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"I Don't Know" Is Half of Knowledge
Author : Dr. Fadi Rabab`ah
Date Added : 17-09-2026

"I Don't Know" Is Half of Knowledge

At a time when some people feel embarrassed to say "I don't know" when asked about certain matters — regarding this as a sign of ignorance or a blow to their standing — Islamic Sharī‘ah actually requires the Muslim to speak only about what he genuinely knows. Allah, the Exalted, says {what means}: "And do not pursue that of which you have no knowledge. Indeed, the hearing, the sight, and the heart — about all those [one] will be questioned" [al-Isrā'/36]. Ibn ‘Abbās (raḍiyallāhu ‘anhumā) said, explaining this verse: "Do not say 'I saw' when you did not see, 'I heard' when you did not hear, or 'I knew' when you did not know." [Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, Vol.5/P.123]

Saying "I don't know" about matters one genuinely has no knowledge of is, in fact, a sign of self-respect and integrity. It reflects an avoidance of deceiving or misleading others, who might otherwise suffer harm or embarrassment as a result. It also guards against invalid conclusions across the full range of issues connected to matters of creed ('aqīdah), sharī‘ah rulings, and the social, educational, psychological, medical, and professional sciences — all fields in which verification, accuracy, and the avoidance of error are essential.

To establish the soundness and positive nature of saying "I don't know," the Noble Qur'an points out that the prophets, peace be upon them, themselves used to say this very phrase regarding matters on which Allah, the Exalted, had not revealed knowledge to them. This is reflected in Allah's words {which mean}: "But if they turn away, then say, 'I have announced to [all of] you equally. And I know not whether near or far is that which you are promised'" [al-Anbiyā'/109]. As explained in Tafsīr al-Baghawī: "'And I know not' — meaning, I do not know — 'whether near or far is that which you are promised' — referring to the Day of Resurrection." Similarly, Allah says {what means}: "And I know not; perhaps it is a trial for you and enjoyment for a time" [al-Anbiyā'/111] — meaning, "I do not know." And Allah says {what means}: "Say, [O Muḥammad], 'I am not something original among the messengers, nor do I know what will be done with me or with you. I only follow that which is revealed to me, and I am not but a clear warner'" [al-Aḥqāf/9] — meaning, "I do not know."

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ, when asked about certain matters, would himself say: "I do not know, until I ask Jibrīl [Gabriel]." Among such instances: a man once asked the Prophet ﷺ which places on earth are best, and which are worst. He ﷺ said: "I do not know, until I ask Jibrīl, peace be upon him." So he asked Jibrīl, who said: "I do not know, until I ask Mīkā'īl [Michael]." Mīkā'īl then came and said: "The best of places are the mosques, and the worst of places are the marketplaces." [Related by Ibn Ḥibbān, 1599]

Among such instances as well is what he ﷺ said to Umm al-‘Alā' (raḍiyallāhu ‘anhā), when she said: "‘Uthmān ibn Maẓ‘ūn came to us by lot for lodging, when the Anṣār drew lots for the lodging of the Muhājirūn (Emigrants). He then fell ill, and we nursed him until he passed away. We then wrapped him in his garments, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to visit us. I said: 'May Allah's mercy be upon you, Abū as-Sā'ib — I bear witness that Allah has surely honored you.' The Prophet ﷺ said: 'And how do you know that?' I said: 'I do not know, by Allah.' He ﷺ said: 'As for him, certainty [i.e., death] has come to him. I do indeed hope good for him from Allah — yet by Allah, even though I am the Messenger of Allah, I do not know what will be done with me, nor with you.'" Umm al-‘Alā' said: "By Allah, after that, I never again declared anyone [definitively] pure [of sin]." [Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī, 7018]

 ‘Alī ibn Abī Ṭālib (raḍiyallāhu ‘anh) said: "Part of a man's knowledge is that he says, regarding what he does not know, 'Allah knows best' — for Allah, the Mighty and Majestic, said to His Messenger ﷺ: 'Say, I do not ask you for it any payment, and I am not of the pretentious'" [referring to Sūrat Ṣād/86]. He also said: "Among the most soothing things for the heart is that a man, when asked about something he does not know, says: 'Allah knows best.'"

