In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imaam Abdullaah Ibnul Mubaarak [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “A man will not be from the (students or scholars) of Hadeeth until he writes from someone similar to him, someone above him and someone below him”. (1)

Imaam Sufyaan Ibn Uyaynah [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said, “A man will not be from the (students or scholars) of Hadeeth until he takes from someone above him, someone below him and someone similar to him”. (2)

Al-Allaamah Rabee Bin Haadee Al-Madkhalee [may Allaah preserve him] said, “The entire life of a person is spent in seeking knowledge – from the cradle to the grave. He does not feel proud to acquire truth from a young or older person and he never rejects truth, whether it is stated by a Muslim or unbeliever. Moosaa [peace be upon him] was spoken to directly by Allaah and the Tawraat was revealed to him, which contained Hudaa [i.e. that which guides a person to Eemaan, truth and protects one from misguidance] and Noor [i.e. a guiding light in the midst of the darkness of ignorance, confusion, doubts, beliefs and deeds that appear to be truth but are falsehood in reality and evil desires], but when he knew that another person possessed knowledge of that which he did not possess, [Allaah informed us he (Musa) said]: [لَا أَبْرَحُ حَتَّىٰ أَبْلُغَ مَجْمَعَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ أَوْ أَمْضِيَ حُقُبًا – I will not give up (travelling) until I reach the junction of the two seas or (until) I spend years and years in travelling. [Surah Al-Kahf. Verse 60] He went on foot – neither had a car nor a riding beast, nor a horse; (rather) he travelled on foot”. (3)

Indeed, there is nothing to stop us from sitting to benefit from a student of knowledge who has not reached the age of forty if he is humble, respectful and upon a sound methodology, otherwise, we leave him to his illusions because there are many others who possess what he possesses and they are not haughty.

Iyaad Bin Himaar Al-Mujaashi’ee [may allaah be pleased with him] reported that the Prophet [peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him] said, “It has been revealed to me that you be humble so that none behave haughtily towards another person nor transgress against anyone”. (4)

Al-Allaamah Zayd Bin Haadee Al-Mad’khalee [may Allaah have mercy upon him] said: This great hadeeth is from the Jawaami Al-Kalim [i.e. a short statement that contains a vast meaning]. In this hadeeth, the Prophet guides us to humbleness, whose opposite is haughtiness, transgression, belittling the people and mocking at them. As for the humble person, he that one who has Islamic manners and deals with his Muslim brothers based on Islamic brotherhood- neither transgresses against them nor mocks at them; neither belittles their rights nor treats them in an evil manner through speech or action. You always see him forgoing his rights out of humility to Allaah [The Blessed and Exalted]. The heart is the place where humility resides and it manifests on the limbs through good speech, good deeds and good dealings with others, and thus a person earns abundant reward. When a Muslim possesses this quality and refrains from exalting himself above the people, then indeed he fights against its opposites, such as belittling others, looking down on the people, treating them in an evil manner through speech and action, and other than that; rather he establishes the rights of brotherhood based on Eemaan just as Islaam calls to this great quality. This hadeeth guides one to abandon transgression and to be humble. It is [not permissible for] anyone to transgress against another person- neither through speech nor deeds- meaning: Do not transgress against him and thus oppress him. Do not [violate] his honour, blood and wealth, and through this brotherhood based on Eemaan is established, the Muslim actualises this great quality and thus Allaah raises his status. (5)

Ref 1: Taareekh Baghdaad by Al-Khateeb Al-Baghdaadee 5/68

Ref 2: Al-Jaami Li-Akhlaaq Ar-Raawee 2/218

Ref 3: Marhaban Yaa Taalibal Ilm. 245-248

Ref 4: Saheeh Muslim2865]

[Ref 5: An Excerpt from ”At-leeqaat Al-Maleehah Alaa Sisilah Al-Ahaadeeth As-Saheehah. Vol 1. page 92]