The Danger of Speaking Without Knowledge
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The Shaykh : The danger of speaking without knowledge is also one of the greatest dangers. One of the greatest risks is for a person to speak without knowledge, because harmful consequences will follow from his words. For what is built upon knowledge is actually built upon what? Upon ignorance. And ignorance is destruction. Ignorance is destruction. How many people have spoken a word, and how much speech there is in this fitnah (trial)! How many people have spoken a word! And the strange thing is that he speaks a word in religion, making a religious ruling on a matter, while he is more ignorant than Tuma. Do you know Tuma? Yes. Yes. Tuma is a man who claims to be a scholar but is actually ignorant. The one who claims to be a scholar while being ignorant is called by the people, by the scholars, an ignorant person. Not that he is called Tuma. Tuma is the name of a man. He is called a "compound ignorant" (jahil murakkab) because the one who speaks while not knowing is ignorant of his own state; that is, he thinks he is a scholar, but he is ignorant of what he is speaking about. Therefore, the scholars called him a "compound ignorant" and composed a poem about this man called Tuma. They composed it in the voice of the donkey that Tuma used to ride, and I will recite it, although I do not agree with everything in it. It says, in the voice of the donkey that Tuma used to ride:
"The wise donkey, Tuma, said: If the age were just, I would be ridden.
Because I am a simple donkey, and my companion is a complex donkey".
We do not agree with the phrase "if the age were just," because things are not attributed to the age. However, I say that the donkey is speaking about himself: "Because I am a simple donkey, and my companion is a complex donkey". I say that some people speak without knowledge, even in matters of Islamic law. The ignorance I am referring to, which is speaking without knowledge, sometimes means they are ignorant of the reality of the situation—pay attention, my brother—and I specifically mean students of knowledge. Sometimes they are ignorant of the reality of the situation, and sometimes they are ignorant of the Islamic ruling. Therefore, knowledge of the reality of the situation is necessary, and knowledge of the Islamic ruling is necessary.
As for speaking about a matter when you do not know about it, that is not acceptable. Have you seen if a person came and said, "A deceased man died leaving behind a daughter, an uncle, and a brother"? A daughter, an uncle, and a brother. So the hasty person said to the daughter, "You get half," and to the brother, "You get the rest," because in his view, what is the brother? He is closer than the uncle. Do you understand the example or not? A deceased man died leaving behind a daughter, a brother, and an uncle. So this ignorant person said, "The daughter gets half, and the rest goes to the brother." Why? He said, "Because the brother is closer than the uncle. The brother is a brother, and this is an uncle." What do you say about this? This is an ignorant person. Yes, this is a compound ignorant. It is obligatory to ask: Who is this brother? Who is this brother? If he says, "A brother from the mother," we say the rest after the daughter's fixed share goes to the uncle. The rest goes to the uncle because a brother from the mother does not inherit with daughters or with sons. And if he says, "He is a full brother or a brother from the father," we say the rest goes to him, not to the uncle. So I say: If he had inquired and asked who the brother was, he would have known the Islamic ruling. So I say: Some people rule without knowledge, either because they do not know the situation or because they do not know the Islamic ruling. Both are dangerous, very dangerous. And how many people ask in this fitnah about matters where they rush to make rulings while being unaware of them and ignorant of them as well. All right.
Is there evidence in the Qur'an regarding the prohibition of speaking without knowledge? We say: As for the prohibition of speaking without knowledge in general, reference has already been made to it in the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Al-Isra 17:36]. And as for the legislation of Allah, Allah the Exalted said: [Al-A'raf 7:33].
This is the evidence in the last phrase:[Al-Baqarah 2:169]. All right.
The point. Yes, perhaps we will make it the fifth point. All right. Yes, the seventh point: which is the last one. Yes, I have a paper with me. Rushing after emotion may be a storm. Yes.
As for me, I say: The seventh point. Check your sixth and seventh points. Yes, no danger. Yes, the danger of speaking without knowledge. This is the sixth point. Perhaps I did not alert you to it. All right, I say.
"The wise donkey, Tuma, said: If the age were just, I would be ridden.
Because I am a simple donkey, and my companion is a complex donkey".
We do not agree with the phrase "if the age were just," because things are not attributed to the age. However, I say that the donkey is speaking about himself: "Because I am a simple donkey, and my companion is a complex donkey". I say that some people speak without knowledge, even in matters of Islamic law. The ignorance I am referring to, which is speaking without knowledge, sometimes means they are ignorant of the reality of the situation—pay attention, my brother—and I specifically mean students of knowledge. Sometimes they are ignorant of the reality of the situation, and sometimes they are ignorant of the Islamic ruling. Therefore, knowledge of the reality of the situation is necessary, and knowledge of the Islamic ruling is necessary.
As for speaking about a matter when you do not know about it, that is not acceptable. Have you seen if a person came and said, "A deceased man died leaving behind a daughter, an uncle, and a brother"? A daughter, an uncle, and a brother. So the hasty person said to the daughter, "You get half," and to the brother, "You get the rest," because in his view, what is the brother? He is closer than the uncle. Do you understand the example or not? A deceased man died leaving behind a daughter, a brother, and an uncle. So this ignorant person said, "The daughter gets half, and the rest goes to the brother." Why? He said, "Because the brother is closer than the uncle. The brother is a brother, and this is an uncle." What do you say about this? This is an ignorant person. Yes, this is a compound ignorant. It is obligatory to ask: Who is this brother? Who is this brother? If he says, "A brother from the mother," we say the rest after the daughter's fixed share goes to the uncle. The rest goes to the uncle because a brother from the mother does not inherit with daughters or with sons. And if he says, "He is a full brother or a brother from the father," we say the rest goes to him, not to the uncle. So I say: If he had inquired and asked who the brother was, he would have known the Islamic ruling. So I say: Some people rule without knowledge, either because they do not know the situation or because they do not know the Islamic ruling. Both are dangerous, very dangerous. And how many people ask in this fitnah about matters where they rush to make rulings while being unaware of them and ignorant of them as well. All right.
Is there evidence in the Qur'an regarding the prohibition of speaking without knowledge? We say: As for the prohibition of speaking without knowledge in general, reference has already been made to it in the saying of Allah the Exalted:
And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge
ولا تقف ما ليس لك به علمSay, "My Lord has only forbidden immoralities - what is apparent of them and what is concealed - and sin, and oppression without right, and that you associate with Allah that for which He has not sent down authority, and that you say about Allah that which you do not know."
قُلْ إِنَّمَا حَرَّمَ رَبِّيَ الْفَوَاحِشَ مَا ظَهَرَ مِنْهَا وَمَا بَطَنَ وَالْإِثْمَ وَالْبَغْيَ بِغَيْرِ الْحَقِّ وَأَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ مَا لَمْ يُنَزِّلْ بِهِ سُلْطَانًا وَأَنْ تَقُولُوا عَلَى اللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَThis is the evidence in the last phrase:
and to say about Allah what you do not know.
وأن تقولوا على الله ما لا تعلمونThe point. Yes, perhaps we will make it the fifth point. All right. Yes, the seventh point: which is the last one. Yes, I have a paper with me. Rushing after emotion may be a storm. Yes.
As for me, I say: The seventh point. Check your sixth and seventh points. Yes, no danger. Yes, the danger of speaking without knowledge. This is the sixth point. Perhaps I did not alert you to it. All right, I say.