Hadithcore
Riyad as-Salihin, 1378

Abu Musa (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "The guidance and knowledge with which Allah has sent me are like abundant rain which fell on a land. A fertile part of it absorbed the water and brought forth profuse herbage and pasture; and solid ground patches which retained the water by which Allah has benefited people, who drank from it, irrigated their crops and sowed their seeds; and another sandy plane which could neither retain the water nor produce herbage. Such is the similitude of the person who becomes well-versed in the religion of Allah and receives benefit from the Message entrusted to me by Allah, so he himself has learned and taught it to others; such is also the similitude of the person who has stubbornly and ignorantly rejected Allah's Guidance with which I have been sent." <b>[Al-Bukhari and Muslim]</b>

وعن أبي موسى رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ قال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏:‏ ‏

‏مثل ما بعثني الله به من الهدى والعلم كمثل غيث أصاب أرضًا، فكانت منها طائفة طيبة قبلت الماء فأنبتت الكلأ، والعشب الكثير وكان منها أجادب أمسكت الماء، فنفع الله بها الناس، فشربوا منها وسقوا وزرعوا، وأصاب طائفة منها أخرى إنما هي قيعان لا تمسك ماء ولا تنبت كلأ فذلك مثل من فقه في دين الله ونفعه ما بعثني الله به وعلم، ومثل من لم يرفع بذلك رأسًا ولم يقبل هدى الله الذي أرسلت به‏

‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏

References1 variant
In-Book Reference
Book 12, Hadith 3
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
<b>Guidance from the Hadith:</b><br> 1) Rain brings the dead land back to life. Likewise, the divine revelation and the light of knowledge give life to dead and dark hearts. So, a person should be keen to make his heart alive through knowledge and faith.<br> 2) He who learns and then teaches knowledge to others is like a good soil, which absorbs water and grows abundant plantation and grass. He derives benefit and is himself beneficial.<br> 3) He who gains knowledge but keeps it to himself and does not teach it to others has a heart like a barren soil; it retains the water and does not grow plantation.<br> 4) He who abandons knowledge and its application has a heart like a plain land, which does not accept the guidance of Allah Almighty. Such a person is in the lowest rank. So, let everyone consider the soil of his heart and see which of the three types of land it belongs to.
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