Arabic (Original)
Ḥadīth | Ṭabarānī (الطبراني) tabarani:10592 حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ نَائِلَةَ الْأَصْبَهَانِيُّ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ ثنا وَهْبُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ ثنا أَبِي قَالَ سَمِعْتُ يَعْلَى بْنَ حَكِيمٍ يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ لَمَّا قُبِضَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ لِرَجُلٍ هَلُمَّ فَلْنَتَعَلَّمَ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ نَسْأَلُهُمْ؛ فَإِنَّهُمْ كَثِيرٌ فَقَالَ الْعَجَبُ وَاللهِ لَكَ يَا ابنَ عَبَّاسٍ أَتَرَى النَّاسَ يَحْتَاجُونَ إِلَيْكَ وَفِي النَّاسِ مَنْ تَرَى مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ؟ فَتَرَكْتُ ذَلِكَ وَأَقْبَلْتُ عَلَى الْمَسْأَلَةِ وَتَتَبُّعِ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَإِنْ كُنْتُ لَآتِي الرَّجُلَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ يَبْلُغُنِي أَنَّهُ سَمِعَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَجِدُهُ قَائِلًا فَأَتَوَسَّدُ رِدَائِي عَلَى بَابِ دَارِهِ تَسْفِي الرِّيَاحُ عَلَى وَجْهِي حَتَّى يَخْرُجَ إِلَيَّ فَإِذَا رَآنِي قَالَ يَا ابنَ عَمِّ رَسُولِ اللهِ مَا لَكَ؟ قُلْتُ حَدِيثٌ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ تُحَدِّثُهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أَسْمَعَهُ مِنْكَ فَيَقُولُ هَلَّا أَرْسَلْتَ إِلَيَّ فَآتِيَكَ فَأَقُولُ أَنَا كُنْتُ أَحَقَّ أَنْ آتِيَكَ وَكَانَ ذَلِكَ الرَّجُلُ يَرَانِي قَدْ ذَهَبَ أَصْحَابُ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَقَدِ احْتَاجَ النَّاسُ إِلَيَّ فَيَقُولُ أَنْتَ كُنْتَ أَحَقَّ مِنِّي
English Translation
Ibn Abbas said: "When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) passed away, I said to a man: 'Come, let us learn from the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) and ask them, for they are many.' He said: 'How strange of you, Ibn Abbas! Do you think people will need you while there are still such Companions of the Messenger of Allah among them?' I left that and devoted myself to seeking knowledge and pursuing the Companions of the Messenger of Allah. I would go to a man regarding a hadith that reached me that he had heard from the Messenger of Allah, and I would find him napping. I would use my cloak as a pillow at the door of his house while the winds blew dust on my face, until he came out to me and said: 'O cousin of the Messenger of Allah, what brings you?' I would say: 'A hadith reached me that you narrate from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and I wanted to hear it from you.' He would say: 'Why did you not send for me, and I would have come to you?' I would say: 'I was more deserving of coming to you.' That man would later see that I had gained knowledge, and the people had come to need me, and he would say: 'You were wiser than me.'"