Incident and Narration
Khatir bin Qais narrates:"I was sitting in the mosque of Damascus with Abu Darda when a man approached and said: 'O Abu Darda! I have traveled from Madinah, the city of the Prophet (ﷺ), to hear a hadith that you narrate from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). I have no other purpose here.' Abu Darda replied:
'I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Whoever sets out on a path to seek knowledge, Allah makes the path to Paradise easy for him. Indeed, the angels lower their wings out of pleasure for the seeker of knowledge. The inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, even the fish in the water, seek forgiveness for the scholar. Verily, the superiority of a scholar over a worshipper is like the superiority of the moon on the night of the full moon over all the stars. Indeed, the scholars are the inheritors of the Prophets. The Prophets do not leave behind dinars or dirhams; rather, they leave behind knowledge. Whoever takes it, takes a great share.'"
Authentication of the Hadith
The chain of narration (isnad) of this hadith is weak (da'if).References in Hadith Collections:
- Abu Dawood, Book of Knowledge, Hadith No. 3641.
- Ibn Majah, Introduction, Hadith No. 223.
- Al-Tirmidhi, Book of Knowledge, Hadith No. 2682.
Remarks on the Chain of Narration
- Al-Tirmidhi's Assessment:
Al-Tirmidhi states that the chain of narration is disconnected (mursal). - Weak Narrators Identified:
- Dawood bin Jameel: A weak narrator.
- Asim bin Raja bin Hayah: Also considered unreliable.
Conclusion
While the content of the hadith highlights the esteemed position of knowledge and scholars in Islam, the weakness in its chain of narration must be noted. It serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying the authenticity of sources in Islamic teachings.Allah knows best.