Are the sayings about iron shoes and seeking knowledge in China Prophetic?
2026-10-14
T183 · Ibn Taymiyyah
Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah
شيخ الإسلام أحمد بن تيمية
Original Q&A · Complete individual question and response within a collected question
One complete individual question and response from a collected question about reports circulated by storytellers and others. The quoted report in the question is presented for assessment, not endorsed. The answer gives Ibn Taymiyyah's own assessment.
النص العربي
السؤال الأصلي
ومما يروون عنه صلى الله عليه وسلم، أنه قال: "ياعلي، اتخذ لك نعلين من حديد وافنهما في طلب العلم ولو بالصين".
الجواب
الحمد لله، ليس هذا ولا هذا من كلام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.
English translation
English translation prepared for SalafAlSalih.com from the cited Arabic source. It is not an official translation.
Original question
Among the reports they attribute to him, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is that he said: “O ʿAlī, get yourself two shoes of iron and wear them out seeking knowledge, even in China.”
Answer
Praise be to Allah. Neither of these sayings is part of the speech of the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace.
Source and editorial notes
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā 18/382
مجموع الفتاوى
Majmūʿ al-Fatāwā
Arabic collated with the cited edition and a second transcription: https://quranislam.github.io/fatwa/ibn-taymiyyah/fatwa291.html. Each individual report and its full reply is preserved within the larger collected question. Diacritics omitted and honorific glyphs expanded. Titles and scope notes are editorial.