Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2647
جامع الترمذي#2647Da'ifحَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ الْعَتَكِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ الرَّازِيِّ، عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ أَنَسٍ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَنْ خَرَجَ فِي طَلَبِ الْعِلْمِ فَهُوَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ حَتَّى يَرْجِعَ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ وَرَوَاهُ بَعْضُهُمْ فَلَمْ يَرْفَعْهُ .
Narrated Anas bin Malik:that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Whoever goes out seeking knowledge, then he is in Allah's cause until he returns
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 41:3