Saying "I don’t know" is half of Islamic Knowledge

By Imam Amin Muhammad

I start with the name of Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. I ask Allah to send the countless blessings and salutations on our Prophet Muhammad, his family, his companions and all those that follow them in goodness until the Day of Judgement.
 
As a weekly reminder, I want to remind us of the importance of acquiring the sacred Islamic knowledge. It is our mission at Masjid Muhammad to be people who convey the religious knowledge with a continuous chain back to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, by the route of the trustworthy scholars.
 
It is our sincere effort to establish within this community a love for the knowledge and its people. These people of knowledge are the ones who truly fear Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala. 
 
As Allah, tabaraka wa ta’ala, has said in the Qur'an, which means, "Only those who have knowledge, from among his servants, truly fear Allah.” [35:28]
 
And Allah told us in another verse, which means, "So ask the people of the knowledge if you do not know." [16:43]
 
The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, told us in a Hadith the importance of sticking to these scholars while they are alive and in our presence. He said that Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala, does not snatch the knowledge from the people by taking it away from them. Rather, he takes it by the death of the scholars until all the scholars die and there are none left but unlearned people. And, those unlearned people will be asked questions and they would give answers without knowledge, leading themselves and others astray. 
 
Therefore, it is important for us to realize the superiority of the people of knowledge and to have an attachment to take our religious instruction from them. And, we should know how to say, “I don’t know” in its proper place. 
 
The one who is asked about an Islamic judgement that he has not learned from the route of a trustworthy scholar, it is his duty to say "I don't know." He should say he will search and ask the people of knowledge. 
 
This should be a habit at Masjid Muhammad, that we encourage each other to stick to the people of knowledge and to acquire our knowledge from trustworthy teachers and books that convey the proper conviction of Ahlus Sunnati wa Jama’ah.
 
May Allah, subhanahu wa ta’ala give us all tawfiq in this matter. May Allah give us the humbleness that will allow us to lower ourselves to realize our true rank in relation to Allah’s, subhanahu wa ta’ala, knowledge and the knowledge of the Messenger of Allah, may peace and blessings be upon him. And, may Allah allow us to implement the principle our teachers have told us that the words "I don't know are half of the Islamic Knowledge."
 
May Allah reward us, increase us and make us winners in this world and the hereafter. Ameen.