Hadhrat Ibn Abbas's (Radhiyallaho anho) Thirst For Knowledge

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"After the passing away of the Prophet (Sailallaho alaihe wasallam), I said to an Ansari friend of mine. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) is not now with us. But a large number of Sahabah are still among us. Let us go to them and get knowledge of the Islamic practices". He said. 'Who is going to approach you for learning a regulation in the presence of these eminent Sahabah?' I was not discouraged. I kept up my quest for knowledge and approached every person who was supposed to have heard something from the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam). I managed to gather substantial information from the Ansar. If on my visit to someone of the Sahabah, I found him asleep, I spread my shawl at the gate and sat waiting. Sometimes my face and body would get covered with dust, but I kept sitting till they woke and I was able to contact them. Some of them said: 'Abdullah you are the cousin of the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam); you could have sent for us. Why did you take the trouble of coming to our places?' I said to them: 'I must come to you, for I am a student and you are my teachers.' Some people for whom I had waited said: 'Since when have you been waiting for us?' I informed them that I had been sitting there for a pretty long time. They said: 'What a pity! You could have awakened us from our sleep.' I said: 'I did not like to disturb you for my own sake.' I thus carried on my pursuits, till there came a time when people began to flock to me for learning. My Ansari friend realised this at that time and remarked. 'This boy has surely proved himself more sensible than us.

It was this devotion to knowledge, which caused Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) to be known as Hibr-ul-Ummat (the most learned man of Islam) and Bahrul Ulum (ocean of knowledge) in his time. At the time of his death, he was in Taif. Hadhrat Muhammad bin Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) led the funeral service and said:

"Today we have lost our godly leader."

Hadhrat Abdullah bin Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

"Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) is noted for his knowledge of the occasions when various verses of the Qur'an were revealed."

According to Hadhrat Umar (Radhiyallaho anho) Hadhrat Ibne Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) is one of the most eminent Ulama of Islam. This is all due to his hard labour in acquiring knowledge. Had he considered himself a member of the Prophet's family (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), and as such demanded respect from the people instead of going to them for knowledge, he could not have attained this position. The Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam) has said:

"Be most humble and respectful to persons from whom you receive knowledge."

Mujahid says:     "A proud or shy student cannot gain much."

Hadhrat Ali (Radhiyallaho anho) says:

    "I am a slave to the person who has taught me even a single word. He may sell me or set me free."

Hadhrat Yahya bin Kathir (Rahmatullahi alaih) says:

    "Knowledge and easy living cannot go hand in hand."

Hadhrat Imam Shafi (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

"A student who learns half-heartedly and ungratefully can never succeed. A student who is humble and hard-living often reaches his goal."

Mughirah says:     "We feared our teacher Hadhrat Ibrahim (Rahmatullah alaih) more than even the kings of our times."

Hadhrat Bukhari (Rahmatullah alaih) writes about Yahya bin Ma'een, the famous Mohaddith:

"I have never seen a person more respectful to the Muhaddithin than Yahya."

Imam Abu Yusuf (Rahmatullah alaihe) says:

"I have heard from eminent people that a student who does not respect his teacher is never successful."

This story shows that Hadhrat Abdullah bin Abbas (Radhiyallaho anho) was very humble and respectful to those from whom he learnt Islam. It also shows his devotion to knowledge. He did not mind any amount of labour or inconvenience in going to persons who had some knowledge of Hadith. In fact, nothing can be achieved without in-convenience. As the Arabic proverb goes

"A person who wishes to excell others must burn the midnight oil."

It is said about Hadhrat Harith bin Yazid, Hadhrat Ibn Shubrumah, Hadhrat Qa`qaa, and Hadhrat Mughirah (Rahmatullahi alaihim) that they held discussions over religious matters among themselves after Isha and would not disperse before Azaan of Fajr. Hadhrat Laith bin Sa'eed (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

"Imam Zuhri (Rahmatullah alaih) sat after Isha with Wudhu and continued his discussion on Hadith till it was Fajr."

