Skip to content
4 October 2026 23 Rabi' al-Thani 1448 AH

Mishkat al-Masabih 204

Show
Hadith 204
وَعَن أبي أُمَامَة الْبَاهِلِيّ قَالَ: " ذُكِرَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ رَجُلَانِ أَحَدُهُمَا عَابِدٌ وَالْآخَرُ عَالِمٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ» ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ وَأَهْلَ السَّمَاوَاتِ وَالْأَرْضِ حَتَّى النَّمْلَةَ فِي جُحْرِهَا وَحَتَّى الْحُوتَ لَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَى معلم النَّاس الْخَيْر» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ وَقَالَ حسن غَرِيب
وَرَوَاهُ الدَّارِمِيُّ عَنْ مَكْحُولٍ مُرْسَلًا وَلَمْ يَذْكُرْ: رَجُلَانِ وَقَالَ: فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ ثُمَّ تَلَا هَذِهِ الْآيَةَ: (إِنَّمَا يخْشَى الله من عباده الْعلمَاء)

Narrated Abu Umama al-Bahili said that:

Two men, one learned and the
other devout, were mentioned to God’s messenger, who then said, “The
superiority of the learned man over the devout man is like mine over
the most contemptible among you,” adding, “God, His angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earth, even the ant in its hole and even
the fish invoke blessings on him who teaches men what is good.”
Tirmidhi transmitted it.

Darimi transmitted it from Makhul in mursal
form, but did not mention the two men. He said, “The superiority of
the learned man over the devout man is like mine over the most contemptible among you.” Then he recited this verse, “Only those of His
servants who are learned fear God," (35:28) 1 then went on with the tradition to
the end.
Mishkat al-Masabih 204

More from this chapter

Whole chapter
Hadith 203
عَن كثير بن قيس قَالَ كُنْتُ جَالِسًا مَعَ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ فِي مَسْجِد دمشق فَجَاءَهُ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ يَا أَبَا الدَّرْدَاءِ إِنِّي جِئْتُكَ مِنْ مَدِينَةِ الرَّسُولِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا جِئْتُ لِحَاجَةٍ قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَطْلُبُ فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَلَكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا مِنْ طُرُقِ الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ يسْتَغْفر لَهُ من فِي السَّمَوَات وَمَنْ فِي الْأَرْضِ وَالْحِيتَانُ فِي جَوْفِ الْمَاءِ وَإِنَّ فَضْلَ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ لَيْلَةَ الْبَدْرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ وَإِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ وَإِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلَا دِرْهَمًا وَإِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ فَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ ". رَوَاهُ أَحْمَدُ وَالتِّرْمِذِيُّ وَأَبُو دَاوُدَ وَابْنُ مَاجَهْ وَالدَّارِمِيُّ وَسَمَّاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ قَيْسَ بن كثير
Kathir b. Qais told how, when he was sitting with Abu Darda' in
the mosque of Damascus, a man came to him and said, “Abu Darda',
I have come to you from the town of the Messenger for a tradition I have
heard that you relate from God's messenger. I have come for no other
purpose.” He replied that he had heard God’s messenger say, “ If anyone travels on a road in search of knowledge God will cause him to
travel on one of the roads of paradise, the angels will lower their wings
from good pleasure with one who seeks knowledge, and the inhabitants
of the heavens and the earth and the fish in the depth of the water will
ask forgiveness for him. The superiority of the learned man over the
devout man is like that of the moon on the night when it is full over the
rest of the stars. The learned are the heirs of the prophets who leave
neither dinar nor dirham, leaving only knowledge, and he who accepts it
accepts an abundant portion.” Ahmad, Tirmidhi, Abu Dawud, Ibn Majah
and Darimi transmitted it, Tirmidhi calling Him Qais b. Kathir.
Mishkat al-Masabih 203 Open
Hadith 205
وَعَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ النَّاسَ لَكُمْ تَبَعٌ وَإِنَّ رِجَالًا يَأْتُونَكُمْ مِنْ أَقْطَارِ الْأَرْضِ يَتَفَقَّهُونَ فِي الدِّينِ فَإِذَا أَتَوْكُمْ فَاسْتَوْصُوا بهم خيرا» . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيّ
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported God’s messenger as saying, “ People
will follow you, and men will come to you from all regions of the earth
seeking understanding about the religion; so when they come to you,
give them good counsel.” Tirmidhi transmitted it.
Mishkat al-Masabih 205 Open
Hadith 202
وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «لَا تُقْتَلُ نَفْسٌ ظُلْمًا إِلَّا كَانَ عَلَى ابْنِ آدَمَ الْأَوَّلِ كِفْلٌ مِنْ دَمِهَا لِأَنَّهُ أَوَّلُ مَنْ سَنَّ الْقَتْلَ» . وَسَنَذْكُرُ حَدِيثَ مُعَاوِيَةَ: «لَا يَزَالُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي» فِي بَابِ ثَوَابِ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ إِنْ شَاءَ الله تَعَالَى
Ibn Mas'ud reported God’s messenger as saying, “No life is taken
unjustly without a portion of its blood being laid at the door of Adam’s
first son, because he was the first to introduce murder.” (Bukhari and
Muslim). We shall mention the tradition from Mu'awiya, “A section of
my people will continue .. .”* in the chapter on the reward of this
people, if God will.
*Book XXV, Chap. xli. The wording is slightly different.