Toggle above to switch between keyword search and direct hadith lookup
Hadith 179
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا أَخْبَرَنَا جَعْفَرُ بْنُ عَوْنٍ، عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنْ مَسْرُوقٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ: "مَنْ عَلِمَ مِنْكُمْ عِلْمًا، فَلْيَقُلْ بِهِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يَعْلَمْ، فَلْيَقُلْ لِمَا لَا يَعْلَمُ: اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ، فَإِنَّ: الْعَالِمَ إِذَا سُئِلَ عَمَّا لَا يَعْلَمُ، قَالَ: اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَعْلَمُ، وَقَدْ قَالَ اللَّهُ لِرَسُولِهِ: قُلْ مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ سورة ص آية 86".
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: Whoever among you has knowledge should make it apparent, and whoever does not have knowledge should say about what he does not know: «لا أعلم» (that is, "I do not know"), because if a scholar is asked about something he does not know, he should say «الله أعلم», just as Allah Almighty said to His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): "Say: I do not ask you for any reward for it, nor am I one of those who pretend." [سورة ص: 86/38]
Brief Explanation
(Commentary on Hadiths 176 to 179)
In this narration, there is an exhortation to refrain from issuing religious verdicts (fatwa) without knowledge, and encouragement to admit to one's lack of knowledge and shortcomings. Allah Ta'ala says: «﴿وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾ [الاسراء : 85]» Translation: "You have been given but little knowledge."
Furthermore, the pious predecessors (aslaf kiram) have considered saying «لا أعلم» ("I do not know") to be half of knowledge, and to feign knowledge or to display it without actually possessing it is affectation (takalluf). In the noble verse, this has been prohibited, and it has been stated: «﴿قُلْ مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ﴾ [سورة ص : 86]»
In this narration, there is an exhortation to refrain from issuing religious verdicts (fatwa) without knowledge, and encouragement to admit to one's lack of knowledge and shortcomings. Allah Ta'ala says: «﴿وَمَا أُوتِيتُمْ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ إِلَّا قَلِيلًا﴾ [الاسراء : 85]» Translation: "You have been given but little knowledge."
Furthermore, the pious predecessors (aslaf kiram) have considered saying «لا أعلم» ("I do not know") to be half of knowledge, and to feign knowledge or to display it without actually possessing it is affectation (takalluf). In the noble verse, this has been prohibited, and it has been stated: «﴿قُلْ مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ﴾ [سورة ص : 86]»
