Maalik Bin Deenaar (rahimahullaah) said: ”When a slave (of Allaah) seeks knowledge to act upon it, it withholds him (from evil and guides him towards good). And when he seeks it for other than acting upon it, it increases him in boasting.”
[source: اقتضاء العلم العملpage:33]
Imaam Ahmad said: ”When a man knows himself, the speech of the people is of no benefit to him.” [Siyar: 11/211]
It reached Ibraaheem Al-Harbee (rahimahullaah) that a people who sit with him considered him more virtuous than Imaam Ahmad Bin Hanbal (rahimahullaah); so he said to them: ”You have wronged me by considering me more virtuous than a man whom I am neither similar to nor have I reached (his status) in any affair. I swear by Allaah, you will never hear anything of knowledge (from me), so do not come to me after today. [Siyar A’laam Nubulaa: 13/364]
Khalaf Bin Tameem (rahimahullaah) said: I saw Ath-Thawree (i.e. Sufyaan) at Makkah and many (people gathered around him or came to him); so he said: To Allaah do we belong, I fear that Allaah has made this Ummah to be lost when the people are in need of the likes of me. [Siyar 7/275]
And whenever he (rahimahullaah) was told that he has been seen in a dream, he would say: I know myself more than those who see me in a dream. [Siyar 7/252]
Abdur-Rahmaan bin Abee Layla (rahimahullaah) said: I have met a hundred and twenty companions of the Messenger (sallal-laahu-alayhi-wasallam) in this Masjid and not a single one of them would be asked about a hadeeth, except he wished that his brother would suffice him in (answering). Then the affair came under the commission of a people, who claimed knowledge at present,–they give answers in affairs which if presented to Umar Ibnul Khattaab (radiyallaahu-anhu), he would have gathered the (Sahaabah of) Badr to consult them. [Sharhus Sunnah of Imaam Al-Baghawee: 1/305]
Muttarrif Bin Abdillaah (rahimahullaah) said: No one ever praised me, except it became belittlement upon myself. [Hilyatul Awliyaa 2/198]
Imaam Al’Awzaaee (rahimahullaah) said: Abstinence from the worldly life is to forsake praise and to perform actions whilst not wanting the praise of the people. [Musannaf Ib Abee Shaybah:7/214]
Sufyaan Ath-Thawree (rahimahullaah) said: ”Whoever loves that he should be asked, then he is not worthy of being asked.”
[Siyar A’laam Nubulaa: 8/469]
Hasan Al-Basri (rahimahullaah) said: I met a people and each one of them was more miserly with the (passing away) of his live span than his dirham. [Sharhus Sunnah: 14/225]
In The Name of Allaah, The Most Merciful The Bestower of Mercy
Al’Amoodee-one of the drivers of Al’Hajoori’s Ghuluww Caravan quoted a poet’s exaggerated praise for his Shaikh in [kashf Al-Ghitaa: 53]- that the one who desires knowledge in its entirety will find it in Dammaaj….. he will find its fountainhead with Yahyah….Yahyah is its fountainhead, for Allaah-The Lord of the Aalaameen-granted him knowledge. Reader: Bear in mind that Al-Hajoori Al-Haddaadi Al-Mubtadi wrote the introduction to this treatise of Al-Amoodee [For further details see page 7 of the refutation Titled At-Tankeel by Ustaadh Abdur-Rahmaan Bin Ahmad Al-Barmakiy (may Allaah protect him)]
Humility of our Salaf
Imaam Ash-Shaafi’ee (rahimahullaah) said: ”I wished that the people learnt this knowledge and attribute none of it to me.” [Jaami-ul Uloom wal-hikam: page: 131]
It was said to Imaam Ahmad (rahimahullaah): ”May Allaah reward you for the good you have (done) for Islaam. He said:”Rather, Allaah has (done) good for me through Islaam. Who am I, and what am I?” [Siyar A’laam Nubulaa: 11/225]
Sufyaan Bin Uyaynah (rahimahullaah) said: ”Indeed, I become angry with myself when I see you come to me, and I say to myself: These people have not come to me, except due to the good thoughts they have about me.” [Hilyatul Awliyaa: 7/285]
We seek Allaah’s protection from ghuluww and we ask Him for humility. And may He (The Most High) return Al-Hajoori and his supporters to the path of correctness