عَنْ عَبْدِ اللّهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللّهِ صَلَّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ اللّهَ لا يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ انْتِزَاعًا يَنْتَزِعُهُ مِنَ النَّاسِ، وَلَكِنْ يَقْبِضُ الْعِلْمَ بِقَبْضِ الْعُلَمَاءِ، حَتَّى إِذَا لَمْ يُبْقِ عَالِمًا اتَّخَذَ النَّاسُ رُؤُوسًا جُهَّالًا، فَسُئِلُوا، فَأَفْتَوْا بِغَيْرِ عِلْمٍ، فَضَلُّوا وَأَضَلُّوا» مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As (may Allah be pleased with them both) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Indeed Allah does not take away knowledge by snatching it away from people, but rather He takes away knowledge by taking away the scholars, until, when He has left no scholar, people take ignorant ones as leaders. They are asked (for verdicts) and give verdicts without knowledge, so they go astray and lead others astray." Agreed upon (al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
لا يقبض العلم: أي لا يرفعه، والمراد في آخر الزمان. انتزاعًا: من النزع وهو الجذب والقلع. بقبض العلماء: بموتهم. رؤوسًا: جمع رأس، وفي رواية "رؤساء" جمع رئيس.
"Does not take away knowledge": that is, does not raise it up; what is meant is at the end of time. "By snatching" (intiza'an): from naz', which is pulling and uprooting. "By taking away the scholars": by their death. "Leaders" (ru'usan): plural of ra's (head); in another narration "ru'asa'," plural of ra'is (chief).
الدروس · lessons
أنّ العلماء أمان للناس في الأرض وينابيع فضل وخير. بشارة العلماء في إتمام فضل اللّه عزّ وجلّ عليهم بعدم سلبهم ما أتهم به عليهم من العلم. الحثّ على طلب العلم، ليكثر العلماء وينعم الناس بهم بالاستفادة والتبصر في أمور دينهم. من ادعى العلم وأفتى الناس على جهل، أضر بنفسه في الافتراء على اللّه تعالى بالكذب، وأضرّ بالناس لتلبيس الحقّ عليهم. التحذير من استفتاء الجاهلين أو الفتوى بغير علم. قلة العلم بالدين من علامات قرب القيامة.
That scholars are a source of security for people on earth and springs of merit and good. Glad tidings to the scholars of the completion of Allah's favor (the Mighty and Majestic) upon them, in that they will not be stripped of the knowledge He has bestowed upon them. Encouragement to seek knowledge, so that scholars may multiply and people may be blessed through them by benefiting from them and gaining insight into the affairs of their religion. Whoever claims knowledge and gives verdicts to people out of ignorance harms himself by fabricating lies against Allah the Exalted, and harms people by obscuring the truth for them. A warning against seeking verdicts from the ignorant, or against giving verdicts without knowledge. The scarcity of knowledge of the religion is among the signs of the nearness of the Hour.