The Trust and Blessing of Conveying Knowledge

Ibn ‘Abdil Barr stated:

It is said; that from the blessing of knowledge, is to attribute statements to the those who initially made them. Jami’ Bayan al-Ilm wa Fadlihi: 2/89

Al-Qurtubi stated:

My condition in this book, is to reference all statements to those who initially made them, and all Hadeeths to the ones who collected them, for it has been said:

 

It is from the blessing of knowledge, to attribute every statement to the one who initially made it. Tafseer al-Qurtubi: 1/26

An-Nawawi stated:

It is from sincere advice to attribute noteworthy points of benefit to those who initially made them. Whoever does that would be blessed regarding his knowledge and condition, and whoever is misleading in that, giving the false impression that what he is quoting from others is his, then it is very likely that this person would not benefit from his knowledge, or receive blessings in his condition, and the people of knowledge and virtue continue to attribute and reference points of benefit to those who initially made them. We ask Allah the Mighty to grant us success in implementing this, always. Bustan al-‘Arifeen: p.28

Ibn Taymiyyah stated:

Whoever wants to convey a statement should reference it to the initial person who made it, and the one who conveyed it, otherwise everyone has the ability to lie. Minhaj as-Sunnah an-Nabawiyyah: 2/518

As-Sakhaawi stated:

It has been authentically reported that Sufyan ath-Thawri said what means:

 

Attributing a point of benefit to the person who initially made it is from accuracy and gratefulness, and concealing this is deception and ungratefulness in knowledge. Al-Jawahir wad-Durrar: 1/120

Al-Mu’alimi stated:

It has been said that every point of benefit that is not referenced is like a bastard; a cast away child who does not know his true parents. Al Majmoo: 1/49

Al-Asma’i stated:

It is the right of the person who gave you knowledge, to narrate it on their authority [i.e to attribute it to them]. Zad ar-Riqaq: 1/351

Abul Qasim ibn ‘Abdul Malik al-Hadrami said:

They used to say:

 

This is why the Salaf always reference what they quote from others in their books, As-Suyooti stated in al-Mizmar:

This is why you will not see me write one letter in my books, except that I reference it to the initial writer from the scholars, clarifying the name of book that it was written in. Kimamat az-Zahar: p.14

As-Suyooti also said:

…and I quoted it exactly as it is, referencing it to the initial writer, because from the blessing of knowledge is to attribute statements to those who initially made them, and that is in line with carrying out the trust [of conveying knowledge] and avoiding deception, and one of the greatest causes of benefiting from written works, not like a thief… ‘Uqood az-Zabarjad: 1/11

Al Albani stated:

From the blessing of knowledge, is to attribute every statement to the one who initially said it. Because this distances a person from the forgery that the Prophet - ﷺ - referred to in his saying:

One who gives the false impression of having what he/she was not given, is like one who wears two garments of deception.

Collected by both Bukhari & Muslim al-Kalim at-Tayyib by ibn Taymiyyah: p.11

Zahid ibn Muhammad ibn ‘AbdulMalik al-Qarani penned:

- Al-Baytan fee Tabaqat ash-Shafiyyah al-Kubra: 6/137

Some quotes benefited from Abu Ahmad Mardashi and and D. ‘Abdul Hakeem al-Anees