Jami' at-Tirmidhi — Hadith #28840

Mahmoud bin Khadash Al-Baghdadi narrated to us, Muhammad bin Yazid Al-Wasiti narrated to us, Asim bin Raja bin Haywa narrated to us, on the authority of Qays bin Many, he said: A man from Medina came to Abu al-Darda’ while he was in Damascus and said, “What brought you, my brother?” Then he said, “A hadith that has reached me that you are speaking to him.” On the authority of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace. He said, “Did you not come for a need?” He said, “No.” He said, “Did you not come for business?” He said, “No.” He said, “You only came to seek this.” The hadith said, “For I heard the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, say: “Whoever follows a path seeking knowledge, God will take him on a path to Paradise, and the angels lower their wings to please the seeker of knowledge, and the world seeks forgiveness for him from all in the heavens and from all on earth, even whales in the water, and the superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over all the other stars. Indeed, the scholars are the heirs of the prophets. The prophets did not leave behind a dinar or a dirham, rather they left behind knowledge, so whoever adopts it will receive an abundant share.” Abu Issa said, “And we do not know.” This hadith is only from the hadith of Asim bin Raja bin Haywa, and to me it is not connected. This is how Mahmoud bin Khaddash told us about this. The chain of transmission. This hadith was only narrated on the authority of Asim bin Raja bin Haywa, on the authority of Al-Walid bin Jamil, on the authority of Kathir bin Qays, on the authority of Abu Al-Darda’ on the authority of the Prophet, may God’s prayers and peace be upon him, and this is more authentic than the hadith of Mahmoud bin Khadash, and Muhammad bin Ismail thought this was more authentic.