Assalamu’alaikum Warahmatullahi Wabarakatuh

Bismillahir-Rahmanir-Rahim

1. Introduction

In educational psychology, curiosity expressed through questions is the main driver of human cognitive development. A person who never asks will have a stagnant mind. In Islam, asking questions is not a sign of ignorance—it’s the cure for it. Knowledge is like a locked treasure, and good questions are the key.

Allah SWT explicitly commands us to ask the people of knowledge when we don’t know, as He says in the Qur’an:

فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

“So ask the people of remembrance if you do not know.” (QS. An-Naḥl: 43)

Our soul feels calm and at peace when the doubts in our hearts are answered with sound knowledge. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also once reprimanded some companions who gave legal rulings without knowledge and ended up harming others. He said:

أَلَا سَأَلُوا إِذْ لَمْ يَعْلَمُوا فَإِنَّمَا شِفَاءُ الْعِيِّ السُّؤَالُ

“Why did they not ask when they did not know? Indeed, the cure for ignorance is to ask.” (HR. Abū Dāwūd and Aḥmad)

2. Lessons and Message

A person who is too ashamed to ask for fear of looking foolish is like a traveler lost in a dark, dense forest. He holds a map but can’t read it. There are locals nearby, but because of pride and fear of being laughed at, he chooses to stay silent and keeps walking deeper into the woods. In the end? He doesn’t get saved—he gets more lost and perishes. Misplaced shame is a trap that locks us in the cycle of ignorance forever.Remember the story of Ibn ‘Abbās raḍiyallāhu ‘anhumā, the cousin of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who earned the title _Ḥabr al-Ummah_—the scholar of this Ummah—because of the depth of his knowledge. When the Prophet passed away, Ibn ‘Abbās was still young. He was not ashamed to go to the homes of the senior companions, sitting at their doorsteps until dust from the desert wind covered his face, just to wait for them to come out and ask about a single hadith. When asked, “How did you acquire so much knowledge?” Ibn ‘Abbās replied with words that stir the soul: “With a tongue that loves to ask and a heart that loves to reflect.” He lowered his ego to seek the light of knowledge.These days, many netizens have it backwards: Too ashamed to ask, so they end up astray. Ashamed to ask the teacher, so they ask random people in the comment section. The funny part is, the ones being asked don’t know either! Some people are too proud to ask a question in class or in a study circle because they’re afraid of looking dumb. But on social media, they’re the first to comment “Sifu, give me a tutorial!” or argue endlessly in the comments until their fingers cramp. Too proud to ask the experts, but not ashamed to debate with people who know just as little. It’s literally a comedy script playing out in our online world.Remember: asking lowers your ego for five minutes, but staying ignorant out of pride keeps you in darkness for a lifetime!

3. Conclusion and Closing

Brothers and sisters, it’s never too late, and there’s nothing shameful about learning. A noble person isn’t someone who knows everything, but someone whose heart is open to keep asking and discussing in pursuit of truth—not just to justify their own opinion.Sayyidinā ‘Alī bin Abī Ṭālib once reminded us that knowledge is blocked by two things: arrogance and misplaced shame. So drop your pride, prepare your questions, and go to the teachers.Asking because you don’t know is the first sign of intelligence; staying silent in ignorance out of pride is the beginning of real loss

والله أعلم بالصواب

الحمد لله رب العالمين

Wassalamu’alaikum Warahmaullahi Wabarakatuh.

ِAbu Sultan Al-Qadrie