Chapter on the Prohibition of Pretending: Allah the Exalted said: “Say: I ask not of you for it any reward, nor am I of those who affect (pretense).”
Machine translationRead the Arabic original
The reader: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Chapter on the Prohibition of Pretending. Allah the Exalted said:[Sad 38:86]
It was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: Al-Bukhari narrated it.
And it was narrated from Masruq that he said: دخلنا على عبدالله بن مسعود رضي الله فقال يا أيها الناس من علم شيئا فليقل به ومن لم يعلم فليقل الله أعلم فإن من العلم أن يقول الرجل لما لا يعلم الله أعلم قال الله تعالى لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم قل ما اسألكم عليه من أجر وما أنا من المتكلفين We entered upon 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) and he said: O people, whoever knows something, let him say it, and whoever does not know, let him say: Allah knows best. For indeed, among knowledge is for a man to say regarding what he does 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 a reward for this, nor am I among those who pretend. Al-Bukhari narrated it."
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Saliheen*: "Chapter on the Prohibition of Pretending"
Pretending means forcing oneself to do something, attempting to know it, and displaying oneself as a scholar, which is not the case.
Then the author mentioned the saying of Allah the Exalted: meaning, I do not ask you for a reward for what I have brought from the revelation that you would give me, but rather I guide you to good and call you to Allah (Mighty and Majestic). And so it is with all the messengers (peace and blessings be upon them); they all say to their followers: I do not ask you for a reward for this; my reward is only from Allah.
[Sad 38:86] meaning, not among those who are harsh with you or those who speak without knowledge. Rather, he (peace and blessings be upon him) used to speak, and Allah the Exalted would support his speech by confirming it.
Then he mentioned the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said: The one who forbade it is the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). So if the Companion said "We were forbidden," this has the ruling of elevation, meaning it is as if he said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) forbade us. Therefore, the one who forbade it is the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him). that a person should pretend to know what he does not know and attempt to display himself as a knowledgeable scholar, which is not the case.
Then he mentioned the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that if a person is asked about what he does not know, he should not pretend and give an answer that he does not know whether it is correct or not. Rather, he should not say anything except what he knows. If he is asked about something he does not know, let him say: Allah knows best. For indeed, among knowledge is for a person to say regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best. And he (may Allah be pleased with him) described this as knowledge, because the one who says "I do not know" when he does not know is truly the scholar. He is the one who knows his own capacity and his status, and that he is ignorant, so he says regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best. Then, if a person says regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best, and does not issue a ruling on it, people will trust him and know that what he rules on is based on knowledge, and what he does not know, he refrains from.
Also, if a person says regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best, he accustoms himself to submit to the truth and not to put himself forward for issuing rulings. This is contrary to some people today, whom you find considering that issuing rulings is a profitable trade, so they rule with knowledge and without knowledge, and with half-knowledge. For this reason, Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Al-Fatawa al-Hamawiyyah*: "They used to say: What has corrupted the world and religion except four things: a half-mutakallim, a half-faqih, a half-grammarian, and a half-doctor." As for the mutakallim, he has corrupted religions and creeds, because the people of Kalam who have gained some knowledge of it but have not reached its ultimate goal have been deluded by it. And as for the people of Kalam who have reached its ultimate goal, they have recognized its reality and returned to the truth.
And a half-faqih. The half-faqih, it is said, corrupts the lands because he judges without justice, thereby corrupting the lands, and he gives the right of this person to that one, and the right of that one to this one.
And a half-grammarian, because he corrupts the tongue. He thinks that he has grasped the rules of the Arabic language, so he speaks while he does not know, and he makes errors, thereby corrupting the tongue.
And a half-doctor, because he corrupts bodies. He does not know, so perhaps he prescribes a medicine that is a disease, or perhaps he does not prescribe the medicine and the patient dies.
So the conclusion is that it is not permissible for a person to issue rulings except where it is permissible for him to do so, and he should not be hasty. If Allah the Exalted has willed for him to be an imam for the people, ruling for them and guiding them to a straight path, then he will be so. And if Allah has not willed that, then his putting himself forward for issuing rulings will not benefit him.
