English Translation of Al-Quran
[34].Surah Saba [Sheba]
Ayat 14. Then when We decreed death for him [Suleiman (Solomon)], nothing informed them (jinns) of his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his stick, so when he fell down, the jinns saw clearly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment.
Tafseer of Surah Saba’ (Sheba) Ayat 14. Then, when We decreed (Solomon´s) death, nothing showed them his death except a little worm of the earth, which kept (slowly) gnawing away at his staff: so when he fell down, the Jinns saw plainly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have tarried in the humiliating Penalty (of their Task). This allegory illustrates three points: (1) however great and glorious human power and grandeur may be, it is only for a time, and it may fade away even before people know of its decline; (2) the most remarkable events may be brought to light, not by a flourish of trumpets, but by a humble individual, unknown and unseen, who works imperceptibly and undermines even so strong a thing as a staff, on which a great man may lean; (3) work done by men merely on the basis of brute strength or fear, as in the case of the Jinns, will not endure. This is brought up in strong contrast against the Power and Majesty of Allah, which will endure, which cannot be sapped, and which can only be fully appreciated by a training of the will and heart. In the same way, in David’s story above, his mighty strength as a warrior, (see 2:251), and his skill in making armor are only to be valued when used, as it was used, in the service of Allah, in righteous works (34:11). The Jinns looked upon their work as a Penalty, and so it came to them. The people who worked at the Temple of Solomon as the People of David worked and gloried in their work as a thanksgiving to Allah, and their work became sanctified. The Jinns knew nothing of hidden secrets; they only saw the obvious, and had not even the significance of the little worm that slowly gnawed away Solomon’s staff.
English Translation of Hadith
Hazrat Masruq (May Allah be pleased with him) said: We visited `Abdullah bin Masud (May Allah be pleased with him) and he said to us: O people! He who has the knowledge of any matter may convey it to the others. And he who has no knowledge, thereof, should say: “Allahu a’lam (Allah knows better).” It is a part and parcel of knowledge that a man who has no knowledge of a matter should say: “Allah knows better.” Allah said to His Prophet ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH): “Say (O Muhammad ﷺ [SAWW](PBUH)): `No wage do I ask of you for this (the Qur’an), nor am I one of the Mutakallifun (those who pretend and fabricate things which do not exist).”’ (38:86)
[Al-Bukhari Book 06, Chapter 60, Hadith # 333].
Lesson: as mentioned above in Surah Saba Ayat 14. “The jinns saw clearly that if they had known the unseen, they would not have stayed in the humiliating torment. If one does not know about something, he should not say anything about it by way of conjecture, speculation and guesswork because this is also pretension which is forbidden. When religious scholars are asked about anything which they do not know, they should confess their ignorance. Such a confession is also a mark of scholarship. In other words, they should abstain from giving a verdict about any matter without making a thorough study and research on it.
