Reference: Siyar A’laam an-Nubalaa – Volume 8, Page 454
Sufyaan ibn ‘Uyaynah once asked a man:
What is your profession?
He replied: ‘Seeking [knowledge of] hadeeth.’
Sufyaan remarked:
Then give tidings to your family of poverty[1].
Translator’s note:
[1] When your profession is seeking knowledge of hadeeth, then quite possibly you will go broke, because:
• you spend your money on books;
• you travel in search of shorter chains of narration;
• maybe it’s a profession that does not pay well.