Then Ibn Mas'ud cited as evidence the saying of Allah the Exalted:[Sad 38:86] And Allah is the One who grants success...
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and all his Companions.
He (may Allah have mercy on him) said: "Chapter on the Prohibition of Pretending. Allah the Exalted said:
Say, [O Muhammad], "I do not ask you for the Qur'an any payment, and I am not of the pretentious
قل ما أسألكم عليه من أجر وما أنا من المتكلفينIt was narrated from Ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said:
We were forbidden from pretending.
نهينا عن التكلفAnd it was narrated from Masruq that he said: دخلنا على عبدالله بن مسعود رضي الله فقال يا أيها الناس من علم شيئا فليقل به ومن لم يعلم فليقل الله أعلم فإن من العلم أن يقول الرجل لما لا يعلم الله أعلم قال الله تعالى لنبيه صلى الله عليه وسلم قل ما اسألكم عليه من أجر وما أنا من المتكلفين We entered upon 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) and he said: O people, whoever knows something, let him say it, and whoever does not know, let him say: Allah knows best. For indeed, among knowledge is for a man to say regarding what he does 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 a reward for this, nor am I among those who pretend. Al-Bukhari narrated it."
The Shaykh : In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
The author (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Riyad al-Saliheen*: "Chapter on the Prohibition of Pretending"
Pretending means forcing oneself to do something, attempting to know it, and displaying oneself as a scholar, which is not the case.
Then the author mentioned the saying of Allah the Exalted:
Say, I ask no reward from you for it
قل ما أسألكم عليه من أجرand I am not of the pretentious
وما أنا من المتكلفينThen he mentioned the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar (may Allah be pleased with them both) that he said:
We were forbidden from pretending.
نهينا عن التكلفWe were forbidden from pretending.
نهينا عن التكلفThen he mentioned the hadith of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that if a person is asked about what he does not know, he should not pretend and give an answer that he does not know whether it is correct or not. Rather, he should not say anything except what he knows. If he is asked about something he does not know, let him say: Allah knows best. For indeed, among knowledge is for a person to say regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best. And he (may Allah be pleased with him) described this as knowledge, because the one who says "I do not know" when he does not know is truly the scholar. He is the one who knows his own capacity and his status, and that he is ignorant, so he says regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best. Then, if a person says regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best, and does not issue a ruling on it, people will trust him and know that what he rules on is based on knowledge, and what he does not know, he refrains from.
Also, if a person says regarding what he does not know: Allah knows best, he accustoms himself to submit to the truth and not to put himself forward for issuing rulings. This is contrary to some people today, whom you find considering that issuing rulings is a profitable trade, so they rule with knowledge and without knowledge, and with half-knowledge. For this reason, Shaykh al-Islam (may Allah have mercy on him) said in his book *Al-Fatawa al-Hamawiyyah*: "They used to say: What has corrupted the world and religion except four things: a half-mutakallim, a half-faqih, a half-grammarian, and a half-doctor." As for the mutakallim, he has corrupted religions and creeds, because the people of Kalam who have gained some knowledge of it but have not reached its ultimate goal have been deluded by it. And as for the people of Kalam who have reached its ultimate goal, they have recognized its reality and returned to the truth.
And a half-faqih. The half-faqih, it is said, corrupts the lands because he judges without justice, thereby corrupting the lands, and he gives the right of this person to that one, and the right of that one to this one.
And a half-grammarian, because he corrupts the tongue. He thinks that he has grasped the rules of the Arabic language, so he speaks while he does not know, and he makes errors, thereby corrupting the tongue.
And a half-doctor, because he corrupts bodies. He does not know, so perhaps he prescribes a medicine that is a disease, or perhaps he does not prescribe the medicine and the patient dies.
So the conclusion is that it is not permissible for a person to issue rulings except where it is permissible for him to do so, and he should not be hasty. If Allah the Exalted has willed for him to be an imam for the people, ruling for them and guiding them to a straight path, then he will be so. And if Allah has not willed that, then his putting himself forward for issuing rulings will not benefit him.
Then Ibn Mas'ud cited as evidence the saying of Allah the Exalted: