So you want to be a Student of Knowledge?

The Patience of Salaf in Seeking Knowledge

Translated by Salah al-Iranee

Taken from Adh-Dhahab, Siyr Alam al-Nubal Adh-Dhahab

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Masjid Daar us Sunnah | www.DuSunnah.com | London

Ab Masd Abd ur-Rahmn said, I heard ibn Thir say, I urinated blood twice whist seeking knowledge. Once in Baghdd and another time in Makkah. I used to walk bare-footed in the heat, as a result I was afflicted with that (urinating blood); and I never rode an animal in pursuit of knowledge. I used to carry my books on my head, and I never asked anyone for a thing while I was seeking knowledge. I used to live on whatever came to me.1 Ahmed ibn Hanbal said, Shubah sought knowledge from al-Hkim ibn Utaybah for 18 months. He even sold the beams of the roof of his house.2 Abd ur-Rahmn ibn Ab Htim said We were in Egypt for 7 months, and we did not [even] eat broth while we were there. Our day was apportioned for the scholars assemblies and at night we would write and revise [what we learnt]. Once, I and a companion came to a Shaykh [to study], but they said he is ill. Then, on our way [back] we saw a fish that we liked, so we bought it. When we arrived home, it was time to attend a gathering, so we did not have time to prepare it. We left it and proceeded to the lesson. We remained until 3 days passed over it and it almost expired, so we ate it raw. We did not have enough time give to someone who would roast it [for us]. Then he said. Knowledge is not attained with convenience.3

Adh-Dhahab, Siyr Alam al-Nubal (19/363). al-Ill wa Mrift al-Rijl (2/342). Adh-Dhahb, Tathkirt al-Hufdh (3/38).

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The great scholar of Arabic grammar, Muhammed ibn Ahmed Ab Bakr alKhayyat al-Baghddi; Used to study all the time, even on the road. He would often fall into a hole or be trampled by an animal!4 Ibn Aql said, I try my very best to limit the time I spend eating, to such an extent that I choose dry biscuit and a sip of water over eating bread, because of the difference in chewing [time] between the two, so as to save my time for reading or writing down some useful ideas. The best thing for the wise man to save is time.5 Dawd at-Ti used to drink bread soup but not ea t bread. When that was mentioned to him he replied, The difference between chewing bread and drinking bread soup is [enough time for] the reciting of 50 verses.6 Ibn Uyyanah said I heard Shubah say; Whoever seeks knowledge will go bankrupt! I sold my mothers washing basin for seven dinars.7 Abd ur-Rahmn ibn Ab Htim said, I heard my father say, I remained in Basrah in the year 214 H for eight months, and I wanted stay there for a year, but I had no more money. So I started to sell the clothing on my back until my money finished again. At that time I used to attend lessons of scholars with my friend. I would seek knowledge from them until the night, my friend would leave and I would return back to my house with nothing. So I began to drink water due to hunger. Then, the next day, my friend came early in the morning and I went around with him listening to hadth whilst I was severely hungry. Then he left [for home] and I would go [home] hungry. The next day, he came early in the morning and said, Come with us to the scholars. So I replied, I am too weak. So he asked, What has weakened you? I said, I will not hide from you my condition. It has been two days since I ate anything. He said, I have

Mashq ill al-Qirta Talb al-Ilm (p. 62). Ibn Ab Yal, Tabaqt al-Hanbilah (1/145). al-Majlis wal Jawhir al-Ilm (1/346). Adh-Dhahab, Siyr Alam al-Nubal (10/578).

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a Dinr remaining, I will support you with it and use the other half for the rent. So we left Basrah and I took from him half a Dinr.8 Jafar ibn Durstuyh said We used to go to the gathering of Ali ibn al-Madan at the time of alAsr today for the gathering of tomorrow. We would sit all night in fear that our place would be taken whilst we used the toilet, and as a consequence we would not hear the gather the next day. I saw an old man in the gathering urinating in his tylasn (a type of garment worn on the head) while folding the tylasn until he finished urinating, because he feared losing his seat if he left to urinate.9 Muhammed ibn Isml as-Sigh said, In one of our journeys to Baghdd, Ahmed ibn Hanbal passed by us whilst he was running with his shoes in his hands. So my father took hold like this of his thobe and said: Ab Abd Allh, have you no shame? Until when will you race with these youngsters? He replied: Until death. Ab Hurayrah said, I have seen myself having a fit between the minbr of the Prophet and ishas room, may Allh be pleased with her, and the people were saying He is insane. Yet I was not affected by insanity, nothing was wrong with me except hunger.10 Ibn al-Kathr said, al-Bukhr would once wake up at night from his sleep, light the lantern, and then write a beneficial thought that crossed his mind. He would then put out the lantern, and then wake up again and again, until the number of times he did that would be close to twenty times.11 Ab Ahmed Nsr ibn Ahmed al-Iydh as-Samarqand said, No one can obtain this knowledge except one who closes down his shop, ruins his farm, abandons his brothers and who, when the closest of his family dies, does not attend his funeral.12

Muqdimh al-Jrh wal-Tadeel P. 363 al-Khatb al-Baghdd, al-Jm li Akhlq ar-Rwee wa Aadb as-Smi (2/38). Ab Numn, Hilyh al-Awliyyh (3/362). Ibn Kathr, al-Bidyh (11/3). al-Khatb al-Baghddi, al-Jm li Akhlq ar-Rwee wa Aadb as-Smi (2/174).

