سورة المائدة

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)- In the narration of Abu al-Jarud it is reported that Imam Baqir (peace be upon him) said: "The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family) forbade idle talk, wasting wealth, and excessive requests and questioning. He was asked: 'O grandson of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Where in the Quran does what you say come from?' He said: 'Allah the Mighty and Majestic says: لاخَیْرَ فِی کَثِیرٍ مِنْ نَجْواهُمْ إِلَّا مَنْ أَمَرَ بِصَدَقَةٍ أَوْ مَعْرُوفٍ أَوْ إِصْلاحٍ بَیْنَ النَّاسِ [There is no good in most of their secret talks [and private gatherings], except one who [by this means] enjoins helping others, or a good deed, or reconciliation among people]. (Nisa/114). And He said: وَلاتُؤْتُوا السُّفَهاءَ أَمْوالَکُمُ الَّتِی جَعَلَ اللهُ لَکُمْ قِیاماً [Do not entrust your wealth, which Allah has made a means of support for your life, to the foolish]. (Nisa/5). And He said: لاَتَسْأَلُواْ عنْ أَشْیَاء إِن تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ [Do not ask about things which, if made known to you, would trouble you].'"

The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)- And he forbade idle talk, excessive questioning, and wasting wealth. That the Prophet forbade asking people for their wealth — and perhaps what is also meant is questioning about matters and excessive investigation into them, as Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: لاتَسْئَلُوا عَنْ أَشْیاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ [Do not ask about things which, if made known to you, would trouble you].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): Allah has placed obligations upon you, so do not neglect them; and He has set limits for you, so do not transgress them; and He has forbidden you certain things, so do not violate their sanctity; and He has been silent about certain matters, and did not leave them out of forgetfulness, so do not trouble yourselves regarding them.

Imam al-Rida (peace be upon him): Allah has said: "فَسْئَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّکْرِ إِنْ کُنْتُمْ لا تَعْلَمُونَ [If you do not know, ask those who are aware]" (Anbiya/7). And He also said: "فَلَوْ لا نَفَرَ مِنْ کُلِّ فِرْقَةٍ مِنْهُمْ طائِفَةٌ لِیَتَفَقَّهُوا فِی الدِّینِ وَ لِیُنْذِرُوا قَوْمَهُمْ [Why should not a party from every group among them go forth to gain understanding in religion, and to warn their people when they return]" (Tawba/122). It has been made obligatory upon you to ask us, but it is not obligatory upon us to answer. Have you not been forbidden from asking too many questions, yet you refused to stop your questions? I warn you against this. Those before you were destroyed only because of the abundance of their questioning of their prophets (peace be upon them); Allah, Blessed and Exalted, says: يَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْ أَشْیَاء إِن تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ [O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you].

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): Do not ask about things [which have not been made clear to you]! For if they are made clear to you, they will displease you.

Imam al-Baqir (peace be upon him): Anas said: The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) said: "Whatever you ask me, I will explain it to you." A man from the tribe of Banu Sahm named Abdullah ibn Hudhafa, whose lineage was disparaged and who was taunted about it, stood up and said: "O Messenger of Allah, who is my father?" He said: "Your father is Hudhafa ibn Qays." Then this verse was revealed: يَا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُواْ لاَ تَسْأَلُواْ عَنْ أَشْیَاء إِن تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ [O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you].

Imam Ali (peace be upon him): When the verse: "وَ لِلهِ عَلَی النَّاسِ حِجُّ الْبَیْتِ [And it is for Allah upon the people to make pilgrimage to the House]" (Al Imran/97) was revealed, the believers said: "O Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his family)! Is it [obligatory] every year?" The Prophet (peace be upon him and his family) was silent, and they repeated the question, so he said: "No." And had he said "Yes," it would have become obligatory; then Allah revealed: يا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تَسْئَلُوا عَنْ أَشْیاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ [O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you].

Imam Mahdi (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance): It is narrated from Ishaq ibn Ya'qub that this message arrived from the sacred quarter of Imam Zaman (may Allah hasten his noble reappearance) through Muhammad ibn Uthman: "As for the cause of the occultation that has occurred, Allah says: يا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تَسْئَلُوا عَنْ أَشْیاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ [O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you]. Each one of my fathers was compelled to carry on his neck the pledge of allegiance to the tyrant of his time, but I will rise at a time when I have not carried on my neck the pledge of allegiance to any of the oppressors. As for the manner in which people benefit from my existence during my occultation, it is like benefiting from the sun when clouds have concealed it from view. My existence is a safety for the people of the earth just as the stars are a safety for the people of the heavens. So close the doors of questioning about that which is of no benefit to you, and do not burden yourselves to understand what you are not obligated to understand."

Imam Sadiq (peace be upon him): O people! Be conscious of Allah and do not ask many questions. Those who came before you were destroyed because they asked their prophets too many questions. And Allah the Mighty and Majestic said: یا أَیُّهَا الَّذِینَ آمَنُوا لا تَسْئَلُوا عَنْ أَشْیاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ تَسُؤْکُمْ [O you who believe! do not put questions about things which if declared to you may trouble you]. And ask about what Allah has made obligatory upon you. By Allah, a man comes to me and asks me, and I inform him, and then he disbelieves; and if he had not asked me, it would not have harmed him. And Allah said: وَ إِنْ تَسْئَلُوا عَنْها حِینَ یُنَزَّلُ الْقُرْآنُ تُبْدَ لَکُمْ [and if you question about them when the Quran is being revealed, they shall be declared to you]... قَدْ سَأَلَها قَوْمٌ مِنْ قَبْلِکُمْ ثُمَّ أَصْبَحُوا بِها کافِرِینَ [A people before you indeed asked such questions, and then became disbelievers on account of them].