Sunan ad-Darimi

Kathir bin Qais said: I was sitting with Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) in the mosque of Damascus when a man came to him and said: O Abu Darda’! I have come to you from Madinat al-Rasul (the city of the Messenger, peace be upon him) for the sake of a hadith which I have been informed that you narrate from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him). Sayyiduna Abu Darda’ (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Have you come for trade? He said: No. He said: Has anything else brought you here? He said: No. He said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: “Whoever sets out on a path seeking knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him because of it. And indeed, the angels, being pleased with the seeker of knowledge, lower their wings for him. And indeed, those in the heavens and the earth seek forgiveness for the seeker of knowledge, even the fish in the water seek forgiveness for him. And indeed, the superiority of the scholar over the worshipper is like the superiority of the moon over all the stars. Indeed, the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not leave behind dinars or dirhams as inheritance, but rather they left behind knowledge. So whoever acquires it has acquired a great share or an abundant share.”