Arabic (Original)
Ḥadīth | Ṭabarānī (الطبراني) tabarani:6615 حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ التُّسْتَرِيُّ ثنا عَلِيُّ بْنُ بَحْرٍ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ مُعَلًّى عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ خَيْثَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي دَاوُدَ عَنْ سَخْبَرَةَ قَالَ مَرَّ رَجُلَانِ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ وَهُوَ يُذَكِّرُ فَقَالَ «اجْلِسَا فَإِنَّكُمَا عَلَى خَيْرٍ» فَلَمَّا قَامَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ وَتَفَرَّقَ عَنْهُ أَصْحَابُهُ قَامَا فَقَالَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ إِنَّكَ قُلْتَ لَنَا «اجْلِسَا فَإِنَّكُمَا عَلَى خَيْرٍ» أَلَنَا خَاصَّةً أَمْ لِلنَّاسِ عَامَّةً؟ قَالَ «مَا مِنْ عَبْدٍ يَطْلُبُ الْعِلْمَ إِلَّا كَانَ كَفَّارَةَ مَا تَقَدَّمَ»
English Translation
Sakhbarah narrated: "Two men passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) while he was sitting and reminding people. He said: 'Sit down, for you are upon goodness.' When the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) stood up and his companions dispersed, the two men got up and said: 'O Messenger of Allah, you told us to sit because we are upon goodness — was that specifically for us or for all people?' He said: 'No servant seeks knowledge except that it becomes an expiation for what has preceded.'"