Teaching good is among the most rewarded deeds. The Prophet ﷺ said the best people are those who learn the Quran and teach it, that whoever guides to good gets the reward of the one who does it, and that Allah, His angels and all creation bless the one who teaches people good. Hiding needed knowledge, on the other hand, is a serious sin.
The Prophet ﷺ gave teachers a title: "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it"
1. Notice that it includes both learning and teaching; you do not have to be a great scholar to start passing on
what you know correctly.
The reward multiplies. Whoever calls others to guidance receives a reward like those who follow it, without their
rewards being reduced at all 2. Whoever guides someone to something good "has a reward similar to that of its
doer" 3. In a narration graded sahih by al-Albani, the Prophet ﷺ said Allah, His angels and the inhabitants of
the heavens and earth, even the ant in its hole and the fish, send blessings on the one who teaches people good
4.
The Prophet ﷺ also said the only kind of envy that is praiseworthy is wishing to be like two people: one who
spends wealth rightly, and one given wisdom who acts on it "and teaches it to others" 5. And he said a person's
deeds continue after death through knowledge that people benefit from 6.
Good teaching has a method too. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Facilitate things to people... and do not make it hard for
them" 7.
The flip side is a warning. The one who is asked about something he knows and conceals it will be bridled with
fire on the Day of Resurrection 8. Scholars explain this is about needed knowledge, not staying quiet on what you are unsure
of.
Practical start: teach a child a short surah, explain a hadith to a friend, or help a revert learn to pray.
Teach only what you know well, and say "I don't know" when you don't.
The evidence
1
HadithSahih al-Bukhari 5027
SahihBukhari
The best of you are those who learn the Quran and teach it.
Narrated `Uthman:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The best among you (Muslims) are those who learn the Qur'an and teach it
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مِنْهَالٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَلْقَمَةُ بْنُ مَرْثَدٍ، سَمِعْتُ سَعْدَ بْنَ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ، عَنْ عُثْمَانَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " خَيْرُكُمْ مَنْ تَعَلَّمَ الْقُرْآنَ وَعَلَّمَهُ ". قَالَ وَأَقْرَأَ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ فِي إِمْرَةِ عُثْمَانَ حَتَّى كَانَ الْحَجَّاجُ، قَالَ وَذَاكَ الَّذِي أَقْعَدَنِي مَقْعَدِي هَذَا.
2
HadithSahih Muslim 2674
SahihMuslim
Whoever calls to guidance gets a reward like those who follow it.
Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:He who called (people) to righteousness, there would be reward (assured) for him like the rewards of those who adhered to it, without their rewards being diminished in any respect. And he who called (people) to error, he shall have to carry (the burden) of its sin, like those who committed it, without their sins being diminished in any respect
One who guides to good has a reward like the one who does it.
It has been narrated on the authority of Abu Mas'ud al-Ansari who said:A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: My riding beast has been killed, so give me some animal to ride upon. He (the Holy Prophet) said: I have none with me. A man said: Messenger of Allah, I can guide him to one who will provide him with a riding beast. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: One who guides to something good has a reward similar to that of its doer
العربية
وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ وَابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ - وَاللَّفْظُ لأَبِي كُرَيْبٍ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو الشَّيْبَانِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ، قَالَ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُبْدِعَ بِي فَاحْمِلْنِي فَقَالَ " مَا عِنْدِي " . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَنَا أَدُلُّهُ عَلَى مَنْ يَحْمِلُهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ دَلَّ عَلَى خَيْرٍ فَلَهُ مِثْلُ أَجْرِ فَاعِلِهِ " .
4
HadithJami' at-Tirmidhi 2685
Sahihgraded by Al-Albani
Allah, His angels and all creatures bless the one who teaches people good.
Narrated Abu Umamah Al-Bahili:"Two men were mentioned before the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). One of them a worshiper, and the other a scholar. So the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'The superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like my superiority over the least of you.' Then the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: 'Indeed Allah, His Angels, the inhabitants of the heavens and the earths - even the ant in his hole, even the fish - say Salat upon the one who teaches the people to do good
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى الصَّنْعَانِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلَمَةُ بْنُ رَجَاءٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ جَمِيلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْقَاسِمُ أَبُو عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ الْبَاهِلِيِّ، قَالَ ذُكِرَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَجُلاَنِ أَحَدُهُمَا عَابِدٌ وَالآخَرُ عَالِمٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " فَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِي عَلَى أَدْنَاكُمْ " . ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَمَلاَئِكَتَهُ وَأَهْلَ السَّمَوَاتِ وَالأَرْضِ حَتَّى النَّمْلَةَ فِي جُحْرِهَا وَحَتَّى الْحُوتَ لَيُصَلُّونَ عَلَى مُعَلِّمِ النَّاسِ الْخَيْرَ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ . قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا عَمَّارٍ الْحُسَيْنَ بْنَ حُرَيْثٍ الْخُزَاعِيَّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ الْفُضَيْلَ بْنَ عِيَاضٍ يَقُولُ عَالِمٌ عَامِلٌ مُعَلِّمٌ يُدْعَى كَبِيرًا فِي مَلَكُوتِ السَّمَوَاتِ .
5
HadithSahih al-Bukhari 73
SahihBukhari
Praiseworthy envy of one given wisdom who acts on it and teaches it.
Narrated `Abdullah bin Mas`ud:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Do not wish to be like anyone except in two cases. (The first is) A person, whom Allah has given wealth and he spends it righteously; (the second is) the one whom Allah has given wisdom (the Holy Qur'an) and he acts according to it and teaches it to others." (Fath-al-Bari page 177 Vol)
Beneficial knowledge continues to reward a person after death.
Abu Huraira (Allah be pleased with him) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:When a man dies, his acts come to an end, but three, recurring charity, or knowledge (by which people) benefit, or a pious son, who prays for him (for the deceased)
Make things easy for people and do not make them hard.
Narrated Anas bin Malik:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Facilitate things to people (concerning religious matters), and do not make it hard for them and give them good tidings and do not make them run away (from Islam)
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " يَسِّرُوا وَلاَ تُعَسِّرُوا، وَبَشِّرُوا وَلاَ تُنَفِّرُوا ".
8
HadithSunan Abi Dawud 3658
Hasan Sahihgraded by Al-Albani
Whoever conceals knowledge he is asked about will be bridled with fire.
Narrated AbuHurayrah: The Prophet (ﷺ) said: He who is asked something he knows and conceals it will have a bridle of fire put on him on the Day of Resurrection
العربية
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ سُئِلَ عَنْ عِلْمٍ فَكَتَمَهُ أَلْجَمَهُ اللَّهُ بِلِجَامٍ مِنْ نَارٍ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ " .
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