Ibn ‘Abbās (raḍiyallāhu ‘anhumā) said: "When the scholar abandons saying 'I don't know,' his most vital point [i.e., his intellectual integrity] has been struck." On the authority of Ibn ‘Umar (raḍiyallāhu ‘anhumā), he said: "Knowledge is of three kinds: a speaking Book [the Qur'an], an established Sunnah, and 'I don't know.'" Mālik [ibn Anas] said: "It used to be said: when the scholar neglects to say 'I don't know,' his most vital point has been struck."

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ — the leader of the Muslims and master of all the worlds — would sometimes be asked about a matter and would not answer until revelation came to him from the heavens. Ash-Sha‘bī said: "'I don't know' is half of knowledge." [al-Ādāb ash-Shar‘iyyah wal-Minaḥ al-Mar‘iyyah, by Ibn Muflih, Vol.2/P.58]

Neglecting to say "I don't know" when one genuinely lacks knowledge negatively affects a person's life and conduct across various domains — whether religious, humanitarian, medical, or professional — leading people into sin, embarrassment, and harm. It also exposes anyone who speaks on such matters [without knowledge] to sharī‘ah accountability, legal liability, and financial responsibility for any damage resulting from their hesitant, unfounded speech. This is based on the words of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ: "Whoever issues a fatwā without sound basis, its sin falls upon the one who issued it." [Related by Abū Dāwūd (3657), Aḥmad (8266), and Ibn Mājah (53)]

Likewise, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "Whoever practices medicine without being known to possess medical knowledge is liable [for any resulting harm]." [Related by Abū Dāwūd (4586), an-Nasā'ī (4830), and Ibn Mājah (3466)]

The scholar Ibn Farḥūn al-Mālikī (raḥimahullāh) said: "As for when the physician is ignorant, or acts beyond what he was authorized to do due to error, or exceeds the permitted limits of his authorization, or falls short of the required standard — he is liable for whatever damage results from that." [Tabṣirat al-Ḥukkām, Vol.2/P.340]

Imam al-Khaṭṭābī (raḥimahullāh) said: "I know of no disagreement [among scholars] that if a treating physician oversteps [his bounds] and the patient is harmed as a result, he is held liable." [Ma‘ālim as-Sunan, Vol.4/P.39]

From all of the above, it becomes clear that a person's saying "I don't know," regarding matters he genuinely has no knowledge of, does not diminish his scholarly standing — rather, it strengthens his credibility and drives him to seek further knowledge, in keeping with what Allah, the Exalted, instructed His noble Messenger ﷺ to say: "And say, 'My Lord, increase me in knowledge'" [Ṭāhā/114]. This is because knowledge varies from one person to another, as Allah, the Exalted, says {what means}: "And above every possessor of knowledge is one [more] knowing" [Yūsuf, /76]. Qatādah said, in explaining this verse: "[This continues] until knowledge ultimately reaches Allah — from Him it began, and from Him the scholars learned, and to Him it shall return." [Tafsīr al-Qurṭubī, Vol.4/P.213]

A Muslim, then, should never hesitate to say "I don't know" when he genuinely lacks knowledge, understanding, or familiarity with a matter he is asked about.

The published article reflects the opinion of its author

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Summarized Fatawaa

Is it obligatory for someone traveling by plane in the afternoon during Ramadan to fast?

Anyone who intends to travel after dawn must begin the day fasting and continue with the intention of completing their fast, as fasting was obligatory upon them before traveling.
However, if they experience unbearable hardship after starting their journey, they are permitted to break their fast due to that hardship, not merely because of travel. In such a case, they must make up for the missed fast later.

What is the ruling on Tarawih prayer?

Tarawih prayer is a confirmed Sunnah (Sunnah Mu’akkadah).

