From amongst the people of al-Basrah, Qataadah was the best at memorising; whatever he heard, he would memorise. The book “Saheefatu-Jaabir” was read to him [only] once and he memorised it [all].
Category: Knowledge
Do not waste this knowledge
‘Do not waste this knowledge [over] which we have laboured.’
I know more
For 20 years I have not heard from any man who narrates hadeeth except that I know more about it than him.
So I asked Allaah for more than that
I drank some [Zam Zam water] once, whilst I was [just] beginning my studies in hadeeth, and asked Allaah to bless me with [strength of memory of] the calibre of ath-Thahabee in memorising hadeeth.
So I asked him about the remedy for memorising
I have never seen Wakee’ with a book in his hands, rather, he memorised. So I asked him about the remedy for memorising.
Not considered knowledge
Any knowledge which cannot accompany its possessor to the toilet is not considered knowledge
I have never said to a muhaddith ‘repeat it to me’
I have never said to a muhaddith ‘repeat it to me’ and nor have my ears ever heard anything except that it has settled upon my heart (i.e. I have memorised it).
I have divided the night into three
Twice I travelled to [visit] at-Toosee in Toos, and I asked him when he would be free from compiling these many fataawa?
This would affirm his deceit
If I saw a man leaving his home without an inkwell or pen to seek [knowledge of] hadeeth, [then] this would affirm his deceit.
A pen for a deenaar
Muhammad ibn Salaam al-Baykandee’s pen broke whilst in the gathering of a Shaykh, so he announced a pen for a deenaar, whereby pens began to fall upon him [from all directions].