The following are beneficial statements and quotes from Shaykh Ḥammād ibn Muḥammad al-Anṣārī, selected from his biography written by his son, ‘Abdul-Awwal ibn Ḥammād al-Anṣārī, entitled ‘al-Majmū‘ fī Tarjamah al-‘Allāmah al-Muḥaddith Ḥammād al-Anṣārī’. Shaykh Ḥammād al-Anṣārī, originally from Mali, was a renowned scholar who lived in Madīnah until his passing in 1418AH (1997). His famous library, both during his life and after his death, has remained a valuable resource for scholars and students of knowledge, continuously visited and benefited from for decades.

On Seeking Knowledge

1. “We must seek knowledge so we can identify the correct path.” 

2. “Seeking knowledge is not about merely reading, but about understanding. And Allāh knows best.” 

3. “A student of knowledge who does not always carry a pen with him will not benefit.” 

4. “Knowledge without determination will not be attained.” 

5. “Diligence and determination in this era are far below what the righteous predecessors (al-Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ) had. Knowledge exists today, but it requires men who dedicate themselves to studying the Book and the Sunnah throughout the night and day.” 

6. “Students of knowledge in this era are distracted by the enemy from seeking knowledge, and certainly it is obligatory upon them.” 

(The Shaykh’s son, ‘Abdul-Awwal ibn Ḥammād al-Anṣārī, commented: He means by ‘enemy’ the disbelievers.) 

7. “Those who read books and learn solely from them are called ‘Ṣuḥufiyyūn’ by the scholars, meaning they are not precise and are prone to frequent mistakes.” 

8. “The one who seeks knowledge of ḥadīth but does not revise it with others will not benefit.” 

Then he recited the line of poetry:

دَاوِمْ لِلْعِلْمِ مُذَاكَرَةً … فَدَوَامُ الْعِلْمِ مُذَاكَرَتُهُ

“Persist in revising knowledge, for the retainment of knowledge lies in its revision.”

9. “I noticed that students of knowledge in this era do not revise knowledge with one another.” 

10. “Scholars do not waste their time on matters that bring no benefit.” 

The Method for Seeking Knowledge

11. “The method of seeking knowledge, in brief, is as follows: first, listening; then memorising; then acting upon it; and finally spreading it. Spreading knowledge is the final stage.” 

12. “The method for studying is as follows: first, memorise the Qur’ān, then study tawḥīd, using ‘Fatḥ al-Majīd (Explanation of Kitāb al-Tawḥīd’—a book unparalleled in its subject. Among other books of tawḥīd, there is ‘al-Sharī‘ah’ by al-Ājurrī and ‘al-‘Aqīdah al-Wāsiṭiyyah’. After this, the student should study fiqh and examine the different madhāhib (legal schools of thoughts) however his madhhab should be based on evidence. He must know that blind following (taqlīd) is blameworthy and could reach the level of worshipping other than Allāh. Such a person who blind follows should be made to repent.”

Importance of Arabic Grammar (Nahw)

13. “A student of knowledge is not permitted by the scholars to teach and convey knowledge to people until they certify that he has mastered grammar (naḥw), the Arabic language, and religious knowledge. They emphasize naḥw because they say: if a student does not know naḥw, he will make mistakes in reciting the Qur’ān and the ḥadīth, changing their meaning, and thus he becomes a liar against Allāh and His Messenger ﷺ.” 

14. “If the person of tawḥīd makes grammatical errors, he is accused of ignorance.” 

(The Shaykh’s son, ‘Abdul-Awwal ibn Ḥammād al-Anṣārī, commented: This means that the person of Sunnah should learn naḥw and the sciences of the Arabic language to avoid errors.)

15. The Shaykh frequently recited these lines of poetry:

النَّحْوُ زَيْنٌ لِلْفَتَى … يُكْرِمُهُ حَيْثُ أَتَى 
مَنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ يُحْسِنُهُ … فَحَقُّهُ أَنْ يَسْكَتَا

“Grammar is an adornment for a person. It honours him wherever he goes.

Whoever does not master it should remain silent.” 

16. “Knowledge that you do not commit to memory, you will not understand. Naḥw nowadays is being taught to students before they memorise it, which is why many students fail to grasp it properly.”

On Patience, Caution, and the Role of Young Students

17. “Only those with insightful knowledge and understanding should enter the field of daʿwah.” 

