Mishkat
al-Masabih

مشكاة المصابيح

02

Knowledge

كتاب العلم

 

Chapter 1b: Chapter - Section 2

باب - الفصل الثاني

Mishkat al-Masabih 213, 214

Abu Umama al-Bahili said that

Two men, one learned and the other devout, were mentioned to God’s messenger, who then said, “The superiority of the learned man over the devout man is like mine over the most contemptible among you,” adding, “God, His angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, even the ant in its hole and even the fish invoke blessings on him who teaches men what is good.” Tirmidhi transmitted it. Darimi transmitted it from Makhul in mursal form, but did not mention the two men. He said, “The superiority of the learned man over the devout man is like mine over the most contemptible among you.” Then he recited this verse, “Only those of His servants who are learned fear God," (35:28) 1 then went on with the tradition to the end.

وَعَن أبي أُمَامَة الْبَاهِلِيّ قَالَ: " ذُكِرَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا عَابِدٌ وَالْآخَرُ عَالِمٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ وَأَهْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ حَتَّى النَّمْلَةَ فِي جُحْرِهَا وَحَتَّى الْحُوتَ لَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَى معلم النَّاس الْخَيْر» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَقَالَ حسن غَرِيب وَرَوَاهُ الدَّارِمِيُّ عَنْ مَكْحُولٍ مُرْسَلًا وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ: رَجُلَانِ وَقَالَ: فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: (إِنَّمَا يخْشَى الله من عباده الْعلمَاء)

Mishkat al-Masabih 2133

Ibn Mas'ūd’s tradition, “When God’s messenger was taken up to heaven ...” will be mentioned in the chapter on the Mi'rāj, if God most high will. Mi'rāj, Book 25, ch. 23, second last tradition in I. ‘Abd ar-Rahmān b. ‘Auf reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying, “Three things will be under the Throne on the day of resurrection

the Qur’ān which will contend with men, having an exoteric and an esoteric mean­ing; the trust;* and ties of relationship which will say, ‘God join those who joined me and sever those who severed me’!” *Cf. Qur’ān, 33:72 It is transmitted in Sharh as-sunna

عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " ثَلَاثَةٌ تَحْتَ الْعَرْشِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ الْقُرْآنُ يُحَاجُّ الْعِبَادَ لَهُ ظَهْرٌ وَبَطْنٌ وَالْأَمَانَةُ وَالرَّحِمُ تُنَادِي: أَلَا مَنْ وَصَلَنِي وَصَلَهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنْ قَطَعَنِي قَطَعَهُ اللَّهُ ". رَوَاهُ فِي شرح السّنة

Mishkat al-Masabih 2134

‘Abdallāh b. ‘Amr reported God’s messenger as saying, “The one who was devoted to the Qur’ān will be told to recite, ascend and recite carefully as he recited carefully when he was in the world, for he will reach his abode when he comes to the last verse he recites.” Ahmad, Tirmidhī, Abū Dāwūd and Nasā’ī transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " يُقَالُ لِصَاحِبِ الْقُرْآنِ: اقْرَأْ وَارَتْقِ وَرَتِّلْ كَمَا كُنْتَ تُرَتِّلُ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَإِنَّ مَنْزِلَكَ عِنْدَ آخِرِ آيَة تقرؤها ". رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وَالتِّرْمِذِيّ أَبُو دَاوُد وَالنَّسَائِيّ

Mishkat al-Masabih 2135

Ibn 'Abbas reported God’s messenger as saying, “Anyone who has nothing of the Qur’ān within him is like a ruined house.” Tirmidhī and Dārimī transmitted it, and Tirmidhī said this is a sahīh tradition.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ الَّذِي لَيْسَ فِي جَوْفِهِ شَيْءٌ مِنَ الْقُرْآنِ كَالْبَيْتِ الْخَرِبِ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ. وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيح

Mishkat al-Masabih 2136

Abū Sa'id reported God’s messenger as stating, “God who is blessed and exalted says, ‘To him who is so occupied with the Qur’ān as to neglect making mention of me and making request of me I will give the most excellent things I give to those who ask.’ The superiority of God’s words over all other words is like God’s superiority over His creatures.” Tirmidhī, Dārimī, and Baihaqī, in Shu’ab al-īmān, transmitted it, and Tirmidhī said this is a hasan gharīb tradition.

وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " يَقُولُ الرَّبُّ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى: مَنْ شَغَلَهُ الْقُرْآنُ عَنْ ذِكْرِي وَمَسْأَلَتِي أَعْطَيْتُهُ أَفْضَلَ مَا أُعْطِي السَّائِلِينَ. وَفَضْلُ كَلَامِ اللَّهِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَلَامِ كَفَضْلِ اللَّهِ عَلَى خَلْقِهِ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ

Mishkat al-Masabih 2137

Ibn Mas'ūd reported God’s messenger as saying

“If anyone recites a letter of God’s Book he will be credited with a good deed, and a good deed gets a tenfold reward (Al-Qur’ān, 6:160). I do not say that A.L.M are one letter*, but alif is a letter, lām is a letter and mīm is a letter.” *These letters occur at the beginning of sūras 2, 3, 29, 30, 31 and 32. No satisfactory explanation of their meaning has been given. A brief discussion of them is given by Abdullāh Yūsuf Ali in The Holy Qur’ān, Text, Translation & Commentary (Lahore, 1934 and later editions), note 25. Sea also pp. 118-120. Tirmidhī and Dārimī transmitted it, Tirmidhī saying this is a hasan sahīh tradition whose isnad is gharīb.

وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " مَنْ قَرَأَ حَرْفًا مِنْ كِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَلَهُ بِهِ حَسَنَةٌ وَالْحَسَنَةُ بِعَشْرِ أَمْثَالِهَا لَا أَقُولُ: آلم حَرْفٌ. أَلْفٌ حَرْفٌ وَلَامٌ حَرْفٌ وَمِيمٌ حَرْفٌ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيب إِسْنَادًا

Mishkat al-Masabih 2138

Al-Hārith al-A‘war said

While passing in the mosque I found the people engrossed in talk, so I went to visit ‘Alī and told him. He asked if that was really so, and when I assured him that it was, he said he had heard God’s messenger say, “Dissension will certainly come,” and asked him how it could be avoided, to which he replied, “God’s Book is the way, for it contains information of what has happened before you, news of what will happen after you, and a decision regarding matters which occur among you (This is explained as a reference to such matters as unbelief and faith, obedience and dis-obedience, what is lawful and what is forbidden, etc.). It is the distinguisher and is not jesting, (Qur’ān, 86:13). If any overweening person abandons it God will break him, and if anyone seeks guidance elsewhere God will lead him astray. It is God’s strong cord, it is the wise reminder, it is the straight path, it is that by which the desires do not swerve nor the tongues become confused, and the learned cannot grasp it completely.* It does not become worn out by repetition and its wonders do not come to an end. It is that of which the jinn did not hesitate to say when they heard it, ‘We have heard a wonderful recital which guides to what is right, and we believe in it,’ (Qur’ān, 72). He who utters it speaks the truth, he who acts according to it is rewarded, he who pronounces judgment according to it is just, and he who invites people to it guides to a straight path.” *The verb used is one ordinarily meaning 'to be satisfied'. Here it is used to indicate that the learned can never learn all there is to be known about the teaching and meaning of the Qur’ān, so that they should be satisfied and feel no need to continue their study of it. Tirmidhī and Dārimī transmit­ted it, Tirmidhī saying this is a tradition whose isnād is unknown, and al-Hārith is adversely criticised.

وَعَنِ الْحَارِثِ الْأَعْوَرِ قَالَ: مَرَرْتُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَإِذَا النَّاسُ يَخُوضُونَ فِي الْأَحَادِيثِ فَدَخَلْتُ عَلَى عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ قَالَ: أَوَقَدْ فَعَلُوهَا؟ قلت نعم قَالَ: أما إِنِّي قَدْ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُول: «أَلا إِنَّهَا سَتَكُون فتْنَة» . فَقلت مَا الْمَخْرَجُ مِنْهَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ: «كتاب الله فِيهِ نبأ مَا كَانَ قبلكُمْ وَخبر مَا بعدكم وَحكم مَا بَيْنكُم وَهُوَ الْفَصْلُ لَيْسَ بِالْهَزْلِ مَنْ تَرَكَهُ مِنْ جَبَّارٍ قَصَمَهُ اللَّهُ وَمَنِ ابْتَغَى الْهُدَى فِي غَيْرِهِ أَضَلَّهُ اللَّهُ وَهُوَ حَبْلُ اللَّهِ الْمَتِينُ وَهُوَ الذِّكْرُ الْحَكِيمُ وَهُوَ الصِّرَاطُ الْمُسْتَقِيمُ هُوَ الَّذِي لَا تَزِيغُ بِهِ الْأَهْوَاءُ وَلَا تَلْتَبِسُ بِهِ الْأَلْسِنَةُ وَلَا يَشْبَعُ مِنْهُ الْعُلَمَاءُ وَلَا يَخْلِقُ على كَثْرَةِ الرَّدِّ وَلَا يَنْقَضِي عَجَائِبُهُ هُوَ الَّذِي لَمْ تَنْتَهِ الْجِنُّ إِذْ سَمِعَتْهُ حَتَّى قَالُوا (إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْآنًا عَجَبًا يَهْدِي إِلَى الرُّشْدِ فَآمَنا بِهِ) مَنْ قَالَ بِهِ صَدَقَ وَمَنْ عَمِلَ بِهِ أُجِرَ وَمَنْ حَكَمَ بِهِ عَدَلَ وَمَنْ دَعَا إِلَيْهِ هُدِيَ إِلَى صِرَاطٍ مُسْتَقِيمٍ» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: هَذَا حَدِيثٌ إِسْنَادُهُ مَجْهُولٌ وَفِي الْحَارِث مقَال