The Jurisprudential Significance of the Ḥadīth: "Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr Prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking..."
"Whoever says, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer, while crossing his legs, before speaking: 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah, lahu al-mulku wa lahu al-ḥamdu yuḥyī wa yumītu wa huwa ʿalā kulli shayʾin qadīr' ten times — ten good deeds will be recorded for him, ten bad deeds will be erased from him, he will be raised ten levels, he will spend that day in protection from everything disliked and guarded from the devil, and no sin will be able to befall him on that day except associating partners with Allah" — does this noble ḥadīth apply to the imam, and what is meant by "extraneous speech"?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
It is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite, immediately after the final salām, the specific remembrance reported in the sunnah to be said before turning away from one's place of prayer. The imam then leaves his praying spot, and the act of "turning" is fulfilled when the imam faces the congregation — even without physically leaving his spot — by positioning his right side toward them and his left side toward the qiblah, and this applies even while he is engaged in supplication.
Al-ʿAllāmah Ibn Qāsim al-ʿAbbādī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Tuḥfah (Vol.2/P.105): "It is most virtuous for the imam, once he has given the salām, to rise from his place of prayer immediately afterward." He adds that an exception must be made for the remembrances that are specifically required to be recited before he turns away. He then notes, citing Sharḥ al-ʿUbāb: "Yes, an exception to this rising immediately after the salām applies to the Fajr prayer, due to the authentic report that the Prophet ﷺ, when he prayed Fajr, would remain seated until the sun rose." He further cites, from al-Khādim, the ḥadīth concerning one who recites, at the conclusion of the Fajr prayer while still in the position of crossing his leg to rise: "Lā ilāha illā Allāh, waḥdahu lā sharīka lah..." and the rest of the well-known ḥadīth. He comments that this makes explicit that this particular remembrance is to be recited before the worshipper turns his legs to leave, and the same applies to Maghrib and ʿAṣr, as reported in those contexts as well.
What is meant by "speech" in the relevant ḥadīth is extraneous worldly speech that is not called for after the prayer and for which there is no legitimate excuse. The remembrances reported to be recited upon concluding the prayer, however, do not fall under this category of extraneous speech, since they are themselves required by the sharīʿah.
Al-ʿAllāmah ʿAlī al-Shabrāmalsī states in his Ḥāshiyah ʿalā al-Nihāyah (Vol.1/P.551): "If someone greets a person with salām while he is occupied with reciting this remembrance [i.e., 'Lā ilāha illā Allāh...'], should he return the greeting — without this causing him to forfeit the promised reward, since he is engaged in an obligatory matter — or should he delay returning the greeting until he finishes, this being a legitimate excuse for the delay?" He continues: "I say: the more likely view is the former, and the prohibition on speech is to be understood as applying to extraneous speech for which there is no legitimate excuse. Based on this, should the worshipper give precedence to this remembrance ('Lā ilāha illā Allāh...') or to reciting Sūrat al-Ikhlāṣ ('Qul huwa Allāhu aḥad')? This requires consideration, though it is not unlikely that the remembrance takes precedence, given that the Lawgiver urged hastening to it through his words 'while crossing his leg.' This is not considered ordinary speech, since it is not extraneous to what is required after the prayer."
Accordingly, it is recommended for both the imam and those praying behind him to recite this remembrance and to give it precedence over the other remembrances of the prayer, ensuring it is said before they move from their place. And Allah the Almighty knows best.

What is the wisdom behind the legislation of fasting?

Fasting is a divine school from which the believer learns much and trains in virtues that may be needed in life. Among these virtues is patience, as it is the month of patience. Fasting also teaches honesty and consciousness of Allah in both private and public, for there is no observer over the fasting person in abstaining from lawful pleasures except Allah alone.
Fasting strengthens willpower, sharpens determination, and nurtures mercy and compassion among the servants of Allah. It is a struggle against the self, a restraint of desires, a purification of the soul, and a cultivation of goodness.
The Prophetﷺ said: "Allah, the Almighty, said: ‘Every deed of the son of Adam is for him, except for fasting; it is for Me, and I shall reward for it. Fasting is a shield. So when one of you is fasting on a day, let him not engage in obscene speech or raise his voice in anger. If someone insults him or fights him, let him say: I am a fasting person. By Him in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, the breath of the fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the fragrance of musk.’" [Bukhari and Muslim]
 

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