Ghurar Al-Hikam Wa Durar Al-Kalim, Exalted Aphorisms And Pearls Of Speech

Question And Answer

Question And Answer السؤال والجواب

  1. Make your address polite and you will hear a polite reply.

1ـ أجمِلُوا فِي الخِطابِ تَسْمَعُوا جَميلَ الجَوابِ.

  1. One who hastens to reply does not arrive at the right [answer].

2ـ مَنْ أسْرَعَ فِي الجَوابِ لَمْ يُدْرِكِ الصَّوابَ.

  1. Giving correct reply is an evidence of merit.

3ـ مِنْ بُرهانِ الفَضْلِ صائِبُ الجَوابِ.

  1. A discourteous reply stems from a discourteous address.

4ـ نَكيرُ الجَوابِ مِنْ نَكيرِ الخِطابِ.

  1. When one is asked about that which he knows not, he should never feel ashamed to say: I do not know.

5ـ لا يَسْتَحْيِيَنَّ أحَدٌ إذا سُئِلَ عَمّا لا يَعْلَمُ أنْ يَقُولَ:

لا أعْلَمُ.

  1. Do not use harsh words [or foul language] even if you are unable to reply.

6ـ لا تُسىِ اللَّفْظَ وإنْ ضاقَ عَلَيْكَ الجَوابُ.

  1. Never ask about that which has not [yet] happened, for in that which has already come about there is enough knowledge [that one can gain].

7ـ لا تَسْئَلُنَّ عَمّا لَمْ يَكُنْ فَفِي الَّذي قَدكانَ عِلْمٌ كاف.

  1. Do not be offensive in your address thereby being offended by the rudeness of the reply.

8ـ لا تُسِئِِ الخِطابَ فَيَسُوءَكَ نَكيرُ الجَوابِ.

  1. One who abandons the words “I don’t know” comes upon his [place of] destruction.

9ـ مَنْ تَرَكَ قَوْلَ «لا أدري» أُصيبَ مَقاتِلُهُ.

  1. The person most prepared to [give a] reply is one who does not get angry.

10ـ أحْضَرُ النّاسِ جَواباً مَنْ لَمْ يَغْضَبْ.

  1. Ask and you will learn.

11ـ اِسْألْ تَعْلَمْ.

  1. When you ask, ask in order to learn and do not ask in order to embarrass [the one whom you are asking]. Indeed the ignorant one who learns is similar to a learned person and verily the learned one who is oppressive is similar to an ignorant person.

12ـ إذا سَألْتَ فَاسألْ تَفَقُّهاً، ولا تَسْألْ تَعَنُّتاً، فَإنَّ

الجاهِلَ المُتَعَلِّمَ شَبيهٌ بِالعالِمِ، وإنَّ العالِمَ المُتَعَسِّفَ شَبيهٌ بِالجاهِلِ.

  1. If you are ignorant then learn, and when you are asked about that which you do not know then say: Allah and His Prophet know better.

13ـ إذا كُنْتَ جاهِلاً فَتَعَلَّمْ، وإذا سُئِلْتَ عَمّا لا تَعْلَمْ

فَقُلْ: اَللّهُ ورَسُولُهُ أعْلَمُ.

  1. Too much asking leads to restlessness.

14ـ كَثْرَةُ السُّؤالِ تُورِثُ المَلالَ.

  1. One who asks, learns.

15ـ مَنْ سَألَ عَلِمَ.

  1. One who asks, benefits.

16ـ مَنْ سَألَ اِسْتَفادَ.

  1. One who asks properly, learns.

17ـ مَنْ أحْسَنَ السُّؤالَ عَلِمَ.

  1. One who asks in his young age, answers in his old age.

18ـ مَنْ سَألَ في صِغَرِهِ أجابَ في كِبَرِهِ.