حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خِدَاشٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ رَجَائِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ کَثِيرٍ قَالَ قَدِمَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ الْمَدِينَةِ عَلَی أَبِي الدَّرْدَائِ وَهُوَ بِدِمَشْقَ فَقَالَ مَا أَقْدَمَکَ يَا أَخِي فَقَالَ حَدِيثٌ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّکَ تُحَدِّثُهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ أَمَا جِئْتَ لِحَاجَةٍ قَالَ لَا قَالَ أَمَا قَدِمْتَ لِتِجَارَةٍ قَالَ لَا قَالَ مَا جِئْتُ إِلَّا فِي طَلَبِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَنْ سَلَکَ طَرِيقًا يَبْتَغِي فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَلَکَ اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَی الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِکَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضَائً لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ حَتَّی الْحِيتَانُ فِي الْمَائِ وَفَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَی الْعَابِدِ کَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ عَلَی سَائِرِ الْکَوَاکِبِ إِنَّ الْعُلَمَائَ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَائِ إِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَائَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرْهَمًا إِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهِ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَی وَلَا نَعْرِفُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ إِلَّا مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَاصِمِ بْنِ رَجَائِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ عِنْدِي بِمُتَّصِلٍ هَکَذَا حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خِدَاشٍ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ وَإِنَّمَا يُرْوَی هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ رَجَائِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ عَنْ دَاوُدَ بْنِ جَمِيلٍ عَنْ کَثِيرِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَائِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهَذَا أَصَحُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ خِدَاشٍ وَرَأْيُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْمَعِيلَ هَذَا أَصَحُّ
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 2682
Narrated Qais bin Kathir: A man from Al-Madinah came to Abu Ad-Darda when he was in Dimashq. So he said: 'What brings you O my nephew?' He replied: 'A Hadith reached me which you have narrated from the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).' He said: 'You did not come for some need?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Did you come for trade?' He said: 'No, I did not come except seeking this Hadith.' So he said: 'Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) saying: Whoever takes a path upon which he seeks knowledge, then Allah makes a path to Paradise easy for him. And indeed the angels lower their wings in approval to the one seeking knowledge. Indeed forgiveness is sought for the knowledgeable one by whomever is in the heavens and whomever is in the earth, even the fish in the waters. And superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over the rest of the celestial bodies. Indeed the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets do not leave behind Dinar or Dirham. The only legacy of the scholars is knowledge, so whoever takes from it, then he has indeed taken the most able share.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020