> Its ok to say 'I dont know'

[Hayaa]

Don?t Speak Without Knowledge

Say ?Allahu A?lam?

قال أبو بكر - رضي الله تعالى عنه -




أي سماء تظلني؟ وأي أرض تقلني؟ إذا قلت في كتاب الله ما لا أعلم؟!





Aboo Bakr - radiyallahu ?anhu - said:


Which sky would shade me and which earth would carry me (i.e. let me live upon it) if I were to say about the Book of Allah that which I do not know (about)?!

Narrated by Ibn Majah in his Sunan in the book of Zakat #1791; also mentioned by Ibn Qayyim ? rahimahullah ? in ?I?lam al-Muwaqqi?een. The narration is Maqtoo? but strengthened by all its ways as mentioned here.



Shaikh Ibn Uthaymeen (rahimahullah) mentions in one of his Khutab (plural of Khutbah) several examples that exhort one from speaking without knowledge. Some of what he has mentioned is as follows:



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(2) Saying of Ibn Mas?ood ? radiyallahu ?anhu -



‏يا أيها الناس من علم شيئا فليقل به ومن لم يعلم فليقل ‏الله أعلم فإن من العلم أن يقول لما لا يعلم الله أعلم

?O People! Whoever knows something then let him say it (speak of it), and whoever doesn?t know then let him say ?Allahu ?A?lam? (Allah knows best), for it is a sign of having knowledge to say about that which one doesn?t know ?Allahu ?A?lam??

[Saheeh al-Bukharee #4435. English Translation Online #4481 in Book of Exegesis of the Qur?an. Also found in Saheeh Muslim #5007; English Translation Online Book 39, Ch. 8, #6720 ? Sh. Ibn Uthaymeen?s site provides more references.]



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(3) ash-Sha?bee ? rahimahullah -



وسئل الشعبي عن مسألة فقال لا أحسنها فقال له أصحابه قد استحيينا لك فقال لكن الملائكة لم تستحي حين قالت: لا علم لنا إلا ما علمتنا


Ash-Sha?bee was asked about an issue, so he said ?I am not good/well versed at it? (i.e. I don?t know). His friends then said to him ?We felt embarrassed on your behalf? (i.e. being one who knows so much, how could you say that you do not know about the matter), so he said ?But the angels did not feel embarrassed when they said: we have no knowledge except what you have taught us.?

[Mentioned by Ibn al-Qayyim ? rahimahullah ? in the book ?I?lam al-Muwaqqi?een? pg. 218; ayah with saying of angels is #32 of Soorat al-Baqarah]

Source: http://thikra.wordpress.com/2007/05/...out-knowledge/

[MaryM]

AsalamuAlaikum,

Great post, it reminds me of Imam Malik when he used the phrase 'I don't know'....

When Imam Malik was asked what was the most valuable thing he learnt from his teacher, during seven consecutive years of studying. Imam Malik replied “the phrase ‘I don’t know’ was the most valuable thing I learnt from my teacher”.

Once a man came to visit Imam Malik from Morocco just to ask him a question, after the Moroccan had asked his question. Imam Malik was the most knowledgable on the face of the earth at that period and the man from Morocco spent 4 months travelling to Madinah after consulting people in Morocco. When he arrived Imam Malik wasn't sure of the answer, he informed the man to come the next day. The next day Imam Malik informed him that he did not know the answer to that question.

The Moroccan became worried and asked Imam Malik what he should tell his people back home in Morroco. He spent 4 months travelling for nothing and another 4 months back for nothing...Imam Malik told him to inform his people that Imam Malik did not know the answer to this particular question. Subhanallah Taqwa the fear of Allah (swt), there was no pride or the fear that he may degrade his honour.
Such was the integrity of Imam Malik who (at that time) had seven consecutive years of learning behind him. If he wasn’t 100% sure about something, he wouldn’t assume, guess or hesitate from informing the questioner that he did not know the answer.