Download PDF: [S] Learn by Questioning

Once, the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – stated that, “I have hope that the people of Badr and Hudaibiya will never enter Hell.”

 

When Hadrat Sayyidah Hafsah – may Allah be pleased with her – heard these words, she questioned, “Allah Almighty declares that there is none among you who will not pass (over Hell).”

 

This fact is stated in Surah Maryam (19), verse 71:

 

وَ اِنۡ مِّنۡکُمْ اِلَّا وَارِدُہَا ۚ کَانَ عَلٰی رَبِّکَ حَتْمًا مَّقْضِیًّا ﴿ۚ۷۱﴾

 

“And there is none among you who shall not pass over hell; this is an obligatory affair, binding upon your Lord.”

 

He replied, “Yes, however He also stated:

 

ثُمَّ نُنَجِّی الَّذِیۡنَ اتَّقَوۡا وَّنَذَرُ الظّٰلِمِیۡنَ فِیۡہَا جِثِیًّا ﴿۷۲﴾

“We shall then rescue the pious – and leave the unjust in it, fallen on their knees”.

(Surah Maryam. 72). (Musnad Imam Ahmed)

 

This also proves that to listen to someone learned carefully and then to question certain aspects of his words has also being the habit and Sunnah of the pious predecessors in Islam.

 

However, if this action is based on trying to insult the person, or trying to prove that you have more knowledge, or merely as a form of examination to the person opposite, then these types of questions would be considered as nothing but following one’s Nafs. It also does not achieve the target of increasing ones knowledge.

 

Pertaining to the importance of questioning further, the following has been stated by the pious.

 

The Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “A cure or remedy for ignorance (Jahaalat) is to question.” (Jamia Bayaanul Ilm wal Fadlihi, Imam ibn Abdul Barr Andalusi).

 

Sayyidah Ayesha – may Allah be pleased with her – once stated that, “Allah Almighty grace the females of the Ansaar with His Divine Mercy, no amount of shame restricted them from learning their religion. (In other words, they did not restrict themselves from questioning the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him –on any matter in religion.” (same treatise)

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Abdullah ibn Mas’ud – may Allah be pleased with him – states that, “Knowledge is increased by searching for it and attained through questioning.” (same treatise)

 

Ibn Shihaab – may Allah be pleased with him –has said that, “Knowledge is indeed wealth and questions are the key.”

 

Khalil bin Ahmed – may Allah be pleased with him – states that, “Do not tire of questioning because through it, different doors of knowledge are opened through it.” (same treatise)

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna Hasan Basri – may Allah be pleased with him – has stated that, “He who feels ashamed to acquire knowledge, his knowledge is always little or insignificant.”

 

Hadrat Sayyiduna ‘Umar bin Abdul Aziz – may Allah be pleased with him – states that, “I have knowledge of many things, however, those things which I was ashamed to question about, even in old age, I am ignorant of those aspects.”

When we look carefully, we will see that proper questions are created in the mind of a person when he is able to listen carefully to the person speaking. If someone does not pay attention to what is being said, besides questioning, for him to understand what is said also becomes impossible.

 

We should also make it a habit of listening carefully to any religious knowledge or speech and when there is anything which is confusing to us, we should immediately seek the guidance of someone who is learned in Islam.

 

One of the advantages of this is that when you do this, if someone does question you in future, you yourself will know the answer to this question. In most cases when someone questions you, you either look right or left in confusion or you yourself become embarrassed.

 

Bear in mind also the words of the following Hadith Shareef wherein the Holy Prophet – may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him – has stated that, “To teach even a single aspect of religion is better than giving the entire world in charity.”

 

We make Du’a that Allah Almighty gives all Muslims the strength to do this. Ameen,