Chapter on the necessity to seek knowledge and the recommendations to learn
9 Aḥadīth
Muhammad ibn Ya‘qub has narrated from Ali ibn Ibrahim ibn Hashim from his father from al-Hassan ibn Abu al-Hussein al-Farisi from ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Zayd from his father from Abu ‘Abdillah 
that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim. Let it be known that Allah loves those who seek knowledge.”
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَعْقُوبَ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ هَاشِمٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحُسَيْنِ الْفَارِسِيِّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ زَيْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ أَلا إِنَّ الله يُحِبُّ بُغَاةَ الْعِلْمِ.
Muhammad ibn Yahya has narrated from Muhammad ibn al-Hassan from Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah from ‘Isa ibn ‘Abdallah al-‘Amri that Abu ‘Abdillah said, “Seeking knowledge is obligatory.”
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ الْحُسَيْنِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ عِيسَى بْنِ عَبْدِ الله الْعُمَرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله قَالَ طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ.
Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from Yunus ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman that one of his people asked Abul Hasan (al-Kadhim) , “Is it permissible for people not to seek what (religious knowledge) they need?”. He replied, “No [it’s not permissible].”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ يُونُسَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ بَعْضِ أَصْحَابِهِ قَالَ سُئِلَ أَبُو الْحَسَنِ هَلْ يَسَعُ النَّاسَ تَرْكُ الْمَسْأَلَةِ عَمَّا يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ لا.
Ali ibn Muhammad and others have narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad and Muhammad ibn Yahya from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Isa all from ibn Mahbub from Hisham ibn Salim from Abu Hamza from Abu Ishaq al-Subay‘i that one who narrated to him said he heard Amir al-Mu’minin say, “O people, you must know that religion becomes complete through seeking knowledge and acting accordingly. You must know that seeking knowledge is much more urgent for you than seeking wealth. Indeed, wealth is divided and guaranteed for you, a just person has already divided the wealth among you, guaranteed it, and will execute it for you. Knowledge, however, is stored with those who possess it. You are commanded to seek knowledge from its sources (those who possess it). You must seek knowledge.”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ وَغَيْرُهُ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى جَمِيعاً عَنِ ابْنِ مَحْبُوبٍ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ سَالِمٍ عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ السَّبِيعِيِّ عَمَّنْ حَدَّثَهُ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يَقُولُ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اعْلَمُوا أَنَّ كَمَالَ الدِّينِ طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ وَالْعَمَلُ بِهِ أَلا وَإِنَّ طَلَبَ الْعِلْمِ أَوْجَبُ عَلَيْكُمْ مِنْ طَلَبِ الْمَالِ إِنَّ الْمَالَ مَقْسُومٌ مَضْمُونٌ لَكُمْ قَدْ قَسَمَهُ عَادِلٌ بَيْنَكُمْ وَضَمِنَهُ وَسَيَفِي لَكُمْ وَالْعِلْمُ مَخْزُونٌ عِنْدَ أَهْلِهِ وَقَدْ أُمِرْتُمْ بِطَلَبِهِ مِنْ أَهْلِهِ فَاطْلُبُوهُ.
A number of our people has narrated has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad al-Barqi from Ya’qub ibn Yazid from Abu ‘Abdillah, one of our people narrated in a marfu‘ manner from Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) that Rasulullah ﷺ said: “Seeking knowledge is obligatory.” In another hadith, Abu ‘Abdillah narrated that Rasulullah ﷺ said, “Seeking knowledge is obligatory for every Muslim. Let it be known that Allah loves those who seek knowledge.”
عِدَّةٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ الْبَرْقِيِّ عَنْ يَعْقُوبَ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِنَا رَفَعَهُ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله قَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ وَفِي حَدِيثٍ آخَرَ قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الله قَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ طَلَبُ الْعِلْمِ فَرِيضَةٌ عَلَى كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ أَلا وَإِنَّ الله يُحِبُّ بُغَاةَ الْعِلْمِ.
Ali ibn Muhammad ibn ‘Abdallah has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from ‘Uthman ibn ‘Isa from Ali ibn Abi Hamza that he heard Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) say, “Acquire good understanding in religion because those of you who do not have good understanding in religion are like the Bedouins. Allah has said in His book, ‘Why do not some people from each group of believers seek to become specialists in religious learning and, after completing their studies, guide their group so that they will have fear of God. (9:22)’”
عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله يَقُولُ تَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَتَفَقَّهْ مِنْكُمْ فِي الدِّينِ فَهُوَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ إِنَّ الله يَقُولُ فِي كِتَابِهِ لِيَتَفَقَّهُوا فِي الدِّينِ وَلِيُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ إِذا رَجَعُوا إِلَيْهِمْ لَعَلَّهُمْ يَحْذَرُونَ.
Al-Hassan ibn Muhammad has narrated from Ja‘far ibn Muhammad from al-Qasim ibn al-Rabi‘ from Mufaddal ibn ‘Umar that he heard Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) say, “It is necessary for you to have good understanding of religion of Allah. Do not be like Bedouins because those who do not gain good understanding of religion, Allah will not look to then on the Day of Judgement and none of his deeds will be cleansed.”
الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ الرَّبِيعِ عَنْ مُفَضَّلِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَبْدِ الله يَقُولُ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالتَّفَقُّهِ فِي دِينِ الله وَلا تَكُونُوا أَعْرَاباً فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ لَمْ يَتَفَقَّهْ فِي دِينِ الله لَمْ يَنْظُرِ الله إِلَيْهِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ وَلَمْ يُزَكِّ لَهُ عَمَلاً.
Muhammad ibn ’Isma‘il has narrated from al-Fadl ibn Shadhan from Ibn Abi ‘Umayr from Jamil ibn Durraj from Aban ibn Taghlib that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) said, “I would have even liked that my companions’ heads are lashed with whips for them to gain a comprehensive understanding [of the religion].
مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ عَنِ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ شَاذَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عُمَيْرٍ عَنْ جَمِيلِ بْنِ دَرَّاجٍ عَنْ أَبَانِ بْنِ تَغْلِبَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله قَالَ لَوَدِدْتُ أَنَّ أَصْحَابِي ضُرِبَتْ رُءُوسُهُمْ بِالسِّيَاطِ حَتَّى يَتَفَقَّهُوا.
Ali ibn Muhammad has narrated from Sahl ibn Ziyad from Muhammad ibn ‘Isa from one who narrated to him that Abu ‘Abdillah (al-Sadiq) was asked, “May I be your ransom, there is a man who believes in this issue (i.e. the imamah of Ahlul-bayt), but locks himself at home and does not acquaint himself with his community.” So he said, “How will he achieve a good understanding of his religion [without talking to the knowledgable people of his community]?”.
عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ زِيَادٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَمَّنْ رَوَاهُ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله قَالَ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ جُعِلْتُ فِدَاكَ رَجُلٌ عَرَفَ هَذَا الامْرَ لَزِمَ بَيْتَهُ وَلَمْ يَتَعَرَّفْ إِلَى أَحَدٍ مِنْ إِخْوَانِهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ يَتَفَقَّهُ هَذَا فِي دِينِهِ.