السُّؤالُ
ASKING (IN THE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE)
مِفتاحُ العِلمِ / The Key to Knowledge
1. رسولُ اللّهِ (صَلّىَ اللهُُ عَليهِ وَ آلهِ): العِلمُ خَزائنُ ومَفاتِيحُهُ السُّؤالُ، فَاسألُوا رَحِمَكُمُ اللّهُ فإنّهُ يُؤجَرُ أربَعةٌ: السائلُ، والمُتَكلِّمُ، والمُستَمِعُ، والُمحِبُّ لَهُ.
1. The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Knowledge is a treasury, the key to which is the question, so ask and Allah will have mercy on you for verily four people are rewarded
[for that question]: the questioner, the speaker, the listener, and the one that admires them.’
[Tuhaf al- `Uqul, no. 41]
2. رسولُ اللّه (صَلّىَ اللهُُ عَليهِ وَ آلهِ): السُّؤالُ نِصفُ العِلم.
2. The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'The question is half of knowledge.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 29260]
حُسنُ المَسألَةِ / Productive Questioning
السُّؤالُ
ASKING (IN THE QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE)
3. رسولُ اللّهِ (صَلّىَ اللهُُ عَليهِ وَ آلهِ): حُسنُ المَسألَةِ نِصفُ العِلم.
3. The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Productive questioning is half of knowledge.’
[Tuhaf al-`Uqul, no. 56]
4. الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيه الّسَلامُ): ـ لِسائلٍ سَألَهُ عن مُعضِلَةٍ ـ: سَلْ تَفَقُّها، ولا تَسْأل تَعَنُّتا ؛ فإنّ الجاهِلَ المُتَعَلِّمَ شَبيهٌ بالعالِمِ، وإنَّ العالِمَ المُتَعَسِّفَ (المُتَعَنِّفَ) شَبيهٌ بالجاهِلِ المُتَعَنِّتِ .
4. Imam Ali (AS) said to a man who asked him regarding a puzzling issue, 'Ask in order to genuinely comprehend
[the matter], and do not ask importunately causing further confusion thereby, for verily the ignorant person willing to learn is like a knowledgeable man, whereas the knowledgeable man who acts haphazardly is like an obstinate ignorant man.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 320]
ما لا يَنبَغِي في السُّؤالِ / That Which Should Not Be Questioned
5. رسولُ اللّهِ (صَلّىَ اللهُُ عَليهِ وَ آلهِ): ذَرُوني ما تَرَكتُكُم، فإنّما هَلَكَ مَن كانَ قَبلَكُم بكَثرَةِ سُؤالِهِم واختِلافِهِم على أنبِيائهِم، فإذا أمَرتُكُم بِشَيءٍ فَأتُوا مِنهُ ما اسْتَطَعتُم، وإذا نَهَيتُكُم عن شَيءٍ فَدَعُوهُ .
5. The Prophet (SAWA) said, 'Leave me alone when I part your company, for verily people before you were ruined because of their persistent questioning and contradiction of their prophets. So when I command you with something, carry it out as best as possible, and when I prohibit you something, leave it alone.’
[Kanz al-`Ummal, no. 916]
جوابُ ما لا تَعلَمُ مِن الأسئلَةِ / Answering Questions that One Does Not Know the Answer To
6. رسولُ اللّهِ (صَلّىَ اللهُُ عَليهِ وَ آلهِ) ـ مِنوصايا النبيِّ (صَلّىَ اللهُُ عَليهِ وَ آلهِ) لأبيذَرٍّ ـ: يا أبا ذَرٍّ، إذا سُئلتَ عن عِلمٍ لا تَعلَمُهُ فَقُل: لا أعلَمُهُ تَنجُ مِن تَبِعَتِهِ، ولا تُفْتِ بما لا عِلمَ لكَ بهِ تَنجُ مِن عَذابِ اللّهِ يَومَ القِيامَةِ .
6. The Prophet (SAWA) in his advice to his companion Abu Dharr, said, 'O Abu Dharr! When you are asked about something of which you have no knowledge, say, 'I do not know' and you will be saved from its repercussions. And do not give verdicts about that which you do not know and you will be saved from the chastisement of Allah on the Day of Resurrection.’
[Makarim al-Akhlaq, v. 2, p. 264, no. 2661]
7. الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيه الّسَلامُ): لا يَستَحيِي العالِمُ إذا سُئلَ عمّا لا يَعلَمُ أن يَقولَ: لا عِلمَ لي بِهِ .
7. Imam Ali (AS) said, 'The scholar never feels ashamed to say 'I have no knowledge about this' when he does not know something.’
[al-Mahasin, v. 1, p. 328, no. 664]
8. الإمامُ عليٌّ (عَلَيه الّسَلامُ): مَن تَرَكَ قولَ «لا أدري» اُصِيبَتْ مَقاتِلُهُ.
8. Imam Ali (AS) said, 'He who abandons saying 'I do not know' is bound to be struck at his most vulnerable spots.’
[Nahj al-Balagha, Saying 85]
9. الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيه الّسَلامُ): إنَّ مَن أجابَ في كُلِّ ما يُسألُ عَنهُ لََمجنُونٌ .
9. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'Verily the one who answers every question posed to him is stupid.’
[Bihar al-Anwar, v. 2, p. 117, no. 15]
10. الإمامُ الصّادقُ (عَلَيه الّسَلامُ): للعالِمِ إذا سُئلَ عن شيءٍ وهُو لا يَعلَمُهُ أن يقولَ: اَللّهُ أعلَمُ، وليسَ لِغَيرِ العالِمِ أن يقولَ ذلكَ.
10. Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, 'When a knowledgeable person is asked about something he does not know, he should say, 'Allah knows better', and none but a knowledgeable man will say that.’
[al-Kafi, v. 1, p. 42, no. 5]