PEARLS FROM THE SALAF

ath-Thahabee: 'Abdullaah bin Mas'ood memorised 70 chapters of the Qur'aan directly from the lips of the Prophet himself. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 77] Aboo Dardaa': I love death because I long for my Lord, I love poverty because it makes me humble in front of my Lord, I love sickness because it expiates my sins. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 84] ath-Thahabee: Rib'ee bin Hiraash promised never to laugh until he knew whether he was destined for Paradise or Hell. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 110] ath-Thahabee: Ibraaheem an-Nakha'ee would avoid fame. He would only speak if asked a question. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 113] ath-Thahabee: Muhammad bin Sireen would laugh and joke. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 115] al-'Amash: A man once asked Imaam ash-Sha'bee the name of the devils wife. The Imaam replied 'That is a wedding I did not attend!' [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 121] Ikrimah: I sought knowledge for 40 years. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 126] Aboo Zinad: az-Zuhri always had a scroll with him when he sat with people of knowledge. He wrote down everything he heard. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 136] ath-Thahabee: az-Zuhree memorised the entire Qur'aan in 80 nights. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 137] az-Zuhree: Qaasim bin Muhammad told me to go to 'Amrah bint 'AbdirRahmaan. I found her knowledge to be as vast as the ocean! [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 138] Shu'ayb bin Abee Hamzah: Makhul was asked who is the most knowledgeable person you've ever seen? He said az-Zuhree, he was then asked and after him? He replied az-Zuhree. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 137] Aboo Is-haaq ash-Shay'ee: I have become old and weak and can only fast the three days of every month, Mondays and Thursdays and the holy months. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 140] Sufyaan bin 'Uyaynah: Safwaan bin Suleymaan swore by Allaah that he would not lie down until he met Allaah. He lived like that for 30 years, and died sitting up. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 153] 'Ubaydullaah bin Ja'far: If a person speaks and is amazed by his own speech then he should remain silent. And if he becomes amazed with his own silence he should speak. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 155] Ibn Adiyy: Dawood bin Abee Hind fasted for 40 years without his family even knowing about it.[at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 162] Wakee' bin al-Jarraah: al-'Amash almost became 70 years without ever missing the first Takbir at the Masjid. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 167] al-Waleed bin Mazeed: I never saw al-Awzaa'ee laugh with his mouth completely open. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 184] 'Uqbah al-Beirooti: al-Awzaa'ee died in his own Sauna. His wife locked the door and forgot him inside.[at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 186] 'AbdirRahmaan bin Mahdi: If it was said to Hammad bin Salamah, 'you will die tomorrow', he would not be able to increase in worship. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 200] Yusuf al-Mu'adib: Hammad bin Salamah died in his Salah. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 200] ash-Shaafi'ee: If the scholars are mentioned then Imaam Maalik is their star. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 203] Sa'eed bin 'AbdilAzeez: I have never prayed any Salah except that I have imagined Paradise in front of me and Hell-Fire behind me. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 211] Abdullaah bin al-Mubaarak: If the majority of a persons deeds are good then do not mention his bad deeds. If the majority of a persons deeds are bad then do not mention his good deeds. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 250] an-Nadhr bin Shumayl: A person has not tasted the sweetness of knowledge until it causes him to become hungry and then makes him forget that same hunger! [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 276] Is-haaq bin Raahooyah: When I was in Makkah, Ahmad bin Hanbal said to me 'Let me show you a man the likes of whom you have never seen before!' He brought me before Imaam ash-Shaafi'ee. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 311] Hishaam ar-Raazee: I spent seven hundred thousand silver coins in the pursuit of knowledge. [at-Tadhkirah v. 1 p. 329] al-Bukhaaree: I have never felt in awe in the company of anyone except in the presence of 'Alee al-Madeenee. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 14] ath-Thahabee: It is said that Yahya bin Ma'een inherited one million silver coins from his father. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 14] Abdullaah bin Ahmad bin Hanbal: Aboo Zur'ah said to me 'Your father memorised one million ahaadeeth'. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 16] ath-Thahabee: Muhammad bin Yahya al-'Adanee performed Hajj 77 times. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 61] Ahmad bin Sinaan: When a person starts to innovate, the sweetness of Hadeeth leaves his heart. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 75] al-Bukhaaree: When I reached the age of 18 I wrote the books Qadhaaya as-Sahaabah and Taareekh al-Kabeer. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 98] Aboo Haatim: First time I travelled to seek knowledge I was gone for 7 years. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 105] Aboo Haatim: I was 20 years of age when I travelled on foot from Bahrain to Egypt and from Egypt to Palestine and from Palestine to Syria in pursuit of knowledge. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 105] ath-Thahabee: No scholar of our time can match those of old. You might think 'Who is Ahmad bin Hanbal? 'Alee al-Madeenee and Aboo Zur'ah?' Humble yourself, and keep silent! These are the men who brought us beneficial knowledge. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 143] ath-Thahabee: Aboo Bakr al-Firyaabee dug his own grave. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 183] al-Hasan al-Basree: For me to know that I am free from hypocrisy is more dear to me than the weight of the entire world in gold. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 184] ath-Thahabee: It is said that at-Tabaree would write 40 pages a day. [at-Tadhkirah v. 2 p. 194] Aboo Bakr an-Naysaaboori: During the famine in Basrah, I lived for 40 days on one slice of bread. [at-Tadhkirah v.3 p. 83] ath-Thahabee: at-Tabaraanee started travelling for knowledge at the age of 13. [at-Tadhkirah v. 3 p. 89] Ibn Taahir: I urinated blood twice in my life in pursuit of knowledge. Once in Baghdaad and once in Makkah. It was due to me walking barefeet in the heat. [at-Tadhkirah v. 4 p. 29] Ibn al-Jawzee: I have written two thousand books, helped one thousand people repent and guided twenty thousand people to accept Islaam. [at-Tadhkirah v. 4 p. 96] al-Muwaffaq: One hundred thousand people would attend Ibn al-Jawzee's lessons. [at-Tadhkirah v. 4 p. 98] Translated by: Aboo Thaabit, Ismaa'eel bin Muhammad Noor 3rd Rajab 1433