Hadith on Knowledge - Ibn Majah 228 - Sharing of Rewards
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي عَاتِكَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ يَزِيدَ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ، عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ عَلَيْكُمْ بِهَذَا الْعِلْمِ قَبْلَ أَنْ يُقْبَضَ وَقَبْضُهُ أَنْ يُرْفَعَ " . وَجَمَعَ بَيْنَ إِصْبَعَيْهِ الْوُسْطَى وَالَّتِي تَلِي الإِبْهَامَ هَكَذَا ثُمَّ قَالَ " الْعَالِمُ وَالْمُتَعَلِّمُ شَرِيكَانِ فِي الأَجْرِ وَلاَ خَيْرَ فِي سَائِرِ النَّاسِ
It was narrated that Abu Umamah رضى الله تعالى عنه said that The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “You must acquire this knowledge before it is taken away, and its taking away means that it will be lifted up.” He joined his middle finger and the one next to the thumb like this, and said: “The scholar and the seeker of knowledge will share the reward, and there is no good in the rest of the people.” [1]
[1] Sharing of reward means that the reward will not diminish by the other. The virtue of knowledge only increases as much as knowledge is circulated within the people, especially the teachers and the students. As for anyone who does not seek knowledge – one will find no goodness in them. This does not refer to the laymen or any person who is not a student in an Islamic institution. Rather, the context of the Hadith refers to any Muslim whether he is a businessman or a labourer – if he or she does not strive to learn knowledge nor acquire the company of those who attain knowledge, nor love those who are knowledgeable – then there is no goodness in them.
[Translation]
Tehseen Raza Hamdani Nuri
Ajmeri Press, South Africa
References
Sunan Ibn Ma’ajah 228, Chapter 17, The virtue of the scholars, and encouragement to seek knowledge.
Sunan Ibn Ma’ajah 228 باب فَضْلِ الْعُلَمَاءِ وَالْحَثِّ عَلَى طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ
Kitaab al-muqaddima 228