Yazid bin Amirah al-Hamdani (may Allah have mercy on him) said: Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated (these things) to me during the final counsel in which he passed away. At times he would turn towards me and listen, then he would come to, until such a faint came over him that we feared his soul had been taken. (Yazid bin Amirah) said: Then he came to while I was weeping in front of him. He asked: What makes you weep? I said: By Allah, I do not weep for any worldly thing I was to receive from you, nor is there any kinship between me and you; rather, I weep because the knowledge I used to hear from you is now departing. He said: Do not weep. The matter of knowledge and faith is that whoever seeks them finds them. Seek knowledge where Ibrahim (peace be upon him) sought it, for he asked Allah (for knowledge), and he was not one to forget. And after me seek it with four persons; if you do not find it with them, then search among the people: seek knowledge with Abdullah bin Mas'ud, Abu al-Darda', Salman (al-Farisi) and Abdullah bin Salam (may Allah be pleased with them). And beware of the slip of the wise man, for Satan casts misguided wisdom upon the tongue of the wise man; so take knowledge when it comes to you. (Yazid bin Amirah) said: I said to Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him): How am I to recognise the slip of the wise man and the (words of) wisdom of the hypocrite? He said: The truth is light, and beware of haste in matters. And (listen): some of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said one day: Our sons are better than us; they were born upon Islam and never associated partners with Allah, whereas we did associate partners. This reached the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "We are better than our sons, our sons are better than their sons, and the sons of our sons are better than the sons of their sons."
Hadith Referenceالمعجم الكبير للطبراني / باب الميم / 17364