The scholars are the most fortunate of people with regard to this blessing,
and the most entitled to this mercy. Imam Ahmad, may Allah have mercy on him,
recorded that Qays bin Kathir said, "One of the people of Al-Madinah came to Abu
Ad-Darda', may Allah be pleased with him, when he was in Damascus. [Abu
Ad-Darda'] said, `What brought you here, my brother' He said, `A Hadith which I
heard that you narrate from the Messenger of Allah .' He said, `Have you come
for trade' He said, `No.' He said, `Have you come for any other reason' He said,
`No.' He said, `Have you come only to seek this Hadith' He said, `Yes.' He, may
Allah be pleased with him said, `I heard the Messenger of Allah say:
«مَنْ سَلَكَ
طَرِيقًا يَطْلُبُ فِيهَا عِلْمًا، سَلَكَ اللهُ تَعَالَى بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى
الْجَنَّةِ، وَإِنَّ الْمَلَائِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ
الْعِلْمِ، وَإِنَّهُ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لِلْعَالِمِ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ
وَالْأَرْضِ حَتَّى الْحِيتَانُ فِي الْمَاءِ، وَفَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى
الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ، وَإِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ
هُمْ وَرَثَةُ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ، وَإِنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا
وَلَا دِرْهَمًا، وَإِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ، فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهِ أَخَذَ
بِحَظَ وَافِر»
(Whoever follows a path to seek knowledge, Allah will show him the way to
Paradise. The angels lower their wings being pleased with the one who seeks
knowledge. Whoever is in the heavens and on earth, even the fish in the sea, ask
for forgiveness for the scholar. The superiority of the scholar over the
worshipper is like that of the moon over all other heavenly bodies. The scholars
are the heirs of the Prophets, for the Prophets did not leave behind Dinars and
Dirhams, but they left behind knowledge; and whoever receives it, receives an
abundance of good fortune.)''' It was also reported by Abu Dawud, At-Tirmidhi
and Ibn Majah.
[جَنَّـتُ عَدْنٍ
يَدْخُلُونَهَا يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤاً
وَلِبَاسُهُمْ فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ - وَقَالُواْ الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ الَّذِى أَذْهَبَ
عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ إِنَّ رَبَّنَا لَغَفُورٌ شَكُورٌ - الَّذِى أَحَلَّنَا دَارَ
الْمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضْلِهِ لاَ يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلاَ يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا
لُغُوبٌ ]
(33. `Adn (Gardens) will they enter, therein will they be adorned with
bracelets of gold and pearls, and their garments therein will be of silk.) (34.
And they will say: "All praise and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed from us
(all) grief. Verily, our Lord is indeed Oft-Forgiving, Most Ready to
appreciate.'') (35. "Who, out of His grace, has lodged us in a home that will
last forever, where toil will touch us not nor weariness will touch us.'') Allah
tells us that those whom He chose among His servants, those who inherited the
Book which was revealed from the Lord of the worlds, will, on the Day of
Resurrection, have an abode in Everlasting Gardens which they will enter on the
Day when they are raised anew and meet Allah.
[يُحَلَّوْنَ فِيهَا
مِنْ أَسَاوِرَ مِن ذَهَبٍ وَلُؤْلُؤاً]
(therein will they be adorned with bracelets of gold and pearls,) It was
recorded in the Sahih from Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, that the
Messenger of Allah said:
«تَبْلُغُ
الْحِلْيَةُ مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ حَيْثُ يَبْلُغُ الْوَضُوء»
(The ornaments of the believer will reach as far as his Wudu'.)
[وَلِبَاسُهُمْ
فِيهَا حَرِيرٌ]
(and their garments therein will be of silk.) For this reason it is forbidden
for them (the males) in this world, but Allah will permit it for them in the
Hereafter. It was recorded in the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said:
«مَنْ لَبِسَ
الْحَرِيرَ فِي الدُّنْيَا لَمْ يَلْبَسْهُ فِي الْاخِرَة»
(Whoever wears silk in this world, will not wear it in the Hereafter.) And he
said:
«هِيَ لَهُمْ فِي
الدُّنْيَا، وَلَكُمْ فِي الْاخِرَة»
(It is for them in this world, and for you in the Hereafter.)