18. “Patience and deliberation increase a student of knowledge’s intellect. A young student who is immature in both age and understanding will harm the ummah if he involves himself in matters he does not understand or that do not concern him.” 

19. “One should not rush into writing books. Instead, we should proceed with caution and piety.” 

20. “No one should engage in writing books prematurely. Instead, we should follow the example of the pious predecessors (al-Salaf al-Ṣāliḥ). They would write but refrain from publishing their work until they matured and became worthy of doing so. The pious predecessors would say: ‘Whoever authors a book exposes himself to criticism,’ and, ‘Whoever authors a book places his intellect on display for people to judge.’ Some of them would write and then erase what they wrote. Imām al-Shāfiʿī once said: ‘I wish I had not written ‘al-Risālah’.’ Reflect on this—by Allāh, al-Shāfiʿī was fully qualified to write and author works, yet he displayed such caution. Al-Ḥāfidh al-Khaṭīb al-Baghdādī addressed this subject comprehensively in his book ‘al-Jāmi’, and he excelled in doing so.”

On Scholars and Respecting Them

21. “It is obligatory for the one who travels in pursuit of knowledge, upon arriving in the city or town he intended, to search therein for a Salafi scholar.” 

22. “If a student of knowledge enters a country, he must ensure that before studying under any scholar there, he verifies whether they are scholars of the Sunnah. This precaution is necessary to avoid falling into the traps of innovators, such as the Muʿtazilah, the Ashʿarīs and their likes.” 

23. “The scholars say: When a student comes to a shaykh to study under him, he should not dictate what subject to study but leave it for the shaykh to decide.” 

24. The Shaykh quoted the statement: “Strive to sit close to scholars and avoid arguing with them, lest they despise you.” 

Shaykh Ḥammād commented after this: “These are words worthy of being written in gold,” and he added about the second part, “This is the truth, by Allāh.”

25. “I noticed that most students of knowledge today do not consult—meaning they do not seek the guidance of scholars on matters that benefit them.” 

26. “Two young men once visited me at my home and knocked on the door. I asked, ‘Who is it?’ They replied, ‘We are guests.’ I said, ‘Come in.’ When I met them, I asked, ‘Are you students of knowledge?’ They said, ‘No.’ I asked, ‘Then what are you?’ They replied, ‘We know the Qur’ān and the Sunnah.’ I asked, ‘How can you claim to know the Qur’ān and Sunnah when you have not studied under scholars?’ They said, ‘We don’t need to.’ I told them, ‘You are lost,’ and they left.” 

27. “A student of knowledge should make an effort to make excuses for scholars before criticizing them.” 

28. A student once said to him: “Yāqūt al-Ḥamawī knows nothing; he made an error in recording the name of a village called ‘Khubbān’.” Shaykh Ḥammād said to him: “Do not say he knows nothing. Instead, say ‘he made a mistake’.” 

29. “If a scholar’s knowledge is critiqued by other scholars, this does not mean he is not a scholar.” 

30. “Knowledge will disappear. People must benefit from the scholars who are present today before they are gone. The youth should also refrain from involving themselves in matters that do not concern them.” 

31. “Those who claim that the scholars of this era do not understand current affairs have erred. Such statements are inappropriate.” 

32. “This era is one of belittling knowledge. Today, anyone who wishes to author and write about knowledge does so and spreads it. The reason some people rush into this is that they lack reverence for knowledge and scholars.”

Advice

33. Some students of knowledge from Riyadh asked Shaykh Ḥammād, “What advice do you have for us, Shaykh?” He replied: “Fear Allāh, seek knowledge from the Qur’ān and the Sunnah, study the Salafi creed, and learn supportive sciences (‘ulūm al-ālah). Additionally, maintain proper etiquette with scholars and knowledge, for whoever shows respect for scholars and knowledge becomes a scholar himself. Al-Shāfiʿī, may Allāh have mercy on him, said when he traveled to Egypt, ‘I wished I had stayed longer with Imām Mālik to learn proper manners.'” 

34. Shaykh Ḥammād often advised students of knowledge: “I advise you to fear Allāh in private and in public, and to strive for knowledge, for it is an honour for its seeker. Allāh, the Most High, says:

إِنَّمَا يَخْشَى اللَّهَ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ الْعُلَمَاءُ

‘It is only those who have knowledge among His slaves that fear Allāh.’” 

Note: The quotes have been selected from 2/553-558, and the order has been rearranged.