"If you are able to be a Scholar, then be a Scholar."

Abu Khaithama narrated to us, saying: Ishaaq bin Sulaymaan Ar-Raazee narrated to us, saying: I heard Handhala narrate from `Awn bin Abdillaah that he said: I said to `Umar bin Abdul-Azeez:

"It was said (to me): If you are able to be a Scholar, then be a Scholar. And if you are not able to, then be a Student of Knowledge. And if you are not able to be a Student of Knowledge, then love them. If you cannot love them, then do not hate them."

So `Umar said:

"Subhaan'Allaah (Glory be to Allaah)! Allaah has indeed assisted this individual in a time of difficulty."

- Source -

Point [2], Kitaabul-Ilm of Imaam An-Nasaa'ee [Al-Haafidh, Imaam, Abu Khaithama Zuhayr bin Harb An-Nasaa'ee Died 234H], with verification and notes by Imaam Muhammad Naasir-Ud-Deen Al-Albaanee [Raheemahumullaah].

URL REF:
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Aathaar of the Salaf on Knowledge

Author: al-Khatib al-Baghdadi
Source: Fadl Ilm us-Salaf

Abdullah ibn Mas'ud : Learn, so when you have learnt , then act.

Az-Zuhree : The action of one who acts and does not know will not be trusted by the people and the people will not be happy with the saying of an 'aalim who does not act.

Sahl ibn 'Abdullah al-Fustaani : All the people are intoxicated except the scholars and all the scholars are confused except whoever acts according to his knowledge.

Sahl ibn 'Abdullah al-Fustaani : The world is foolishness and barren except the knowledge and all of knowledge is a proof against him except what is acted upon and all action is useless except with sincerity and sincerity is in great danger until sealed by it (the action).

Yusuf ibn al Hunain : With good manners you understand the knowledge and with knowledge your actions are corrected and with the actions wisdom is obtained and with wisdom you understand zuhud (renunciation) and granted the benefit of it and with zuhud comes abandoning the world and with abandoning the world comes longing for the Hereafter and with longing for the Hereafter the Pleasure of Allah Azzawajal is obtained.

Maalik ibn Dinar : When a servant seeks knowledge for practise, his knowledge humbles him and when he seeks it for other than that it increases him in immorality and pride by it.

Abu Hurairah : The example of knowledge which is not acted upon is like wealth from which nothing is spent in the way of Allah Azzawajal.

Abu Darda : I am not afraid that it will be said to me: "Oh Aamir what have you learned?", but I am more concerned that it will be said to me: "Oh Aamir, what have you done with what you have learned!"

Umar ibn Abdul-Aziz : Whoever does not consider speech to be part of his ac~on will sin abundantly and whoever acts without knowledge will do more harm than good.

Maalik ibn Dinar : Indeed I found among the wise sayings: "There is no good for you to know what you do not know while you are not acting upon what you do know, because the likeness of that is as the likeness of a man who gathers firewood, so he ties up a bundle and tries to carry it but he is not able to, so he adds another one to it.

Ata reported : There was a youth who used to come to the Mother of the Believers (radiallahu-anha) from time to time and ask her and she would narrate to him. So one day he came to her and asked her, so she said: "Oh my son, have you acted yet upon what you have heard from me?" So he said: "No by Allah, Oh my mother ", so she said : " Oh my son, then why do you seek increase in Allah's proof against us and against you."

Fudayl ibn Ayyad : As for hadeeth, it is better that a man does not hear it than that he hears it and does not act upon it.

Sufyaan ath-Thawree : Would that I had not written down knowledge and would that I would be saved from my knowledge so that it would be even, neither against me nor for me.

Ash-Sha'bee : Indeed we are not the scholars but we have heard hadeeth so we have reported them. For the scholars are those who when they know, they act.

url reference: http://www.salafipublications.com/sps

THE GUIDANCE OF THE SCHOLARS

Imaam al-Aajurree said:

"Consider - may Allaah have mercy upon you - a path thwarted with great dangers, yet people need to traverse it, even in the darkness of night. If there were no light upon this path, the people would be terrified. However, Allaah gave them a guiding light by which they were able to traverse this path in peace and safety.

Then came groups of people who also needed to traverse this path, so they traversed it. However, during this time the guiding light became extinguished and the people returned to a state of darkness.

So what would your opinion be about their condition?

This is the example of the scholars and the common people.

Most people do not know how to fulfill their obligatory duties, nor how to avoid prohibited matters, nor how to worship Allaah correctly - all of this they learn from the scholars.

So with the death of the scholars, mankind returns to a state of anxiety and terror, the teaching of knowledge dies whilst ignorance prevails - what an enormous calamity this is for the Muslims.

Indeed to Allaah we belong and to Him we all return."

Akhlaaqul 'Ulamaa (p. 28)

EXTRACTED FROM:
Exhortations and Admonitions
Prepared by Maaz Qureshi
http://troid.org/