2194 – ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; my father narrated to me; ʿAbd Allah narrated to us; Ismaʿil ibn ʿAbd al-Karim narrated to me; ʿAbd al-Samad narrated to me that he heard Wahb say to one of his companions:

“Shall I teach you a kind of medicine about which physicians never find fault, a jurisprudence about which jurists never find fault, and a forbearance about which the forbearing never find fault?”

They replied, “Indeed, O Abu ʿAbd Allah.”

He said, “As for the medicine over which physicians do not differ: do not eat any food without first mentioning the name of Allah—Exalted is He—at its beginning and praising Him at its end.

“As for the jurisprudence over which jurists do not differ: if you are asked about something of which you have knowledge, then answer; otherwise say, ‘I do not know.’

“And as for the forbearance over which the forbearing do not differ: keep silence often, except when you are asked about something.”