed. While going to his place, I took a blank book by mistake instead of the notebook in which I had copied the Ahaadith. The Shaikh started reciting the Ahaadith, while I held the blank book in my hand. When he noticed it, he was very angry with me and said, “Don’t you have any shame?!”. I explained to him how that had happened, and said, ‘Shaikh, your time is not wasted. I remember everything that you have said.’ He did not believe me and asked me to repeat all that he had recited. I repeated all the Ahaadith. He thought that I had memorised them before I came to him. I said, ‘You may recite some other Ahaadith.’ He recited forty new Ahaadith. I repeated all of them without any error.” It is very difficult to work hard as much as these Muhadditheen did in collecting, memorising and teaching Hadith. It is difficult even to mention all their stories. Qartamah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a Muhaddith who is not very famous. One of his students, Dawood, says: “People speak about the memory of Abu Haatim رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ . I have never seen a person with a better memory than Qartamah. Once he told me, ‘Pick any of the books from my library. I shall recite it from my memory.’ I picked up ‘Kitabul-Ashribah.’ He recited the whole book in the reverse order i.e. reading from the end to the beginning of each chapter.” Abu Zur’ah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “Imaam Ahmad bin Hambal رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ remembered one million Ahaadith by heart. Ishaaq bin Raahwaih رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: I have collected 100 000 Ahaadith and I know 30 000 of them by heart.” Khaffaaf رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “Ishaaq رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ once read out to us 11 000 Ahaadith from his memory. He then repeated all of them in the same order, without any mistake.” Abu Sa’d Isbahaani, رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ was only sixteen when he left from Baghdad to learn Hadith from Abu Nasr رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ . He heard about Abu Nasr’s رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ death on the way. He cried bitterly like a child and would say: “Were will I get his sanad (chain of narration) from?” Such crying is not possible without love and devotion. He knew the kitaab “Muslim Shareef” by heart and taught the book to his pupils from memory. He performed Haj eleven times. When he sat for meals, his eyes used to fill up with tears. Abu Umar Dharir رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ , who was blind from birth, is from the Huffaaz of Hadith. He was an expert in History, Fiqh, Law of inheritance and Mathematics. Abul Husain Isfahaani رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ remembered both the Bukhaari and Muslim Shareef kitaabs by heart. Bukhaari Shareef was so deeply fixed in his memory that he would give the chain of narrators for any text or vice versa. Shaikh Taqiud-Deen Ba’albakki رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ memorised the ‘Muslim Shareef’ in four months. He was also a Haafiz of Ahaadith which were common in Muslim and Bukhaari’s kitaabs. He was a saint and many miracles were performed by him. He had also memorised the Qur-aan Shareef. It is said that Surah Al-An’aam was memorised by him in one day. Ibnus-Sunni رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous student of Imaam Nasaai رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ . He wrote Ahaadith even up to the last moments of his life. His son says: “While my father was writing Hadith, he put aside the pen, lifted his hands in dua and breathed his last.” Allamah Saaji رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ mastered Fiqh (Islamic laws) in his teens. Then he began to learn Hadith. He stayed in Herat for ten years and wrote by hand the whole of Tirmizi Shareef six times during that stay. His teacher Ibn Mandah رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ passed away while teaching him ‘Gharaib Shu’bah’ after Isha. It was the yearning of students and teachers to remain engaged in learning and teaching till their death. Abu-Umar Khaffaaf رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ remembered 100 000 Ahaadith by heart. More than 100 000 people sat for the lectures of Aasim bin Ali رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ , the teacher of Imaam Bukhaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ , when he was in Baghdad. One day, during his lecture, the audience was estimated to be 120 000. The words spoken by him were relayed (repeated) many times, before these could be heard by all the people. Once he said something which had to be relayed fourteen times. After reaching Baghdad, Abu Muslim Basri رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ took his class to a big ground. Seven men were relaying (repeating) his lecture and 40 000 ink-pots, for taking down his lecture, were counted.

There were many more people who only listened without writing. In the lectures by Faryabi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ , there used to be 316 people who would repeat his words to allow all the people to write these down. It was this sacrifice and love which has protected the knowledge of Hadith till today. Imaam Bukhaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “I wrote down 7 275 Ahaadith after choosing from 600 000 Ahaadith. I have been reading a Salaah of two rakaats before writing each Hadith.” When Imaam Bukhaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ came to Baghdad, the Muhadditheen tested his knowledge. Ten people were chosen for the test. Each of these people chose ten Ahaadith of his choice and after making some changes in the wording, read each Hadith before Imaam Bukhaari رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ . After each Hadith, he would say: “I do not know this Hadith.” When all had finished, he spoke to each man saying: “Brother, the first Hadith you read was this (repeating the Hadith word for word), but actually it is like this (saying the correct Hadith) and so on.” He repeated all 100 Ahaadith first in the wrong way in which those men had read, and again in the correct way in that very order. Imaam Muslim رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ started learning Hadith when he was fourteen, and remained busy in its pursuit till his death. He says: “I have gathered my book of 12 000 Ahaadith after choosing from 300 000 Ahaadith.” Abu Dawood رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ says: “I had collected 500 000 Ahaadith, but I chose only 4 800 for my book.” Yusuf Muzi رَحْمَةُ اللّٰهِ عَلَيْهِ is a famous Muhaddith. He is an Imaam in Asmaa-ur-Rijaal (information about the chain of narrators of Hadith). After learning Fiqh and Hadith from the teachers in his own town, he went to Makkah, Madinah, Halab, Hamat, Ba’albak,etc, for more knowledge. He is the writer of many books. ‘Tahzib-ul-Kamal’ is in 200 volumes and ‘Kitaab-ul-Atraaf’ has more than 80 volumes. He often kept quiet and spoke very little and most of the time he was busy in reading or writing. He suffered at the hands of his enemies, who were jealous of him, but he never took revenge. It is really very difficult to cover all the stories of other famous people about all their efforts in attaining knowledge. The details of their hard work cannot be covered even in several volumes. The very few examples mentioned above is only meant to give a small idea of the pains that our elders in Islam have taken for the preservation and development of the knowledge of Hadith, thus leaving it for us in such a complete form. Let those people who claim to seek knowledge see for themselves what sacrifices they are really making. It is useless to hope that the knowledge about Nabi ﷺ , which has reached us, will be spread and brought into practice while we remain busy in our luxuries, comforts, pleasures and other worldly activities.