is impermissible, it will not be accepted from him (1).
As for the statement of the speaker: “One should not (2) broach the ḥadiths and verses concerning the Divine attributes (ṣifāt) before the common folk,” I have never opened such a subject with any layperson at all.
With regard to answering the seeker of guidance with what Allah sent His Messenger to convey, the Prophet—may Allah bless him and grant him peace—said: “Whoever is asked about knowledge that he possesses and then conceals it, Allah will bridle him on the Day of Resurrection with a bridle of fire” (3). And the Exalted One said (4): “Indeed, those who conceal what We have sent down of clear proofs and guidance…” (5). Accordingly, a scholar is not to be commanded to do anything that would bring Allah’s curse upon him (6).
Sunan al-Tirmidhi, vol. 5, pp. 556–557, Kitab al-Da‘awat (Book of Supplications), chapter 105, hadith no. 3556. It is also narrated by Ibn Mājah in Sunan Ibn Mājah, vol. 2, p. 1271, Kitab al-Du‘ā’ (Book of Invocation), chapter “Raising the hands in supplication”, hadith no. 3865.
(1) The discussion of this issue and the Sheikh’s (may Allah have mercy on him) view on it is implicitly included in his treatment of masʾalat al-ʿuluww (the issue of Divine elevation). See Mukhtaṣar al-Sawaʾiq al-Mursalā of Ibn al-Qayyim al-Mawsilī, vol. 1, pp. 271–272.
(2) In the printed edition: “an lā” (“that not”).
(3) This wording of the hadith is narrated by Ibn Mājah from Abū Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), except that he records the verb aljamahu as aljimu. The hadith appears in various chains from several Companions (may Allah be pleased with them), for example in: Sunan Ibn Mājah, vol. 1, p. 98, al-Muqaddimah, chapter “Whoever is asked about knowledge and withholds it” (hadith no. —); Sunan Abī Dāwūd, vol. 4, pp. 67–68, Kitab al-ʿIlm, chapter “Disliking the withholding of knowledge” (hadith no. 3658); Sunan al-Tirmidhī, vol. 5, pp. 29–30, Kitab al-ʿIlm, chapter “On concealing knowledge” (hadith no. 2649), which he deemed hasan; and Musnad al-Imām Aḥmad, vol. 2, pp. 263, 305.
(4) In both the Sharḥ and the Tahqīq editions: “wa qad qāl(a)” (“and he said”).
(5) Sūrah al-Baqarah, āyah 159.
(6) In the Sharḥ edition: “ʿālim” (“scholar”).