Littattafai kayan aikin ilimi ne, kuma magabata (Salaf) sun kasance mafi kyawun hali da cikakkiyar ladabi wajen mu'amala da littattafansu, kuma suna yin iya kokarinsu wajen tara su.

Books are the instruments of knowledge, and the Salaf would have the best and most complete manners when dealing with their books, and they would exert all the effort they could in collecting them.

"Ya kamata dalibin ilimi ya himmantu wajen tara littattafan da yake bukata, ko dai ta hanyar saye, ko haya, ko aro. Su ne kayan aikin da yake koyo da su, kuma bai kamata ya takaita rabonsa na ilimi da fahimta ga tara su kawai ba, kamar yadda yake a wajen mutane da yawa daga cikin wadanda suke danganta kansu ga Fiqhu da Hadisi. Kuma ya yi kyau sosai wanda ya ce:"

“As a student of knowledge, one should strive to collect and gather the books that he needs, whether by purchasing, renting, or borrowing them. They are the instruments by which he learns, and he shouldn’t limit his share of knowledge and understanding to merely collecting and gathering them, as is the case with many of those who ascribe themselves to Fiqh and Hadith. And how excellent is the one who said:

Idan ba ka da ƙwaƙwalwa mai kaifi wajen haddacewa ba, to tarin littattafanka ba zai amfane ka ba… An so a ba da littattafanka aro ga waɗanda ba za su lalata su ba. Duk da cewa wasu malamai sun hana hakan, amma har yanzu ya kamata a yi, domin hanya ce ta taimakon juna wajen neman ilimi, la'akari da falalar da lada da ke cikin ba da littattafai aro.

If you are not a sharp memorizer * Then your collection of books is of no benefit… It is encouraged to lend your books out to those who will not damage them. Although a group of the scholars discouraged this, one should still do it since it is a form of assisting each other in gaining knowledge, and considering the virtue and reward of lending out books.

Ya kamata mai karɓar aro ya gode wa mai ba da aron, ya kuma saka masa da alheri. Kada ya riƙe littafin a wurinsa na dogon lokaci ba tare da buƙatar hakan ba. Maimakon haka, idan ya samu abin da yake buƙata daga cikinsa, ya mayar masa da shi; kuma kada ya ajiye shi a wurinsa idan mai littafin ya nemi a mayar masa. Ba a halatta masa ya ƙara bayanin ƙasa a cikin littafin ba tare da izinin mai littafin ba, haka nan ba a halatta masa ya rubuta wani abu kusa da gabatarwa ko ƙarshen littafin sai mai littafin ya amince. Kada ya ba wa wani aro, kuma kada ya bar shi a wurin wani, sai dai idan akwai buƙatar yin hakan.

The borrower should thank the lender and reward him with good, and he shouldn’t keep the book with him for too long without a need for it. Rather, he should return it to him if he has obtained what he needs from it, and should not keep it stored with him if the owner requests it. He is not allowed to add footnotes to the book without the permission of the owner, nor is he allowed to write anything near the introduction or conclusion unless the owner approves. He should not lend it out to anyone else, and should not leave it with anyone else unless there is a need to do so.

Idan yana so ya kwafi wani sashe ko duka, kada ya rubuta yayin da takarda take a kan littafin ko a cikinsa. Kada ya bar alkalami a buɗe a kansa, kuma kada ya zame alkalami a kan shafukan littafin.151

If he wants to copy a portion or all of it, he shouldn’t write while the paper is on or in the book. He shouldn’t leave an open pen on it, and he shouldn’t run a pen over the pages of the book.”151

