Al-Kāfi - The Book on Virtue of Knowledge

Al-Kāfi - The Book on Virtue of Knowledge Chapter: Prohibition on Speaking without Knowledge. 6ـ عَلِيُّ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِي٠َّدِ بْنِ خَالِدٍ عَنْ حَ٠َّادِ بْنِ عِيسَى عَنْ حَرِيزِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الله عَنْ ٠ٍ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الله (عَلَيْهِ السَّلا٠) قَالَ إِذَا سُئِلَ الرَّجُلُ ٠ُ فَلْيَقُلْ لا أَدْرِي وَلا يَقُلْ الله أَعْلَ٠ُ فَيُوقِعَ فِي قَلْبِ صَاحِبِهِ شَكّاً وَإِذَا قَالَ الْ٠َسْئُولُ لا أَدْرِي فَلا يَتَّهِ٠6.

Ali ibn Ibrahim has narrated from Ahmad ibn Muhammad ibn Khalid from Hammad ibn ‘Isa from Hariz ibn ‘Abdallah from Muhammad ibn Muslim from abu ‘Abdallah (a.s.) who has said the following. “If one of you would be asked of what he does not know he must say, ‘I have no knowledge and he must not say, “Allah knows best” because it may create doubts in the hearts of his audience.

If the person questioned would say, “I do not know his audience will not accuse him of anything.” صحيح - Allamah Baqir al-Majlisi (Mirʾāt al-ʿUqūl fī Sharḥ Akhbār Āl al-Rasūl (1/138)) يخرجه - Shaykh Baqir al-Behbudi (Sahih al-Kafi)