If any of you people knows anything he shouldmake it known, but if anyone does not know he should say that Godknows best, for saying this when one does not know is a part of knowledge. God said to His prophet, “Say, I do not ask you for any rewardfor it, and I am not a pretender.”* (Bukhari and Muslim.)*Qur’an, xxxviii, 86.
Exposition of the Hadith on Knowledge
This noble tradition from Mishkat al-Masabih 272 establishes two fundamental principles for the seeker of knowledge: to speak with what one knows and to remain silent about what one does not know, declaring "Allahu a'lam" (God knows best).
The Virtue of Speaking Knowledge
The command "if any of you knows anything he should make it known" establishes the obligation to disseminate beneficial knowledge and not conceal it. This reflects the prophetic mission itself - to convey what has been revealed.
Scholars explain that this applies particularly to matters of religion where silence could lead to misguidance, and to beneficial worldly knowledge that serves the community's welfare.
The Greater Wisdom: Admitting Ignorance
The instruction "if anyone does not know he should say that God knows best" contains profound wisdom. The scholars note that admitting ignorance is superior to speaking without knowledge, as the latter leads to error in religion and misguidance of others.
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani comments that this admission protects the religion from innovation and preserves the integrity of Islamic scholarship.
"Allahu A'lam" as Part of Knowledge
The statement that saying "God knows best" when one does not know "is a part of knowledge" indicates that recognizing the limits of one's understanding is itself an essential component of true knowledge.
Al-Nawawi explains that this teaches humility before divine knowledge and prevents the scholar from exceeding his proper station. The complete scholar knows both what he knows and what he does not know.
Connection to the Qur'anic Verse
The citation of Qur'an 38:86 "Say, I do not ask you for any reward for it, and I am not a pretender" reinforces the theme of sincerity in knowledge transmission.
Scholars connect this to the hadith by noting that just as the Prophet sought no worldly compensation for conveying revelation, the true scholar seeks only God's pleasure, not status or recognition, when sharing knowledge or admitting its limits.