Bk 34 Knowledge (Kitab Al−`Ilm)
Chapter 1: PROHIBITION OF MAKING A HOT PURSUIT OF THE
ALLEGORIES CONTAINED IN THE QUR'AN, AND AVOIDING THOSE WHO DO
IT, AND OF DISPUTATION IN THE QUR'AN
Bk 34, Number 6442:
'A'isha reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) recited (these verses of the Qur'an):" He it is Who
revealed to thee (Muhammad) the Book (the Qur'an) wherein
there are clear revelations−these are the substance of the
Book and others are allegorical (verses). And as for those who
have a yearning for error they go after the allegorical verses
seeking (to cause) dissension, by seeking to explain them. And
none knows their implications but Allah, and those who are
sound in knowledge say: We affirm our faith in everything
which is from our Lord. It is only the persons of
understanding who really heed" (iii. 6). 'A'isha (further)
reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said
(in connection with these verses): When you see such verses,
avoid them, for it is they whom Allah has pointed out (in the
mentioned verses).
Chapter 2: PERRAINING TO A DISPUTATIONIST
Bk 34, Number 6443:
'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported: I went to Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) in the morning and he heard the voice of
two persons who had an argumenta− tion with each other about a
verse. Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him) came to us
(and) the (signs) of anger could be seen on his face. He said:
Verily, the (peoples) before you were ruined because of their
disputation in the Book.
Bk 34, Number 6444:
Jundub b. 'Abdullah al−Bajali reported Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as saying: Recite the Qur'an as long as
your hearts agree to do so, and when you feel variance between
them (between your hearts and tongues), then get up (and leave
its recital for the time being).
Bk 34, Number 6445:
Jundub (i. e. Ibn 'Abdullah) reported that Allah's Messenger
(may peace be upon him) said: Recite the Qur'an as long as
your hearts agree to do so and when you find variance between
them, then stand up.
Bk 34, Number 6446:
Abu Imran reported that Jundub told us as we we−re young boys
living in Kilfa, that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) had said: Recite the Qur'an. The rest of the hadith is
the same.
Bk 34, Number 6447:
'A'isha reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: The most despicable amongst persons in the eye of
Allah is one who tries to fall into dispute with others (for
nothing but only to display his knowledge and power of
argumentation).
Chapter 3: FOLLOWING THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE JEWS AND THE
CHRISTIANS
Bk 34, Number 6448:
Abu Sa'id al−Khudri reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: You would tread the same path as was
trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so
much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard,
you would follow them in this also. We said: Allah's
Messenger, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)"
those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious
groups)?
Bk 34, Number 6449:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Ata' b.
Yasir through another chain of transmitters.
Chapter 4: THOSE WHO INDULGED IN HAIR−SPLITTING WERE RUINED
Bk 34, Number 6450:
Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as
saying: Ruined, were those who indulged in hair−splitting. He
(the Holy Prophet) repeated this thrice.
Chapter 5: KNOWLEDGE WOULD BE TAKEN AWAY, AND IGNORANCE WOULD
PREVAIL UPON PEOPLE AND THE TURMOIL AT THE END OF THE WORLD
Bk 34, Number 6451:
Anas b. Malik reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him) as saying: It is from the conditions of the Last Hour
that knowledge would be taken away and ignorance would prevail
(upon the world), the liquor would be drunk, and adultery
would become rainpant.
Bk 34, Number 6452:
Qatida reported that Anas b. Malik said: May I not narrate to
you a hadith which I heard from Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) which no one would narrate to you after me who
would have personally heard it from him (the Holy Prophet) (as
I have the good fortune to do so)? −" It is from the signs of
the Last Hour that knowledge would be taken away, ignorance
would prevail upon (the world), adultery would become common,
wine would be drunk, the number of men will fall short and the
women would survive (and thus such a disparity would arise in
the number of men and women) that there would be one man to
look after fifty women.
Bk 34, Number 6453:
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Anas b.
Malik through another chain of narrators, but with a slight
variation of wording.
Bk 34, Number 6454:
Abu Wa'il reported: I was sitting with 'Abdullah and Abu Musa
that they reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
having said: Prior to the Last Hour, there would be a time
when knowledge would be taken away, and ignorance would take
its place and there would be bloodshed on a large scale.
Bk 34, Number 6455:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah
(b. Mas'ud) and Abu Musa (al−Asha'ri) through other chains of
transmitters.
Bk 34, Number 6456:
A hadith like this has been narrated on the authority of Abu
Musa through another chain of transmitters.
Bk 34, Number 6457:
Abu Wa'il reported: I was sitting with Abu Musa and 'Abdullah
and they were conversing with each other and Abu Musa reported
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying (that we
find in the above−mentioned ahadith).
