Indeed, the seeker of knowledge is forgiven by all who are in the heavens and the earth, even the fish in the sea. And the superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over all other celestial bodies. The scholars are the heirs of the prophets, for the prophets did not leave behind dinars or dirhams, but rather they left behind knowledge. So whoever takes hold of it has taken hold of an abundant share.

224 — Hisham ibn Ammar narrated to us, Hafs ibn Sulayman narrated to us, Kathir ibn Shindhir narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Sirin, from Anas ibn Malik, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: "Seeking knowledge is an obligation upon every Muslim, and one who places knowledge before those who are not worthy of it is like one who puts a necklace of jewels, pearls, and gold around the necks of pigs."

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(1) It is hasan (good) due to corroborating witnesses, as clarified in our commentary on the hadith in "Musnad Ahmad" (21715), and this chain is weak due to the weakness of Kathir ibn Qays. It was also recorded by Abu Dawud (3641), al-Tirmidhi (2877) via the chain of Kathir ibn Qays, and Abu Dawud (3642) via the chain of Uthman ibn Abi Sawdah, both from Abu al-Darda', from the Prophet (peace be upon him).

(2) This hadith is hasan (good) through its various chains and corroborating witnesses — according to what al-Mizzi, al-Suyuti, and other scholars of hadith held — except for his statement: "and one who places knowledge before those who are not worthy of it..." etc., which is very weak, for Hafs ibn Sulayman — who is the Qur'an reciter from Kufa — is abandoned (matruk) in hadith. See the takhrij of the hadiths of "Ihya' 'Ulum al-Din" by al-Iraqi 1/55-57, and "al-Maqasid al-Hasanah" pp. 275-277.

It was also recorded by al-Sahmi in "Tarikh Jurjan" p. 316, Ibn Abd al-Barr in "Bayan al-'Ilm wa Fadlih" 1/9, and al-Mizzi in his biography of Kathir ibn Shindhir in "Tahdhib al-Kamal" 24/126, via the chain of Hafs ibn Sulayman, with this isnad. Ibn Abd al-Barr limited himself to its beginning.

The first part of it was recorded by Abu Ya'la (2837), (2903), and (4035), al-Uqayli in "al-Du'afa'" 4/250, al-Tabarani in "al-Awsat" (9), (2008), (2462), (8381), and (8834), Ibn Adi in "al-Kamil" 6/2091, and al-Bayhaqi in "al-Shu'ab" =