Al-Matalib al-'Aliyah 3501 — The punishment of one who learns

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah and Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) delivered a sermon to us; then the narrator mentioned the complete hadith, in which there was also this (saying): "Whoever learned the Qur'an and then deliberately forgot it will meet Allah Almighty in the state of a leper, bound in collars and chains, and for every verse of the Qur'an (which he forgot) Allah Almighty will set upon him a snake that will keep biting him in the Fire of Hell. Whoever acquired knowledge of the Qur'an but did not act upon it, and preferred over it the worthless goods of the world and its outward adornment, has become deserving of Allah Almighty's severe displeasure and wrath, and his rank will be like that of the Jews and Christians who cast the Book of Allah behind their backs and sold it for a paltry price. Whoever recited the Qur'an merely for show, fame and the pursuit of worldly status will meet Allah Almighty in such a state that his face will be mere bone without a trace of flesh upon it, and the Qur'an will push him by the nape of his neck into the Fire, so that he falls into the pit of Hell along with those who fall. And whoever recited the Qur'an but did not act upon it, Allah Almighty will raise him blind on the Day of Resurrection, and he will say: 'My Lord, why have You raised me blind when I used to see (in the world)?' [Surah Ta Ha: 125]. Allah, the Lord of Might, will say: 'Thus did Our signs come to you and you forgot them, and thus today you will be forgotten' [Surah Ta Ha: 126]; then a command will be given and he will be taken to the Fire. Whoever learned the Qur'an for the pleasure of Allah Almighty and to gain understanding of the religion of Allah will have as much reward as Allah Almighty has given to all the angels, prophets and messengers. But whoever learned the Qur'an for show, renown, to dispute with the foolish, to boast over the scholars and to seek the world, Allah Almighty will scatter his bones on the Day of Resurrection; he will be among the people suffering the severest punishment, and because of Allah's severe punishment and wrath there will be no kind of punishment that he is not made to taste."
Al-Harith said: Dawud bin al-Muhabbar narrated to us, from Maysarah bin Abd Rabbih, from Abu A'ishah al-Sa'di, from Yazid bin Amr, from Abu Salamah bin Abd al-Rahman, and he from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah and Sayyiduna Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), this narration.