Ibn Mas’ud on Caution: Not exposing confusing matters to common people

‘Ubaydullah reported: Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “You do not narrate to people what their minds cannot grasp but that it will be a trial for some of them.”

Source: Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim 9

Grade: Sahih (authentic) according to Muslim

Ibn Hajar said, “It is not appropriate to mention confusing matters to laypeople.”

Source: Fatḥ al-Bārī 1/272

عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ رضي الله عنه قَالَ مَا أَنْتَ بِمُحَدِّثٍ قَوْمًا حَدِيثًا لَا تَبْلُغُهُ عُقُولُهُمْ إِلَّا كَانَ لِبَعْضِهِمْ فِتْنَةً

9 صحيح مسلم مقدمة باب النهي عن الحديث بكل ما سمع

وقال ابن حجر أَنَّ الْمُتَشَابِهَ لَا يَنْبَغِي أَنْ يُذْكَرَ عِنْدَ الْعَامَّةِ

1/272 فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري

author avatar
Abu Amina Elias
Abu Amina Elias (Justin Parrott) is an academic librarian, researcher, and translator specializing in the Quran, Hadith, and their commentaries. He is a former instructor of Islamic Creed for Mishkah University.
Scroll to Top