Al-Khatib (Allah ya yi masa rahama) ya ruwaito cewa Waki' ya ce: "Alherin farko na Hadisi shi ne ka ba da littattafanka aro." Sufyan ath-Thawri ya ce: "Duk wanda ya yi rowa da iliminsa, za a jarrabe shi da ɗaya daga cikin abubuwa uku: zai manta, ba zai iya haddacewa ba; ko kuwa ba zai amfana da shi ba; ko kuma zai ga kansa yana rasa littattafansa." Kuma ana ƙyamar mai aron littafi ya riƙe littattafai daga hannun masu su, ya kamata ya mayar musu da su da wuri-wuri… Yunus ya ruwaito cewa Yazid ya gaya masa cewa az-Zuhri ya ce: "Ya Yunus, ka yi taka-tsantsan da cin amanar littattafai." Sai Yunus ya tambaya: "Menene cin amanar littattafai?" Ya ce: "Shi ne ka riƙe su daga hannun masu su." Al-Fudayl bin 'Iyad (Allah ya yi masa rahama) ya ce: "Ba daga aikin mai taka-tsantsan ko malami ba ne ka karɓi littafin mutum da kuma littattafansa ka riƙe su a wurinka."

And al-Khatib (may Allah have Mercy on him) reported that Waki’ said: “The first blessing of Hadith is that you lend out your books.” Sufyan ath-Thawri said: “Whoever is stingy with his knowledge will be tested with one of three things: he will forget and be unable to memorize, or he will not benefit from it, or he will find himself losing his books.” And it is disliked for the borrower to keep books from their owners, and he must return them to their owners as quickly as possible… Yunus narrated that Yazid said to him that az-Zuhri said: “O Yunus, beware of the treachery of books.” So, Yunus asked: “And what is the treachery of books?” He said: “That you keep them from their owners.” al-Fudayl bin ‘Iyad (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “It is not from the actions of the cautious or the scholar that you take a man’s hearing and books and keep them with you.

"Duk wanda ya yi haka, to ya zalunci kansa." Wasu daga cikinsu sun ƙi ba da littattafansu aro saboda wannan al'amari na riƙe littattafai daga wurin masu su, kamar yadda Sufyan (Allah ya yi masa rahama) ya ce: "Kada ku ba kowa aron ɗaya daga cikin littattafanku," kuma ar-Rabi' bin Sulaiman ya ce: "al-Buwaiti ya rubuta mini:

Whoever does this has wronged himself.” And a number of them refrained from lending out their books because of this phenomenon of keeping books from their owners, as Sufyan (may Allah have Mercy on him) said: “Do not lend anyone any of your books,” and ar-Rabi’ bin Sulayman said: “al-Buiti wrote to me:

"Ka haddace littattafanka, domin idan ka rasa ɗaya daga cikinsu, ba za ka taɓa iya maye gurbinsa ba."152

“Memorize your books, because if you lose one of them, you’ll never be able to replace it.”””152

“Idan mutum yana rubuta wani abu daga littafin, ko kuma yana fitar da wani abu daga cikinsa, to kada ya shimfiɗa shi a ƙasa a buɗe. Maimakon haka, ya sanya shi tsakanin wasu littattafai ko abubuwa biyu, ko kuma a kan sanannen kujerar naɗewa da ake amfani da ita wajen riƙe littattafai, don kada a lalata ɗaurin littafin. Idan kuma ya ajiye shi a wuri mai tsayi, ya kamata ya kasance a kan kujera, ko a kan shiryayyen littattafai, da sauransu. Yana da kyau kada a ajiye littafin kai tsaye a ƙasa, don kada ya ƙazanta ko ya jiƙe. Idan ya ajiye shi a kan wani yanki na itace, to ya sanya wani zane tsakanin itacen da littafin, domin hana murfin littafin sauyawa ko ruɓewa.”

“And if one is writing something from the book or pulls it out, he shouldn’t spread it on the floor in an open fashion. Rather, he should put it between two other books or objects, or the well-known folding chair used for books in order not to damage the binding of the book. If he places it in an elevated location, it should be on a chair, a bookshelf, etc. It is best that the book not be placed directly on the ground in order to avoid getting it dirty or wet. If he places it on a piece of wood, he should place some cloth between it and the book to prevent the cover from becoming altered or decomposed.

Ya kamata mutum ya kula sosai da yadda yake tsara littattafansa, kuma ya yi haka bisa ga falalar kowane littafi, muhimmancinsa, da matsayinsa. Don haka, ya kamata ya sanya littafi mafi daraja sama da duk sauran, sannan ya rika saukowa a hankali. Idan dakin karatunsa yana da Alkur'ani Mai Girma, ya kamata a sanya shi sama da dukkan sauran littattafai, kuma abin da ya fi kyau shi ne a sanya shi a cikin jaka, a rataye shi a wani tsaftatacce, mai tsarki na bango wanda hannu zai iya kaiwa gare shi.

One should pay special attention to how he organizes his books, and should do so in accordance with the virtue, importance, and significance of each book. So, he should place the noblest book above all the others, and then work his way down gradually. If his library contains the Noble Qur’an, it should be placed above all the other books, and what is best is that it be placed in a sack and nailed to a clean, pure part of the wall that is within reach.

Sannan su zo littattafan Hadisi, kamar ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ da ‘Sahih Muslim.’ Sannan su zo tafsirin Alkur’ani, sannan sharhin Hadisi, sannan littattafan da suka shafi ka’idojin (usul) Addini, sannan ka’idojin Fiqhu, sannan Fiqhu, sannan nahawu da harshe, sannan waqoqin Larabci, sannan waqoqin gama-gari.

Then come the books of Hadith, such as ‘Sahih al-Bukhari’ and ‘Sahih Muslim.’ Then come the explanations of the Qur’an, then the explanations of Hadith, then the books regarding the principles (usul) of the Religion, then the principles of Fiqh, then Fiqh, then grammar and language, then Arabic poetry, then general poetry.

Idan littattafai biyu a fannin guda sun yi daidai da juna a daraja, to ya kamata ya sanya wanda yake da more Alkur'ani ko Hadisi a sama fiye da ɗayan. Idan su ma sun yi daidai a wannan fannin, to ya kamata ya sanya wanda marubucinsa ya fi daraja a sama fiye da ɗayan. Idan sun yi daidai a wannan ma, to ya kamata ya sanya wanda ya fi tsufa kuma ya fi karɓuwa a sama a ɗakin karatunsa. Idan sun yi daidai a wannan fannin ma, to ya kamata ya sanya wanda ya fi ingantacce kuma amintacce a sama.

If two books in the same field are equal in virtue, he should place the one with more Qur’an or Hadith content higher than the other. If they are equal in this regard as well, he should place the one with the more virtuous author higher than the other. If they are equal in this as well, he should place the older and more widely accepted of the two higher in his library. If they are equal in this regard as well, he should place the one that is more authentic and trustworthy.

Idan mutum ya aro littafi, ya kamata ya mayar da shi nan take idan mai littafin ya nemi a mayar masa. Idan kuma ya sayi littafi, ya kamata ya yi duba cikinsa da sauri: farkonsa, tsakiyarsa, ƙarshensa, da kuma teburin abubuwan da ke cikinsa.

If one borrows a book, he should immediately give it back if the owner requests it. If he purchases a book, he should flip through its beginning, middle, end, and table of contents.

Ya kamata ya lura da shafukan littafin, ya tantance ingancinsa da amfaninsa a zahiri, idan bai da isasshen lokacin karanta shi sosai.

He should flip through its pages and evaluate its apparent authenticity and benefit if he doesn’t have enough time to read it in detail.

Idan mutum zai rubuta wani abu daga cikin littafi da hannunsa, ya kamata ya fara da "Bismil-Lah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim" (Da sunan Allah, Mai rahama, Mai jinƙai). Idan littafin ya fara da gabatarwar da ta ƙunshi yabon Allah ko salati da tsira ga Manzonsa ﷺ, ya kamata ya rubuta ta bayan basmalah. Sannan ya rubuta abin da yake so daga littafin.

If one copies something from the book in his handwriting, he should begin with ‘Bismil-Lah ar-Rahman ar-Rahim’ (In the Name of Allah, the Beneficent, the Merciful). If the book begins with an introduction that contains the praise of Allah or peace and blessings upon His Messenger, he should write this out after the basmalah. He should then write what he wants from the book.

Duk lokacin da mutum ya rubuta Sunan Allah, Maɗaukakin, ya kamata ya biye shi da kalmar girmamawa, kamar Ta’ala (Maɗaukaki), Subhanah (Tsarkakakke ne Shi), ‘Azza wa Jall (Mai izza da girma), Taqaddas (Mai tsarki daga aibi), da sauransu.

Whenever one writes the Name of Allah, the Exalted, he should follow it up with a description of exaltation, such as Ta’ala (the Exalted), Subhanah (Glorified is He), ‘Azza wa Jall (the Mighty and Majestic), Taqaddas (free from imperfection), etc.

Duk lokacin da ya rubuta sunan Annabi (ﷺ), ya kamata ya rubuta bayan sunan "as-Salatu was-Salamu 'alayh" (salloli da amincin Allah su tabbata a gare shi), kuma ya kuma faɗe shi da harshensa. Al'adar Salaf da waɗanda suka zo bayansu ita ce a rubuta wannan cikakke ba tare da gajartawa ba - koda kuwa an maimaita shi sau da yawa a layi ɗaya - sabanin abin da marubuta na zamaninmu da suka koma baya ke yi, suna rubuta "SAW," "PBUH," ko "SAWS." Duk wannan yana raguwa da haƙƙoƙin da yake da su a kanmu (ﷺ).

Whenever he writes the name of the Prophet (peace be upon him), he should write after it ‘as-Salatu was-Salamu ‘alayh’ (prayers and peace be upon him), and he should also say this with his tongue. The habit of the Salaf and those who came after them was to write this out fully and unabbreviated - even if it was repeated many times on the same line – as opposed to what the backwards authors of our times do, writing ‘SAW,’ ‘PBUH,’ or ‘SAWS,’ and all of this detracts from the rights he has upon us (peace be upon him).

Duk wanda ya ci karo da ambaton wani Sahabi – balle manyan Sahabbai – ya kamata ya rubuta ‘Radi Allahu ‘anhu’ (Allah ya yarda da shi), kuma bai kamata ya yi salati da aminci ba sai ga Annabawa ko Mala'iku, sai dai idan yana bin su.

If one comes across mention of a Companion – let alone the major ones – he should write ‘Radi Allahu ‘anhu’ (may Allah be Pleased with him), and he is not to invoke peace and blessings except for the Prophets or Angels, except in following them.

Idan ya ci karo da ambaton ɗaya daga cikin Salaf, ya kamata ya rubuta ‘Rahimahu Allah’ (Allah Ya yi masa rahama), musamman idan yana magana game da manyan, sanannun, shugabannin malaman Musulunci (Allah Ya yi musu rahama baki ɗaya).

If he comes across mention of one of the Salaf, he should write ‘Rahimahu Allah’ (may Allah have Mercy on him), especially when referring to the major, well-known, leading scholars of Islam (may Allah have Mercy on them all).

Kuma babu matsala a rubuta bayanai na gefe, da muhimman abubuwan da ake bukatar a tuna, da bayanan kari a gefen littattafan da mutum ya mallaka, amma kada a rubuta sai muhimman abubuwan da suka shafi wannan littafi musamman, kamar wani abu da ya jawo rudani, wani misali na kwatance, misali, ko kuskure, da makamantansu.

And there’s no problem in writing footnotes, points of benefit, and important notes in the borders of the books he owns, and one shouldn’t write except the important points related to that particular book, such as a point of confusion, a parable, an example, a mistake, etc.

Amma, bai kamata ya cika littafin da al'amura na gefe masu ban mamaki da cikakkun bayanai ba, kuma bai kamata ya ƙara bayanan ƙasa da yawa har su duhunta shafukan ko su ɓata sarari mai yawa a cikin littafin ba.

But, he shouldn’t crowd the book with strange and detailed secondary matters, and shouldn’t add so many footnotes that it darkens the pages or wastes too much space in the book.

Bai kamata mutum ya rubuta a tsakanin layuka ba. Ko da yake wasu sun yi haka ta hanyar rubutu da jan tawada a tsakanin layuka, ya fi kyau a bar wannan gaba ɗaya.153

One should not write between the lines. Although some did this by writing in red between the lines, it is better to leave this totally.”153