Benefit:
(23) Adaabul-Muhaddith (The manners of a Muhaddith)
Correcting ones intention from a specific student of knowledge. For whoever seeks Hadith to boast about knowing a lot, or to narrate, or to gain a occupation, or to be praised, or to be known: Then he has lost. And if he sought it for Allaah, and to act upon it, and seeking to get closer to Allaah by plenty salutations upon His Prophet ﷺ, and to benefit the people: Then he has succeeded. And if his intention is mixed with these two affairs: Then the ruling goes to whichever overcomes the other.
And if he seeks it due to his love for it, without looking at the reward in it, and the benefit to the rest of mankind: And this type is a lot of what the students of knowledge are afflicted with, so perhaps the intention, Allaah will grant him success to it later on. And also whoever seeks knowledge for the Aakhirah: The knowledge enshrouds him with the Khashyah (fear based on knowledge) of Allaah, and he surrenders himself and humbles himself. And whoever seeks it for the Dunyaa: He becomes haughty and he boasts, and shows off, and belittles the general Muslims, and his end result is to lowliness and degradation.
So let the Muhaddith seek reward in his Hadiths, hoping to enter into his speech ﷺ:
نَضَّرَ اللهُ امرءاً سَمِعَ مقالتي فوعاها، ثم أدَّاها إلى مَن لم يَسمعها
“May Allaah enlighten the face of a person who hears a saying of mine, so he understands and remembered it, then conveys it to those who didn’t hear it.”
And let him put himself forward to be from the best of students, especially if he is alone. And let him seek protection from senility and memory decline. And let him entrust to his family and brethren in a state of health: That whenever you see me begin the change, then prevent me from narrating.
For whoever changed to bad memory, and he has numerous Hadiths that he has narrated accurately: Then there’s no problem with him narrating them in the state of him changing, and there’s no problem to allow his narrations to be narrated in the state of change, for indeed it’s origin is correct unchanged, and he has comprehended what he has granted permission in. And if he becomes (Mukhtalit) confused and senile, it’s prevented the taking Ijaazah from him.
And from the manners is not to narrate with the presence of one who takes more precedence than him, due to his age and precision. And not to narrate anything someone higher than him has narrated. And not to cheat the beginners, rather he guides them to what is important, for the religion is advice.
Benefited from: Shaykh, the Allamah, the Trustworthy Advisor, Abu Abdirrahman Yahya bin Ali Al-Hajuri – may Allah preserve him.
Source: https://t.me/sh_yahia_duroos/10251
Translated by: Abū ‘Abdillāh ‘Omar bin Yahya Al-‘Akawi