[وَقَالُواْ
الْحَمْدُ للَّهِ الَّذِى أَذْهَبَ عَنَّا الْحَزَنَ]
(And they will say: "All the praises and thanks be to Allah, Who has removed
from us (all) grief...'') which means fear of everything that is feared; it has
been lifted from us and we have been relieved of all that we used to fear of the
anxieties of the world and the Hereafter. Ibn `Abbas, may Allah be pleased with
him, and others said, "He forgives them for their major sins, and appreciates
even the smallest of their good deeds.''
[الَّذِى أَحَلَّنَا
دَارَ الْمُقَامَةِ مِن فَضْلِهِ]
(Who, out of His grace, has lodged us in a home that will last forever,)
means, `Who has given us this position and status out of His grace and blessing
and mercy, for our good deeds are not equivalent to this.' It was reported in
the Sahih that the Messenger of Allah said: -
«لَنْ يُدْخِلَ
أَحَدًا مِنْكُمْ عَمَلُهُ الْجَنَّة»
(None of you will enter Paradise by virtue of his good deeds.) They said,
"Not even you, O Messenger of Allah'' He said,
«وَلَا أَنَا إِلَّا
أَنْ يَتَغَمَّدَنِي اللهُ تَعَالَى بِرَحْمَةٍ مِنْهُ وَفَضْل»
(Not even me, unless Allah encompasses me with His mercy and grace.)
[لاَ يَمَسُّنَا
فِيهَا نَصَبٌ وَلاَ يَمَسُّنَا فِيهَا لُغُوبٌ]
(where toil will touch us not nor weariness will touch us.) means, neither
hardship nor exhaustion will touch us. The words translated here as "toil'' and
"weariness'' both mean exhaustion, as if what is meant by the negation of both
is that neither their bodies nor their souls will become exhausted; and Allah
knows best. They used to exhaust themselves in worshipping this world, but their
obligations will come to an end when they enter Paradise, where they will enjoy
eternal rest and repose. Allah says:
[كُلُواْ
وَاشْرَبُواْ هَنِيئَاً بِمَآ أَسْلَفْتُمْ فِى الاٌّيَّامِ الْخَالِيَةِ ]
(Eat and drink at ease for that which you have sent on before you in days
past!) (69:24)
[وَالَّذِينَ
كَفَرُواْ لَهُمْ نَارُ جَهَنَّمَ لاَ يُقْضَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَيَمُوتُواْ وَلاَ
يُخَفَّفُ عَنْهُمْ مِّنْ عَذَابِهَا كَذَلِكَ نَجْزِى كُلَّ كَفُورٍ - وَهُمْ
يَصْطَرِخُونَ فِيهَا رَبَّنَآ أَخْرِجْنَا نَعْمَلْ صَـلِحاً غَيْرَ الَّذِى
كُـنَّا نَعْمَلُ أَوَلَمْ نُعَمِّرْكُمْ مَّا يَتَذَكَّرُ فِيهِ مَن تَذَكَّرَ
وَجَآءَكُمُ النَّذِيرُ فَذُوقُواْ فَمَا لِلظَّـلِمِينَ مِن نَّصِيرٍ ]
(36. But those who disbelieve, for them will be the fire of Hell. Neither
will it have a complete killing effect on them so that they die nor shall its
torment be lightened for them. Thus do We requite every disbeliever !) (37.
Therein they will cry: "Our Lord! Bring us out, we shall do righteous good
deeds, not that we used to do.'' (Allah will reply:) "Did We not give you lives
long enough, so that whosoever would receive admonition could receive it And the
warner came to you. So taste you. For the wrongdoers there is no helper.'')