Narrated Qais bin Kathir:

"A man from Al-Madinah came to Abu Ad-Darda when he was in Dimashq. So he said: 'What brings you O my nephew?' He replied: 'A Hadith reached me which you have narrated from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.' He said: 'You did not come for some need?' He said: 'No.' He said: 'Did you come for trade?' He said: 'No, I did not come except seeking this Hadith.' So he said: 'Indeed, I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying: "Whoever takes a path upon which he seeks knowledge, then Allah makes a path to Paradise easy for him. And indeed the angels lower their wings in approval to the one seeking knowledge. Indeed forgiveness is sought for the knowledgeable one by whomever is in the heavens and whomever is in the earth, even the fish in the waters. And superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over the rest of the celestial bodies. Indeed the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets, and the Prophets do not leave behind Dinar or Dirham. The only legacy of the scholars is knowledge, so whoever takes from it, then he has indeed taken the most able share.

حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خِدَاشٍ الْبَغْدَادِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْوَاسِطِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَاصِمُ بْنُ رَجَاءِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ قَدِمَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمَدِينَةِ عَلَى أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ وَهُوَ بِدِمَشْقَ فَقَالَ مَا أَقْدَمَكَ يَا أَخِي فَقَالَ حَدِيثٌ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تُحَدِّثُهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَمَا جِئْتَ لِحَاجَةٍ قَالَ لاَ . قَالَ أَمَا قَدِمْتَ لِتِجَارَةٍ قَالَ لاَ . قَالَ مَا جِئْتَ إِلاَّ فِي طَلَبِ هَذَا الْحَدِيثِ قَالَ فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ " مَنْ سَلَكَ طَرِيقًا يَبْتَغِي فِيهِ عِلْمًا سَلَكَ اللَّهُ بِهِ طَرِيقًا إِلَى الْجَنَّةِ وَإِنَّ الْمَلاَئِكَةَ لَتَضَعُ أَجْنِحَتَهَا رِضًا لِطَالِبِ الْعِلْمِ وَإِنَّ الْعَالِمَ لَيَسْتَغْفِرُ لَهُ مَنْ فِي السَّمَوَاتِ وَمَنْ فِي الأَرْضِ حَتَّى الْحِيتَانُ فِي الْمَاءِ وَفَضْلُ الْعَالِمِ عَلَى الْعَابِدِ كَفَضْلِ الْقَمَرِ عَلَى سَائِرِ الْكَوَاكِبِ إِنَّ الْعُلَمَاءَ وَرَثَةُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ إِنَّ الأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ يُوَرِّثُوا دِينَارًا وَلاَ دِرْهَمًا إِنَّمَا وَرَّثُوا الْعِلْمَ فَمَنْ أَخَذَ بِهِ أَخَذَ بِحَظٍّ وَافِرٍ " .

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى وَلاَ نَعْرِفُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَاصِمِ بْنِ رَجَاءِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ عِنْدِي بِمُتَّصِلٍ هَكَذَا حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودُ بْنُ خِدَاشٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ . وَإِنَّمَا يُرْوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثُ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ رَجَاءِ بْنِ حَيْوَةَ عَنِ الْوَلِيدِ بْنِ جَمِيلٍ عَنْ كَثِيرِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ عَنْ أَبِي الدَّرْدَاءِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهَذَا أَصَحُّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ خِدَاشٍ وَرَأَى مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ هَذَا أَصَحَّ .