عنْ مسْرُوق قَال: دخَلْنَا على عبْدِ اللّهِ بن مسْعُودٍ رضي اللّه عنهُ فَقَال: يا أَيُّهَا النَّاس منْ عَلِم شَيئًا فَلْيقُلْ بهِ، ومنْ لَمْ يعْلَمْ، فلْيقُلْ: اللّه أعْلَمُ، فإنَّ مِنَ الْعِلْمِ أن تَقُولَ لِمَا لا تَعْلَمُ: اللّه أعْلَمُ. قَال اللّه تَعالى لِنَبيِّهِ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم: قُلْ مَا أَسْأَلُكُمْ عَلَيْهِ مِنْ أَجْرٍ وَمَا أَنَا مِنَ الْمُتَكَلِّفِينَ [سورة ص: ٨٦] رواهُ البخاري.
On the authority of Masruq, who said: We entered upon Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him), and he said: O people! Whoever knows something, let him speak of it; and whoever does not know, let him say: "Allah knows best," for it is part of knowledge that you say, concerning what you do not know: "Allah knows best." Allah the Exalted said to His Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Say: I do not ask you for it any payment, and I am not of those who pretend." [Surah Sad: 86]. Reported by al-Bukhari.
الدروس · lessons
عدم التكلّف في المسائل العلمية، كأن يُسأل عن شيء غير واضح بالنسبة إليه فيتحمل جوابًا له، وربّما أبعد عن الحقيقة في بيانه. ألّا يقول في العلم ولا يجرؤ على الفتوى إلّا إذا كان على ثقة من معرفته وتمكن من علم ما يقوله. لا ينقص من قدر العالم أن يجهل بعض الأمور ويُعلن عدم معرفته بها. الحثّ على الاقتداء برسول اللّه صَلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم في عدم التكلّف مطلقًا.
Avoiding affectation in scholarly matters, such as when one is asked about something unclear to him and takes it upon himself to give an answer, and may thereby stray from the truth in his explanation. That one should not speak on matters of knowledge, nor dare to give a legal verdict (fatwa), unless he is confident of his understanding and has a firm grasp of what he says. It does not diminish the standing of a scholar to be ignorant of some matters and to declare his lack of knowledge of them. Encouragement to follow the example of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) in avoiding affectation altogether.