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Ibn al-Qsim said, Seeking knowledge caused Malik ibn Anas to demolish the roof of his house and sell its wood.13 . Yahy ibn Sad Al-Qattn said whilst mentioning seeking hadith, I used leave my house in the morning and not return until it was dark.14 Ibn Shihb az-Zhhr said, I stayed for forty-five years going between ash-Shm and al-Hijz, and I did not find a hadth which I considered rare! [Ive never heard].15 Ubayd bin Yash said: I lived thirty years not eating with my hands I mean at night my sister would feed me while I wrote16 Al-Hfidh Abd ur-Rahmn ibn Ysuf ibn Kirsh said, I drank my urine in this affair [of seeing knowledge] five times. Al- alKhatb al-Baghddi said, I presume he was compelled to do so during journeys due to the absence of water, and Allh knows best.17 Ali ibn al-Hasan Shaqq said, I was with 'Abd Allh ibn al-Mubrak in the masjid one cold winter night. We stood to leave and when we were at the door it, he narrated some hadth to me or I narrated to him. He did not crease to narrate to me or I did not crease to narrate to him until the man who calls to prayer came and called to the Fajr prayer.18

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al-Khatb al-Baghddi, Tarkh al-Baghdd (2/13). al-Khatb al-Baghddi, al-Jm li Akhlq ar-Rwee wa Aadb as-Smi (2/174). Ab Numn, Hilyh al-Awliyyh (3/362). al-Khatb al-Baghddi, al-Jm li Akhlq ar-Rwee wa Aadb as-Smi (2/174). al-Khatb al-Baghddi, Tarkh al-Baghdd (10/280). al-Khatb al-Baghddi, al-Jmi li Akhlq ar-Rwee wa Aadb as-Smi (2/174).

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Khalaf ibn Hishm said, I found some parts of Arabic grammar difficult. So I spent 80,000 dinrs until I mastered it.19 Farqad As-Subkh said, I entered upon Sufyn ath-Thawr when he was in the state of illness that caused his death. So a man narrated a hadth to him that surprised him. So he thrust his hand beneath his bed and withdrew some [writing] tablets of his and he wrote that hadth. It was then asked of him, [Do you do such a thing] in the state you are in? to which he replied, Indeed it is good and I have heard [something] good, and if I die, then indeed I have written goodness.20 Muhammed ibn Ynus said, I wrote (hadth) in al-Basrh from one thousand, one hundred and eightysix men.21 Ibn al-Mghrah said, I walked a distance of seventy days because of Mfadhal ibn Fudhlahs transcript, and if a baker offered me a loaf of beard it wouldnt be accepted.22 Az-Zuhur said, I followed Sad ibn Msayib for three days in seeking knowledge.23 Ikrimh said, Ibn Abbs used to fetter my leg and taught me the Quran and Sunnah.24 Abu Aaliyah said, We use to listen to the narrations of the companions of the Messenger of Allh in al-Basrh, but we were not satisfied until we travelled to Madnah and heard them from their mouths.25

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Adh-Dhahab, Siyr Alam al-Nubal (10/578). Ab Numn, Hilyah al-Awliyyah (7/64). al-Khatb al-Baghddi, al-Jmi' li Akhlq ar-Rwee wa Aadb as-Smi (2/174). Adh-Dhahb, Tathkiratul Hufdh (3/121). Ab Numn, Hilyah al-Awliyyah (3/362). Ab Numn, Hilyah al-Awliyyah (3/362).

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Imam Ibn Ab Htim Ar-Rz said while mentioning the travels of his father, the Imm Ab Htim in the pursuit of hadth, I heard my father say, The first time I travelled to seek hadith, I spent seven years in which I counted the steps I walked which exceeded a thousand leagues - a league is the distance of 1 hour and a half - and then I stopped counting. As for travelling from al-Kfah to Baghdd, that was countless times. From Makkah to Madnah [I travelled] many times. I slipped out from the sea near Madnah [all the way] to Egypt walking, then by foot from Egypt to ar-Ramlh. I then walked from arRamlh to Bayt al-Maqdis and then from ar-Ramlh to Asqaln. I then travelled from Ramlh to Tiberias and from Tiberias to Damascus. Thereafter, I travelled from Damascus to Homs, from Homs to Antakya and then to Tarsus. I then returned from Tarsus and went to Homs. I had some hadth left to hear from Abee Al-Yamaan, so I heard from him. I then left Homs to Beit Shean and thereafter to Raqqah. I then rode from Raqqah to the Euphrates to Baghdd. Before I departed for Shm, I went to Wsit and then to the Nile. From the Nile I went to alKfah. All of that was by foot on my first journey [in pursuit of knowledge] for seven years whilst I was twenty years of age. I departed Rayy in the year 213H in the month of Ramadan, and returned in the year 221H.26

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al-Khatb al-Baghddi, al-Jmi' li Akhlq ar-Rwee wa Aadb as-Smi (2/174). Ibn Ab Hatim Ar-Rz, al-Jrh wal-Tadl (1/359).

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