Al-Sarri ibn Isma‘il also narrated it from Sayyar Abu al-Hakam, with the same wording. Tamam narrated it in al-Fawa’id (167/2).

However, this al-Sarri is an abandoned narrator, as stated in al-Taqrib.

Note: The wording of al-Haytham ibn Kulayb and others is: “and it only grows farther away from them,” in place of the wording in al-Hakim’s narration and others: “and they only grow farther from Allah.” Al-Tabarani—and Abu Nu‘aym from him—recorded it in a greatly abridged form: “The Hour has drawn near, and it only grows farther away from them.” Al-Suyuti cited it in al-Jami‘ al-Saghir from al-Tabarani with this wording, except that he said, “nearer,” in place of “farther.” This is an error, perhaps not originating with al-Suyuti; al-Manawi has drawn attention to it.

1511 — “Ask Allah for beneficial knowledge, and seek refuge in Allah from knowledge that brings no benefit.”

It was narrated by Ibn Abi Shaybah in al-Musannaf (12/605), Ibn Majah (3843), ‘Abd ibn Humayd in al-Muntakhab min al-Musnad (folio 118/1), and al-Fakihi in his Hadith (2/34/2), through Usamah ibn Zayd, from Muhammad ibn al-Munkadir, from Jabir, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him.

I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Al-Haythami likewise said so (10/182), after attributing it to al-Tabarani’s al-Awsat; and it has therein a corroborating report from the hadith of ‘A’ishah. Al-Hafiz Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali, in Fadl ‘Ilm al-Salaf (p. 8), attributed it to al-Nasa’i with the wording: “The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, used to say: ‘O Allah, I ask You for beneficial knowledge, and I seek refuge in You from knowledge that brings no benefit.’”