Saying “I Don’t Know” Is a Hallmark of Honesty and Humility

1. Al-Shaʿbī (d. 104 AH) was asked about a matter and he responded: “I don’t know”.It was said to him: Are you not ashamed of saying “I don’t know”, while you are the Faqīh (Jurist) of the people of ʿIrāq?!He (رحمه الله) said: The angels were not ashamed when they said:

   سُبْحَـٰنَكَ لَا عِلْمَ لَنَآ إِلَّا مَا عَلَّمْتَنَآ ۖ

   “We have no knowledge except what you taught us”
   (al-Baqarah, 2:32)

2. Imām Malik (d. 179 AH) was asked about a matter and he replied: “I don’t know”.So it was said to him: It is an easy and light matter.He became angry and said: There is nothing light about knowledge. Have you not heard the statement of Allāh:

   إِنَّا سَنُلْقِى عَلَيْكَ قَوْلًۭا ثَقِيلًا

   “Indeed, we will send down to you a weighty word”
   [i.e. the revelation, which when descending upon the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) bore down upon him with a great weight]”
   (al-Muzzamil: 73:5)

3. ʿUtbah b. Muslim (رحمه الله) said:I accompanied ʿAbdullāh b. ʿUmar b. al-Khaṭṭāb (رضي الله عنهما) for 34 months, most of what he was asked about he would respond: “I don’t know”.¹
4. Ibn ʿUmar was asked about an affair and he said: “I don’t know”. So then the questioner asked another (question) and he replied: “Do you want to turn our backs into bridges over the hellfire for you? So you can say Ibn ʿUmar gave us this verdict!”.²

Endnotes:

[1] Iʿlām al-Muwaqiʿīn, 4/167-168
[2] al-Zuhd li-Ibn Mubārak, 52

Translated by: Munīb al-Ṣumālī