Darawardi says:

      "I saw Imam Abu Hanifa and Imam Malik in the Prophet's musjid after Isha, discussing some religious point very calmly and without offending each other. They dispersed only after performing Fajr Salaat."

Ibn Furat Baghdadi (Rahmatullah alaih)—a left on his death, eighteen boxes full of books. Most of these books were written in his own hand. He is famous among Muhaddithin for his authentic and systematic record.

Ibn Jauzi (Rahmatunali alaih) is another famous Muhaddith. He was brought up as an orphan, as he lost his father when he was only three. He was so studious that he would not leave his house except for Jum`uah prayer. He once declared from the pulpit, pointing to his fingers:

"With these fingers I have written or copied no less than two thousand books."

He was himself the author of more than two hundred and fifty books. It is said that he never remained idle. He used to write four parts of a book daily. His lessons were so popular that as many as 100000 students at a time listened to him. The kings, their ministers and chiefs would also attend his lectures. He himself says:

    "As many as 100(M0 disciples have pledged devotion to me, and not less than 20000 disbelievers have accepted Islam at my hands."

He also had to suffer much at the hands of Shiahs, who were in power those days. While mending his reed pen, he preserved the chips, and at the time of his death expressed the desire that those chips be used for warming the water for washing his 3ead body. It is said that not only the pre-served stock was sufficient for warming water, but a part was still left unused.

Yahya bin Ma'een (Rahmatullah alaih) is a famous shaikh of Ahadith. He says:

"I have written one million Ahadith with my own hand". I

bn Jarir Tabari (Rahmatullah alaih) is a historian of great fame. lie is an authority on the history of the Sahabah and "'Anvil. For forty years, he wrote 80 pages daily. After his death, his output in written work (since his maturity) was calculated to come to 28 pages daily. The book on history written by him which is generally available is very famous and popular. When he planned to write this book, he said to the people round him:

"You will be pleased to learn that I intend writing a book on world history.

They inquired:     "How big will that book be'?"

He said:     "About 30 000 leaves."

They remarked:     "Who will live to finish this book?"

He said:     "Inna lillahi wa inna ilaihi raaji-oon.

People have become so unaspiring."

He then decided to condense the material, which still covered 6000 pages. The same story is reported about his book on the meaning and commentary of the Qu'ran, This is also a very famous and popular book.

Daaraqutni (Rahmatullah alaih) is a famous writer on Hadith. He travelled to Baghdad, Basrah, Koofah, Wasit, Egypt and Syria for learning Hadith. Once he was attending the class of his teacher. During the teacher's lecture he was once seen copying from a certain book. One of the fellow students admonished him saying:

"How can you listen to the Shaikh while doing that work?"

He said:     There is a difference in my listening and yours. Tell me how many Hadiths has the Shaikh recited so far?"

The student began to think. Daaraqutni (Rahmatullah alaih) said:

"Now let me tell you. The Shaikh has so far recited eighteen Hadiths and these are…"

He then repeated all the eighteen Ahadiths that the Shaikh had recited in the same order, quoting the chain of narration in each case.

Hafiz Athram (Rahmatullah alaih) is a Muhaddith. He had a wonderful capacity for memorising Ahadith. Once he was in Mecca for Hajj. Two reputed Shaikhs from Khurasan were holding their lectures on Hadith in the Haram separately, and a large number of people were listening to each Shaikh. He sat between the two groups and noted down the lectures of both the Shaikhs at one and the same time.

Abdullah bin Mubarak (Rahmatullah alaih) is a Mo-haddith of great fame. His labours and efforts in collecting Hadiths are known to everybody. He says:

"I have learnt Hadith from four thousand teachers."

Ali bin Hasan (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

“It was a very cold night when I and urn Mubarak stepped out from the musjid after Ishii. We continued discussion on a Hadith while standing there, till we heard the Azaan for Fajr."

Humaidi (Rahmatullah alaih) is a Muhaddith, who has combined Bukhari and Muslim in one compilation. It is said that he wrote throughout the night. When it was very hot, he would write while sitting in a tub of water. He also wrote poetry. The following verses have been written by him:—

Mixing with people does not benefit

Beyond waste of time in gossip;

Don't go to the people, except

For acquiring knowledge and piety

Imam Tabrani (Rahmatullah alaih) is a reputed Muhad-dith and author of numerous books. Somebody inquired:

"How could you write so many books, Shaikh'?"

