And Allah Most High said:

“If you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is better and leads to the best outcome.”

These texts and others like them show that what Allah sent His messengers with makes clear to people what they need concerning their religion, in these matters and others. Yet not everyone has received all the texts, nor does everyone understand what the texts indicate. Allah singles out whomever He wills among His servants for whatever knowledge and understanding He wills. Whoever finds these matters unclear and refrains from speaking lest he speak without knowledge, or say something harmful rather than beneficial, has done well. Whoever knows the truth and explains it to those who need it and will benefit from it has done better still.

This explains Ibn al-Mubārak’s response when Yahyā ibn Ādam related to him this report from Ibn ‘Abbās:

“The affairs of this community will continue to go well—or nearly so [the narrator was unsure which wording was used]—until they begin speaking about children and the divine decree.”

It was as though the speaker was calling on people to remain silent without qualification. Ibn al-Mubārak said to him:

“Should a person, then, remain silent in ignorance?”

Ibn al-Mubārak was indeed right. Yahyā ibn Ādam then asked him:

“Do you therefore instruct people to speak?”

Ibn al-Mubārak remained silent, because an unqualified instruction from him to speak would entail granting permission