Whenever they ask you about something which you do not know...

Whenever they ask you about something which you do not know, say that you do not know so as to remain safe and do not pronounce an edict over what you have no knowledge of in order to escape Allah’s wrath on the Day of Resurrection.

(It is not permissible for man to say that of which he has no knowledge, all too often, that word becomes a cause of deviation).” One of the greatest misfortunes which a scholarly man may be afflicted by is feeling ashamed to admit his ignorance when he does not know something. This confession is very easy for an ignorant man, but man evades saying “I do not know” when he is known as an academic.

When they ask him something that he does not know, it is hard for him to let the question go unanswered because he fears lest the people speculate about the authenticity of his scholarly credentials if he does not know the answer to questions. What wrong is there with saying that I do not know in response to the people’s questions? Has it been made incumbent upon the people to know everything?

Only Allah knows everything and the others have only used a drop of His knowledge, as has been stated in the Qur’an: ... وَمَ