Bk 34, Number 6458:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: (When) the time would draw close to the Last Hour,
knowledge would be snatched away, turmoil would be rampant,
miserliness would be put (in the hearts of the people) and
therewould be much bloodshed. They said: What is al−harj?
Thereupon he said: It is bloodshed.
Bk 34, Number 6459:
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu
Huraira with a slight variation of wording.
Bk 34, Number 6460:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
having said: The time would draw close to the Last Hour and
knowledge would decrease. The rest of the hadith is the same.
Bk 34, Number 6461:
This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Abu
Huraira through other chains of narrators and there is no
mention of:" Miserliness would be put (in the hearts of the
people)."
Bk 34, Number 6462:
'Abdullah b. 'Amr b. al−'As reported Allah's Messenger (may
peace be upon him) as saying: Verily, Allah does nit take away
knowledge by snatching it from the people but Re takes away
knowledge by taking away the scholars, so that when He leaves
no learned person, people turn to ignorant as their, leaders;
then they are asked to deliver religious verdicts and they
deliver them without knowledge, they go astray, and lead
others astray.
Bk 34, Number 6463:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b.
Umar through other chains of transmitters, but in the hadith
transmitted by Umar b. 'Ali there is an addition of these
words:, I met 'Abdullah b. 'Amr at the end of the year and I
asked him about it, and he narrated to us the hadith as he had
narrated before that he had heard Allah's Messenger (may peace
be upon him) as saying.... (The rest of the hadith is the
same).
Bk 34, Number 6464:
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah b.
Amr b. al−'As through another chain of transmitters.
Bk 34, Number 6465:
'Urwa b. Zubair reported that 'A'isha said to him: This news
has reached me that 'Abdullah b. 'Amr al−'As would pass by us
during the Hajj season, so you meet him and ask him (about
religious matters) as he has acquired great knowledge from
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him). I thus met him and
asked him about things which he narrated from Allah's
Messenger (may peace be upon him). And amongst these the one
he mentioned was that Allah's Apostle (may peace be upon him)
said: Verily, Allah does not take away knowledge from people
directly but he takes away the scholars and consequently takes
away (knowledge) along with them and leaves amongst persons
the ignorant as their leaders who deliver religious verdicts
without (adequate) knowledge and themselves go astray and lead
others astray. 'Urwa said: When I narrated this to 'A'isha,
she deemed it too much (to believe) and thus showed reluctance
to accept that (as perfectly true) and said to, 'Urwa: Did he
('Abdullah b. 'Amr) say to you that he had heard Allah's
Apostle (may peace be upon him) as saying: ('Urwa had
forgotten to ask this from 'Abdullah b. 'Amr). So when it was
the next year, she ('A'isha) said to him ('Urwa): Ibn Amr has
come (for Hajj), so meet him. talk to him and ask him about
this hadith that he narrated to You (last year on the occasion
of the Hajj) pertaining to knowledge. He ('Urwa), said: So I
met him, and asked about it and he narrated to me exactly like
one that he had narrated (to me) for the first time. So when I
informed her ('A'isha) about that, she said: I do not think
but this that he has certainly told the truth and I find that
be has neither made any addition to it, nor missed anything
from it.
Chapter 6: PERTAINING TO ONE WHO INTRODUCED SOMETHING GOOD OR
EVIL, OR HE WHO CALLED TO RIGHTEOUSNESS OR TO THE PATH OF
ERROR
Bk 34, Number 6466:
Jarir b. Abdullah reported that some desert Arabs clad in
woollen clothes came to Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon
him). He saw them in sad plight as they had been hard pressed
by need. He (the Holy Prophet) exhorted people to give
charity, but they showed some reluctance until (signs) of
anger could be seen on his face. Then a person from the Ansar
came with a purse containing silver. Then came another person
and then other persons followed them in succession until signs
of happiness could be seen on his (sacred) face. Thereupon
Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) said: He who
introduced some good practice in Islam which was followed
after him (by people) he would be assured of reward like one
who followed it, without their rewards being diminished in any
respect. And he who introduced some evil practice in Islam
which had been followed subsequently (by others), he would be
required to bear the burden like that of one who followed this
(evil practice) without their's being diminished in any
respect.
Bk 34, Number 6467:
Jarir reported that Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
delivered an address in which he exhorted people to give
charity.
Bk 34, Number 6468:
Jarir b. 'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be
upon him) as saying: The servant does not introduce good
practice which is followed after him.... The rest of the
hadith is the same.
Bk 34, Number 6469:
Jarir transmitted this hadith from his father through another
chain of narrators.
Bk 34, Number 6470:
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him)
as saying: He who called (people) to righteousness, there
would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those
who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in
any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall
have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who
committed it, without their sins being diminished in any
respect.