He replied:     "I have been on my mat for thirty years."

Abul Abbas Shirazi (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

    "I have learnt 300000 Ahadith from Tabrani."

Imam Abu Hanifa (Rahmatullah alaih) laboured very hard in going deep into those Ahadiths which contradicted some others. Koofah was the centre of Islamic learning in those days. Ile had collected Hadith from all the Muhaddithin of that place. Whenever a Muhaddith from outside came to Koofah, he sent his students to him to ascertain if he knew any such I ladith that was not known to him. The Imam had established a circle where scholars of Hadith, Fiqati, and Philology gathered together. They had discussions on regulations about Islamic practices. Sometimes the discussions continued for one month before a point was agreed upon, and written in the book of regulations for the people of his school of thought.

    Imam Tirmizi (Rahmatullah ataih) is known to one and all. He was unique in his capacity for memorising and retaining Ahadith. His memory was marvellous. Some Muhaddithin once tested his memory. They recited before him forty-one Hadiths. Imam Tirmizi (Radmatullah alaih) immediately repeated all of them. He himself writes:

"On my way to Mecca: I copied Iwo parts from the collections of Hadith by a Shaikh. I happened to come across that Shaikh personally. I said to him, 'I have copied two parts of your collections. I wish to compare those Hadiths by listening to them (tiredly from you.' The Shaikh agreed. While going to his place I, by mistake, took a blank book instead of the note hook in which I had copied the Hadiths. The Shaikh started reciting the Hadiths, while I held the blank book in my hand. When he noticed it, he was very angry with me. I explained to him how that had happened, and said, 'Shaikh, your time is not wasted. I remember everything that you have said' He did not believe me and asked me to repeat all that he had recited. I repeated all the Ahadith. He thought I had memorized them before I came to him. I said, You may recite some other Hadiths.' He recited forty new Hadiths. I repeated all of them without any error."

It is very difficult to work and labour as hard as these Muhaddithin did in collecting, memorising and propagating Hadith. It is difficult even to cover all such stories. Qartamah (Rahmatullah alaih) is a Muhaddith who is not very famous. One of his students, Daud, says:

"People speak about the memory of Abu Hatim (Rahmatullah alaih). I have never seen a person with better memory than Qartamah. Once he said to me, "Pick any of the books from my library. I shall recite it from my memory." I picked up `Kitabul-Ashribah.' He recited the whole book in the reverse order i.e., reading from the end to the beginning of each chapter."

Abu Zur'ah (Rahmatullahi alaih) says:

    "Imam Ahmad bin Hambal (Rahmatullah alaih) remembered one million Ahadith by heart. I have collected 100000 Ahadith and I know 30000 of them by heart."

Khafaf (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

"Ishaq (Rahmatulla alaih) once dictated to us 11000 Ahadith from his memory. He then repeated all of them in the same order, with no error at all."

Abu Sa'd Isbahani, (Rahmatullah alaih) when he was only sixteen, left from Baghdad to learn Hadith from Abu Nasr (Rahmatullah alaih). He heard about his death on the way. He cried bitterly like a child, and would say:

"How shall I know the chain of narrators of his Hadiths?"

Such crying is not possible without love and devotion. He knew the 'Muslim' collection of Ahadith by heart and taught the book to his puplis from memory.

Abu Umar Dharir (Rahmatullab alaih) was blind by birth, but is counted among the Huffaitz of Hadith. He was an expert in History, Fiqah, Law of inheritance and mathematics.

Abul Husain Isfahani (Rahmatullah alaih) remembered the Bukhari and Muslim compilations both by heart. Bukhari was so deeply fixed in his memory that he would give the chain of narrators’ for any text or vice versa.

