Is the following narration authentic:
نعم الرجل الفقيه فى الدين ان احتيج اليه نفع وان استغنى عنه أغنى نفسه
Translation: How wonderful is a man who understands Din, if he is needed he benefits and if he is not needed he benefits himself.
Answer
The author of Mishkatul Masabih has attributed this hadith to ‘Razin’. We dont have access to this book. (It is probably not found today)
(Mishkat, hadith: 242)
However we have also come across this narration in Tarikh Dimashq of Ibn ‘Asakir (rahimahullah).
(Tarikh Dimashq, vol. 48 pg. 203)
‘Isa ibn Abdillah ibn Muhammad is a narrator in this particular chain of narrators who has been declared as unreliable (matrukul hadith) by Imam Daraqutni (rahimahullah). He has also been discredited by Ibn Hibban (rahimahullah), Ibn ‘Adi (rahimahullah) and Abu Nu’aym (rahimahullah).
(See Mizanul I’tidal , vol. 3 pg. 316 and Lisanul Mizan: 5934)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar