1) Sayyiduna Hudhayfah ibn Yaman (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to me:
“The reward of knowledge supersedes the reward of worship”
(Al Mu’jamul Awsat of Imam Tabarani -rahimahullah-, Hadith: 3960)
Hafiz Mundhiri (rahimahullah) has classified the above Hadith as sound (hasan).
(At Targhib, vol. 1 pg. 93)
2) Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said to me:
“O Abu Dharr! Learning one verse of the Holy Quran is better than performing one hundred rakats of (optional) Salah, and learning one chapter of knowledge is better than performing one thousand rakats of (optional) Salah, irrespective of whether that knowledge is practiced upon or not”.
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Hadith: 219)
Hafiz Mundhiri (rahimahullah) has graded the above Hadith as sound (hasan).
(At Targhib, vol. 1 pg. 97)
3) Sayyiduna Abu Dardaa (radiyallahu ‘anhu) reports that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, "The superiority of the scholar over the worshiper is like the superiority of the moon over the rest of the celestial bodies. Indeed the scholars are the heirs of the Prophets."
(Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2682)
4) It was narrated that Ibn ‘Abbas said:
“The messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘One Faqih (knowledgeable man) is more formidable against the Shaitan than one thousand devoted worshipers.’”
(Sunan Ibn Majah, Vol. 1, Book 1, Hadith 222)
Acquiring Knowledge is superior to nafil ibaadat (voluntary acts of worship)
The great Muhaddith & Faqeeh Imām Nawawi RA said:
"And the conclusion is that all the Salaf have agreed that engaging oneself in knowledge is superior to engaging in voluntary acts of worship like nafl ṣawm (fasting), ṣalāt (praying), tasbīḥ and similar types of nafil ʿibādāt (ie: voluntary acts of worship)."
وَالْحَاصِلُ أَنَّهُمْ مُتَّفِقُونَ عَلَى أَنَّ الِاشْتِغَالَ بِالْعِلْمِ أَفْضَلُ مِنْ الاشتغال بِنَوَافِلِ الصَّوْمِ وَالصَّلَاةِ وَالتَّسْبِيحِ وَنَحْوِ ذَلِكَ مِنْ نَوَافِلِ عِبَادَاتِ الْبَدَنِ
al-Nawawī, Majmūʿ Sharḥ al-Muhaḏḏab 1/21
النووي، المجموع شرح المهذب ١/٢١