Shaikh Taqi-ud-Din Ba'albakki (Rahmatullah alaih) memorised the 'Muslim' in four months. He was also Hafiz of Hadith common in Muslim's and Bukhari's compilations. He was a saint, and many miracles are attributed to him. He had also memorised the Qur'an. It is said that Soorah Al-An'aam was memorized by him in one day.

Ibnus-Sunni (Rahmatullah alaih) is a famous pupil of Imam Nasai (Rahmatullah alaih). He was writing Hadith even up to the last moments of his life. His son says?

"My father was writing Hadith when he put aside the pen, raised his hands in prayer and breathed his last."

Allamah Saaji (Rahmatullah alaih) mastered Fiqah in his teens. Then he began to acquire knowledge about Hadiili. He staved in Herat for ten years and wrote the whole of "Tirmizi' six times during that stay. His teacher Ibn Mandah (Rahmatullah alaih) died while teaching him 'Gharaib Sho'bah' after Isha.

Abu-Umar Khafaf (Rahmatullah alaih) remembered 100000 hadiths by heart. More than 100000 persons at-tended the lectures of Asim bin Ali (Rahmatullah alaih) (Shaikh of Imam Bukhari) when he was in Baghdad. One day, an audience of 120 000 was estimated during his lecture. The words uttered by him were relayed a number of before these could be heard by all the people. The words "Al-Laith (Rahmatullah alaih) reported to me," uttered I by him once had to be relayed fourteen times.

Abu Muslim Basri (Rahmatullah alaih) on reaching Baghdad took his class to a big ground. Seven hundred men were relaying his lecture. 40000 inkpots, used for taking down his lecture, were counted in one lecture. There were many more who simply listened. In the lectures by Faryabi (Rahmatullah alaih) there used to be 316 persons who would relay his words to enable people to write these down. It was this labor and devotion which has caused the sacred knowledge to live up to our time.

Imam Bukhari (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

"I compiled my collection of 7275 Ahadith by selection from 600000. I have been saying Salaat of 2 rakaats before writing each Hadith".

When Imaam Bukhari (Rahmatullah alaih) came to Baghdad, the Muhaddithin tested his knowledge. Ten persons were nominated for the test. Each of these persons selected ten Ahadith of his choice and, after making some changes in the wording, recited each Hadith before Imam Blikhari (Rahmatullah alaih). On each recital, he would say:

"I do not know such Hadith."

When all had finished, he addressed each man saying:

"Brother, the first Hadith you recited as such (reciting as the man had done), but actually it is such (reciting the correct wording) . . . and so on."

He repeated all the hundred Ahadith first in the form in which those men had recited, and again in the correct form in that very order.

Imam Muslim (Rahmatullah alaih) started learning Hadith when he was fourteen, and remained engaged in that till his death. He says:

"I have compiled my book of 12000 after selecting from 300 000 Ahadith."

Abu Daud (Rahmatullah alaih) says:

"I had collected 500 000 Ahadith, but I selected only 4 800 for inclusion in my book."

Yusuf Muzi (Rahmatullah alaih) is a famous Muhadith. He is an Imam in the science of Asmaa-ur Rijaal (classification of reporting persons). After learning Fiqh and Hadith from the teachers in his own town he went to Mecca, Madinah, Halb, Hamat Ba'albak etc, in search of further knowledge. He is the writer of many books. `Tahzib-ul-Kamar is in 200 parts and `Kitab-ul-Atraaf ' has more than 80 parts. He often kept quiet and spoke very little. Most of the time, he was engaged in reading or writing. I le suffered at the hands of his enemies, who were jealous of him, but he never retaliated.

It is really very difficult to cover all the stories of other illustrious people about their service to knowledge. The details of their toils cannot he covered even in several volumes. What has been written above is only meant to give a few glimpses of the pains that our elders in Islam have taken in the development of knowledge about Hadith and leaving it to us in such an accomplished form. Let those people who profess to seek knowledge see for themselves what sacrifices they are really making in this field. It is futile to hope that the knowledge about the Prophet (Sallallaho alaihe wasallam), which has thus reached us, will be spread and brought into practice while we remain absorbed in our luxuries, comforts, pleasures and other worldly engagements.