“knowledge is having the right answer. Intelligence is asking the right question.” [Anonymous]
Teaching through questions
Questioning is a great teaching device. An educator often asks questions to engage his audience, it activates their mind and illicit a partial or a full response.
Allah Himself uses questions in the Qur’an to grab people’s attention before informing them.
“Has the story reached you of the overwhelming event.” [Al-Ghashiya: 88:1]
“What will convey unto you what the Illiyin is?” [Al-Mutaffifin: 83: 19]
“How can you deny Allah when you were dead and He gave you life?” [Al-Baqara: 2:28]
“O mankind, what has deceived you concerning your Lord – the Most Bountiful?” [Al-Infitar: 82:6]
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) also incorporated questions as part of his teaching. He would ask the companions questions like.
”Do you know who is the bankrupt person?’ They said: ‘A bankrupt person amongst us is one who has neither money or property.’ He said: ‘The bankrupt of my Ummah would be he who would come on the Day of Resurrection with prayers and fasts and charity but (he would find himself bankrupt on that day as he would have exhausted his funds of virtues).'” [Muslim].
The Arc Angel Jibreel used questions as a teaching device. In the very well-known Hadith of Jibreel, Jibreel came in the form of a man and sat besides the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), he then asked a series of questions to teach the people about the Deen. These are scenarios where the questions were teacher led.
Learning through questions
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) also encouraged his Companions to ask questions. He said (ﷺ):
“Knowledge is a sealed treasure whose keys are inquiry and the asking of questions. So ask, for therein lies reward for four kinds of people: The questioner, the learned who answers, the listener and the one who loves these kinds of people.” [Mishkhat]
It takes courage and humility to ask questions, as questions reveal to everyone what gaps someone has in his knowledge or it reveals the concerns of that individual. By asking question, not only does the questioner benefit from the response of the learned, but everyone else benefits who may have similar gaps or concerns.
“The questions a person ask a learned is like presenting symptoms and illness to a doctor, accordingly, the learned person will treat them with knowledge.”
There is no shyness when it pertains to gaining religious knowledge. Abdullah ibn Masud (may Allah be pleased with him) said:
“Knowledge will not be learnt by the one who is too shy nor the one who is proud.” [Bayhaqi]
A Bedouin man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: “I will ask you some strong questions so do not get angry with me.” He (ﷺ) said: “Ask whatever comes to you.” [Bukhari]
So if we have a need to know something that is beneficial and useful to our affairs, we cannot let shyness or even pride prevent us from seeking knowledge from the people of knowledge. We must ask! Allah has commanded us:
“If you don’t know, ask the people of reminder (knowledge).” [Al-Anbiyya: 21:7]
Asking the right questions
When we ask questions, it should be for the purpose of removing our ignorance, or improving our knowledge, or bettering our understanding or adopting best practices or how to go about removing a harm. We must have a genuine and sincere motive behind our question(s) i.e. it shouldn’t be asking questions for the sake of asking.
Let us look at the questions that the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them) used to ask the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).
“’O Messenger of Allah! What is the best deed?’ He replied: ‘To offer the prayers at the early portion of their stated times.’ I asked: ‘What is next in goodness?’ He replied: ‘To be good and dutiful to your parents.’” [Bukhari]
“A man came and said: ‘O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), direct me to a deed which will make Allah love me and cause the people to love me.’ He replied: ‘Renounce the world and Allah will love you, and renounce what people possess and they will love you.’” [Tirmidhi]
A desert Arab came and asked: “’O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! Who is the best amongst men?’ To which he replied: ‘Happy is he whose life is long and whose deeds are good.’ He asked: ‘’O Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)! What deed is most excellent?’ He replied: ‘That you should leave the world with the mention of Allah fresh on your tongue’”. [Tirmidhi]
“I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), what if a man loves a people but cannot join them?’ He replied, ‘Abu Dharr, you are with the one you love.’ I said, ‘I love Allah and His Messenger.’ He said, ‘Abu Dharr, you are with the one you love.'” [Al-Adab Al-Mufrad]
The Companions were specific in their questions, they asked simple questions of a practical nature which would make them better people. Their questions reveals to us what their greatest concerns were. It revolved around what actions they should perform that would draw them closer to Allah, result in Allah loving them and being pleased with them. Allah said about the Companions:
“Allah is well pleased with them and they are pleased with Him.” [At-Tawba: 9: 100]
Asking too many questions
So we are encouraged to ask questions, however, asking too many questions shows a lack of patience and maturity. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sometimes prevented his companions asking questions excessively about things out of mercy – as excessive questioning narrows general matters to become unnecessarily specific resulting in hardships in its implementation. Allah addressed the Companions:
“O you who believe! Do not ask questions about things that if revealed to you, may cause you hardship. But if you ask a question about something when the Qur’an is being revealed, it will be made known to you” [Al-Maida: 5:101].
The previous nation went into difficulty through excessive questioning. Allah commanded the people of Prophet Musa (ﷺ) to sacrifice a cow, any cow would have sufficed, but they excessively questioned their Prophet until they made what was easy into what became almost impossible to fulfil.
In conclusion, our questions should be regarding useful and beneficial knowledge that leads to one adopting a mindset or action that draws us closer to Allah. It should not be about 101 hypothetical scenarios that has no bearing on our reality. The bottom line is to ask questions, but in moderation. We need to ensure our questions are the type that moves the heart towards knowing Allah or leads to practical application that draws us closer to Allah.
May Allah grant us the ability to learn from one another, place before us people whom we can ask and alleviate our concerns. Access to people of knowledge is a manifestation of Allah’s care for our well-being in Deen, Dunya and Akhirah – so take advantage of the learned!
