The Intended Meaning of the Prohibition on Excessive Questioning
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The questioner:
The questioner says: It is mentioned in a hadith, to the effect that Allah the Exalted disliked for usSahih al-Bukhari 2408 questioning. O Shaykh, he asks about excessive questioning; what is meant by it?
The Shaykh:
The excessive questioning referred to here is asking about matters of religious knowledge that a person does not need, that he has no need for. This is a source of embarrassment and difficulty. A person should ask about what is unclear to him and what he needs. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:Sunan Ibn Majah 3029Sahih (Darussalam) Their excessive questioning and their disagreement with their prophets. When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Riyad as-Salihin 1272, a man asked, “Every year, O Messenger of Allah?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) repeated: Riyad as-Salihin 1272? The man repeated his question, and the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) remained silent. On the third occasion, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: This indicates that he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “It was the excessive questioning of those before you and their disagreement with their prophets that destroyed them. Leave me as I have left you.” Sunan Ibn Majah 3029Sahih (Darussalam) Their excessive questioning, This is the subject of the hadith: that a person asks about things that he does not need and that Muslims do not need in their religion.
The questioner:
In that regard, many people ask the same question to more than one Shaykh or scholar.
The Shaykh:
It is not permissible for him to ask more than one Shaykh or scholar. Rather, if he asks someone he trusts in his knowledge and religion, that is sufficient. Because he will find differences between the fatwas, and he will find confusion and turmoil. If he asks someone he trusts in his knowledge and religion, he will be satisfied with his answer and will not repeat the question to another person regarding the same issue. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
The questioner says: It is mentioned in a hadith, to the effect that Allah the Exalted disliked for us
vain, useless talk, or that you talk too much about others, (2) to ask too many questions, (in disputed religious matters) and (3) to waste the wealth (by extravagance).
قيل وقال وكثرة السؤال وإضاعة المالThe Shaykh:
The excessive questioning referred to here is asking about matters of religious knowledge that a person does not need, that he has no need for. This is a source of embarrassment and difficulty. A person should ask about what is unclear to him and what he needs. For this reason, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said:
those who came before you were doomed
إنما أهلك من كان قبلكمHajj (pilgrimage to the House of Allah) has been made incumbent upon you, so perform Hajj
إن الله قد فرض عليكم الحج فحجواHajj (pilgrimage to the House of Allah) has been made incumbent upon you
إن الله قد فرض عليكم الحجLeave me as I have left you. If you had said “Yes,” it would have become obligatory, and you would not have been able to perform Hajj even once in a lifetime. Whoever does more than that, it is voluntary.
ذروني ما تركتكم، فلو قلتم نعم لوجبت، ولما استطعتم الحج مرة واحدة في العمر، فمن زاد فهو تطوع،for those who came before you were doomed
فإنما أهلك من كان قبلكمand their disagreement with their prophets
خلافهم على أنبيائهمThe questioner:
In that regard, many people ask the same question to more than one Shaykh or scholar.
The Shaykh:
It is not permissible for him to ask more than one Shaykh or scholar. Rather, if he asks someone he trusts in his knowledge and religion, that is sufficient. Because he will find differences between the fatwas, and he will find confusion and turmoil. If he asks someone he trusts in his knowledge and religion, he will be satisfied with his answer and will not repeat the question to another person regarding the same issue. Yes.
The presenter:
May Allah reward you.
Source
نور على الدرب - الفوزان - 03/185 — archive.org (3:43)
The Arabic text is a machine transcription of the audio recording.