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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

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 ruling of Islamic Law on performing ṭawāf on the upper floors of al-Masjid al-Ḥarām, given that these floors are situated above the level of the Ka‘bah, and that the one performing ṭawāf passes by certain barriers, such as pillars and walls, during the ṭawāf?

All praise is due to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our master, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.
There are numerous conditions for the validity of ṭawāf (circumambulation around the Ka‘bah), among them: that the one performing ṭawāf be inside the Masjid (al-Masjid al-Ḥarām) — even if the Masjid has been expanded, so long as the expansion does not extend out into al-ḥill (land outside the sanctuary boundaries). It suffices for the ṭawāf to be performed in the airspace of the Masjid or upon its roof, even if that roof is higher than the Ka‘bah (the House) itself.
Al-Khaṭīb ash-Shirbīnī (raḥimahullāh) said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid upon the roof of the Masjid, even if the roof of the Masjid is higher than the House — just as prayer [is valid] upon Mount Abū Qubays despite its elevation above the House. This is the relied-upon (mu‘tamad) position." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol.2/P.246]
The validity of the tawaf isn`t affected by the pillars and walls standing between the one performing ṭawāf and the House, since the condition is only that the person performing ṭawāf be within the boundaries of the Masjid and outside the boundaries of the Ka‘bah itself.
Ash-Shirbīnī said: "It [ṭawāf] is valid inside the Masjid, even if it is expanded, and even if a barrier stands between the one circumambulating and the House — such as a water-supply structure (saqāyah) or pillars (sawārī)." [Mughnī al-Muḥtāj, Vol. 2/P.246]
Accordingly, ṭawāf performed on the upper floors is valid, and the presence of barriers such as pillars and walls during the ṭawāf does not affect its validity. And Allah, the Exalted, knows best.

What is the ruling on a mother giving the Zakat of her wealth to her children?

Praise be to Allah, and peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
It is permissible for a mother to give her children from the Zakat if they are among those who are eligible for it—such as being poor (Fuqara), possessing no wealth, and not being sufficiently provided for by the maintenance (Nafaqah) of others. This is based on the statement of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ regarding Zaynab, the wife of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with them both): (Your husband and your children are the most deserving of those upon whom you spend in charity) [Narrated by Al-Bukhari].
 
It is stated in [Al-Hawi al-Kabir, Vol. 8/P.537]: 'As for the wife, it is permissible for her to pay her Zakat to her husband from all the designated shares... Our evidence is the generality of the saying of Allah the Almighty: "Zakat expenditures are only for the poor and for the needy", and the Hadith of Abu Hurairah that the Prophet ﷺ said to Zaynab, the wife of 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud: (Your husband and your children are the most deserving of those upon whom you spend), and this is taken in its general sense.' And Allah the Exalted knows best.

What is the ruling on eating from one`s Udhiyah?

In the Name of Allah, and may peace and blessings be upon our Master, the Messenger of Allah.
 
The Udhiyah (sacrificial offering) is divided into two categories: the vowed sacrifice (Al-Mandhurah) and the voluntary sacrifice (Al-Tatawwu').
 
First: The Vowed Sacrifice (Al-Mandhurah)
This refers to a sacrifice that has become strictly obligatory due to a formal vow (Nadr). It is completely impermissible for the person offering it, or any members of their family whom they are financially obligated to maintain, to eat any of its meat or fat. Furthermore, it is unlawful for them to personally benefit from its hide, wool, or any other part of it. If they happen to eat any portion of it, the offerer is legally obligated to give an equivalent amount of meat or its monetary value to charity. (As noted in Tuhfat al-Muhtaj by Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haytami,Vol. 9/P.364).
 
Second: The Voluntary Sacrifice (Al-Tatawwu’)
This is a recommended, non-obligatory sacrifice. The person offering it is fully permitted to eat from its meat, distribute portions as charity to the poor, and give pieces as gifts to those who are well-off. However, it remains a mandatory requirement to donate at least a minor portion of it to charity; this should not be less than approximately half a kilogram of raw, uncooked meat. And Allah the Almighty Knows Best.

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