40 statements which illustrate the humility of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, using similar phrases to “I don’t know”
Translated by
Abbas Abu Yahya
40 statements which illustrate the humility of Imam Ahmad ibn Hanbal, using similar phrases to “I don’t know”
Categorised:
1 – Expressing Lack of Knowledge
(ﻻ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ/ ﻣﺎ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ / ﻟﺴﺖ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ)
I do not know.
(ﻻ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ ﻣﺎ ﻫﻮ)
I do not know what it is.
(ﻻ ﺃﻋﻠﻢ / ﻣﺎ ﺃﻋﻠﻢ / ﻟﺴﺖ ﺃﻋﻠﻢ)
I have no knowledge [of this].
(ﻟﻴﺲ ﻋﻨﺪﻱ ﺟﻮﺍﺏ)
I have no answer.
2 – Regarding Lack of Precedent or Evidence
(ﻣﺎ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ)
I haven’t heard [anything regarding this].
(ﻟﻢ ﺃﺳﻤﻊ ﻓﻴﻪ شيئًا / ﻟﻢ ﺃﺳﻤﻊ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺑﺸﻲﺀ)
I haven’t heard anything about this matter.
(ﻣﺎ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﺑﻪ)
I have never heard of it.
3 – Deflecting or Referring to Others
(ﺩﻋﻚ ﺃﻭ ﺩﻋﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺎﺋﻞ)
Leave these matters / Let us leave these matters aside.
(ﺳﻞ ﻏﻴﺮﻱ)
Ask someone else.
(ﺳﻞ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎﺀ)
Ask the scholars.
(ﺍﻋﻔﻨﻲ / ﺍﻋﻔﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﺏ)
Pardon me / Excuse me from answering.
4 – Caution in Issuing Rulings (Fatwa)
(ﻻ أﺟﺘﺮﻱﺀ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻔﺘﻮﻯ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ)
I do not dare to give a formal legal opinion (fatwa) on it.
(ﻟﺴﺖ ﺃﻓﺘﻲ ﺑﻪ / ﻻ ﺃﻓﺘﻲ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ)
I do not give a fatwa regarding this.
(ﻻ ﺃﺟﻴﺐ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ)
I will not provide an answer on this.
5 – Expressing Hesitation or Fear of Error
ﺃﺗﻬﻴﺐ ﺍﻟﻘﻮﻝ ﻓﻴﻪ
I am hesitant (or fearful) to speak on it.
(ﺃﻓﺰﻉ ﻣﻨﻪ / ﺃﺳﺘﻮﺣﺶ ﻣﻨﻪ)
I am wary of it / I am uneasy
about it.
(ﺃﺟﺒﻦ ﻋﻨﻪ)
I am too cautious (literally: “too cowardly”) to approach it.
(ﺃﺣﺐ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻓﻴﺔ)
I prefer safety (i.e., staying safe from the sin of misspeaking).
6 – Describing the Complexity of the Issue
(ﻣﺴﺄﻟﺔ ﻣﺸﺘﺒﻬﺔ)
An obscure or ambiguous matter.
(ﻣﺴﺄﻟﺔ ﺩﻗﻴﻘﺔ)
A subtle or intricate matter.
(ﻣﺴﺄﻟﺔ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻧﻈﺮ)
A matter that requires [further]
investigation.
(ﻣﺸﻜﻠﺔ)
A problematic or difficult issue.
7 – Noting Scholarly Disagreement
(ﻓﻴﻪ ﺍﺧﺘﻼﻑ / ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﺧﺘﻼف)
There is disagreement regarding it.
(ﺍﺧﺘﻠﻔﻮﺍ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ / ﺍﺧﺘﻠﻒ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻓﻲ ﺫﻟﻚ)
The Scholars have differed on it / People have differed on that.
(ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﺎن)
There are two conflicting Hadeeth regarding it.
These are replies from Imam Ahmad bin Hanbal to people’s questions in the book:
“المسائل التي توقف فيها الإمام أحمد” ؛
‘Al-Masail alati Tawaqaf feeha al-Imam Ahmad’
The author commented: ‘
These statements are actually a lesson in having the fear and awe of Allaah, and limiting and staying in the boundaries of knowledge. This is evidence against those who boldly speak without knowledge.’
[‘Al-Masail alati Tawaqaf feeha al-Imam Ahmad’]
Arabic Reference
(ﻻ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ)
(ﻣﺎ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ)
(ﻟﺴﺖ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ)
(ﻻ ﺃﺩﺭﻱ ﻣﺎ ﻫﻮ)
(ﻻ ﺃﻋﻠﻢ)
(ﻣﺎ ﺃﻋﻠﻢ)
(ﻟﺴﺖ ﺃﻋﻠﻢ)
(ﻣﺎ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ)
(ﻟﻢ ﺃﺳﻤﻊ ﻓﻴﻪ شيئًا)
(ﻟﻢ ﺃﺳﻤﻊ ﻓﻴﻪ ﺑﺸﻲﺀ)
(ﻣﺎ ﺳﻤﻌﺖ ﺑﻪ)
(ﺩﻋﻚ ﺃﻭ ﺩﻋﻨﺎ ﻣﻦ ﻫﺬﻩ ﺍﻟﻤﺴﺎﺋﻞ)
(ﻻ أﺟﺘﺮﻱﺀ ﻋﻠﻰ ﺍﻟﻔﺘﻮﻯ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ)
(ﻟﺴﺖ ﺃﻓﺘﻲ ﺑﻪ)
(ﻻ ﺃﻓﺘﻲ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ)
(ﻻ ﺃﺟﻴﺐ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ)
(ﻟﻴﺲ ﻋﻨﺪﻱ ﺟﻮﺍﺏ)
(ﺳﻞ ﻏﻴﺮﻱ)
(ﺳﻞ ﺍﻟﻌﻠﻤﺎﺀ)
( ﺃﺗﻬﻴﺐ ﺍﻟﻘﻮﻝ ﻓﻴﻪ
(ﺃﻓﺰﻉ ﻣﻨﻪ)
(ﺃﺳﺘﻮﺣﺶ ﻣﻨﻪ)
(ﺃﺟﺒﻦ ﻋﻨﻪ)
(ﻣﺴﺄﻟﺔ ﻣﺸﺘﺒﻬﺔ)
(ﻣﺴﺄﻟﺔ ﺩﻗﻴﻘﺔ)
(ﻣﺴﺄﻟﺔ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﻧﻈﺮ)
(ﻣﺸﻜﻠﺔ)
(ﻓﻴﻪ ﺍﺧﺘﻼﻑ)
(ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺍﺧﺘﻼف)
(ﺍﺧﺘﻠﻔﻮﺍ ﻓﻴﻬﺎ)
(ﺍﺧﺘﻠﻒ ﺍﻟﻨﺎﺱ ﻓﻲ ﺫﻟﻚ)
(ﻓﻴﻬﺎ ﺣﺪﻳﺜﺎن)
(ﺃﺣﺐ ﺍﻟﻌﺎﻓﻴﺔ)
(ﺍﻋﻔﻨﻲ)
(ﺍﻋﻔﻨﻲ ﻣﻦ ﺍﻟﺠﻮﺍﺏ)
هذه أجوبة الإمام أحمد بن حنبل على أسئلة الناس كما جمع ذلك الشيخ الضميري في رسالة الماجستير “المسائل التي توقف فيها الإمام أحمد” ؛ ثم قال الشيخ معلقًا: “هذه الألفاظ مدرسة في الخشية من الله، والوقوف عند حد العلم، وحجة على المتجرئين”.