Mishkat al-Masabih 2139

Mu'ādh al-Juhani reported God’s messenger as saying, “If anyone recites the Qur’ān and acts according to its contents, on the day of resurrection his parents will be given to wear a crown whose light is better than the light of the sun in the dwellings of this world if it were among you. So what do you think of him who acts according to this?” Ahmad and Abū Dāwūd transmitted it.

وَعَن معَاذ الْجُهَنِيّ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَنْ قَرَأَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَمِلَ بِمَا فِيهِ أُلْبِسَ وَالِدَاهُ تَاجًا يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ضَوْءُهُ أَحْسَنُ مِنْ ضَوْءِ الشَّمْسِ فِي بُيُوتِ الدُّنْيَا لَوْ كَانَتْ فِيكُمْ فَمَا ظَنُّكُمْ بِالَّذِي عَمِلَ بِهَذَا؟» . رَوَاهُ أَحْمد وَأَبُو دَاوُد

Chapter :

الفصل الأول

Mishkat al-Masabih 2130

Anas said a man told God's messenger that he liked the sūra “Say, He is God, One,” to which he replied, “Your love of it will bring you into paradise.” Tirmidhī transmitted it and Bukhārī transmitted some­thing to the same effect.

وَعَنْ أَنَسٍ قَالَ: إِنَّ رَجُلًا قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي أُحِبُّ هَذِهِ السُّورَةَ: (قُلْ هُوَ الله أحد) قَالَ: إِنَّ حُبَّكَ إِيَّاهَا أَدْخَلَكَ الْجَنَّةَ ". رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وروى البُخَارِيّ مَعْنَاهُ

Mishkat al-Masabih 2131

‘Uqba b. ‘Āmir reported God’s messenger as saying, “What won­derful verses have been sent down to-night! The like of them has never been seen. They are ‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn’ and ‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men.’” (Qur’ān, 113 and 114). Muslim transmitted it.

وَعَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: " أَلَمْ تَرَ آيَاتٍ أُنْزِلَتِ اللَّيْلَةَ لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلُهُنَّ قَطُّ (قل أعوذ بِرَبّ الفلق) و (قل أعوذ بِرَبّ النَّاس) رَوَاهُ مُسلم

Mishkat al-Masabih 2132

‘Ā’isha said that every night when the Prophet (ﷺ) went to his bed he joined his hands and breathed into them, reciting into them, ‘Say, He is God, One’; ‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of the dawn’; and ‘Say, I seek refuge in the Lord of men.’ Then he would wipe as much of his body as he could with his hands, beginning with his head, his face and the front of his body, doing that three times. (Bukhārī and Muslim)

وَعَنْ عَائِشَةَ: أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَانَ إِذَا أَوَى إِلَى فِرَاشِهِ كُلَّ لَيْلَةٍ جَمَعَ كَفَّيْهِ ثُمَّ نَفَثَ فِيهِمَا فَقَرَأَ فيهمَا (قل هُوَ الله أحد) و (قل أعوذ بِرَبّ الفلق) و (قل أَعُوذُ بِرَبِّ النَّاسِ) ثُمَّ يَمْسَحُ بِهِمَا مَا اسْتَطَاعَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَبْدَأُ بِهِمَا عَلَى رَأْسِهِ وَوَجْهِهِ وَمَا أَقْبَلَ مِنْ جَسَدِهِ يَفْعَلُ ذَلِكَ ثَلَاث مَرَّات " وَسَنَذْكُرُ حَدِيثَ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ: لَمَّا أُسْرِيَ بِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي بَابِ الْمِعْرَاج إِن شَاءَ الله تَعَالَى