# The Scholars Who Can’t Read | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #2

**Author:** Dr. Omar Suleiman
**Series:** Pause and Reflect
**Published:** 2026-02-21
**YouTube:** https://youtu.be/mZBZfdeFBDA
**URL:** https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-2-the-scholars-who-cant-read
**Topics:** Acts of Worship, Sharia

## Summary
In this Ramadan reflection, the speaker explores the Quranic term 'ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm' (those who are rooted in knowledge), which appears only twice in the Quran — in Surah Ali 'Imran and Surah An-Nisa. Challenging the conventional image of a scholar as someone who is well-read, fluent in Arabic, and able to cite sources, the speaker argues that true rootedness in knowledge is defined not by intellectual breadth alone, but by humility and firm faith. He references the example of illiterate companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) — the best generation — who embodied this quality despite being unable to read or write. Drawing on Aisha's (رضي الله عنها) explanation of the verse in Surah Ali 'Imran [3:7], the speaker explains that those with deviated hearts seek out ambiguous (mutashabihat) verses to sow dissension or justify their desires, while ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm respond by saying 'We believe in it; all of it is from our Lord.' The speaker contrasts this with modern phenomena like AI tools such as ChatGPT, which fabricate Quranic verses rather than admitting ignorance — a dangerous parallel to those who speak about the Quran without proper knowledge. He invokes the saying of Imam ash-Sha'bi: 'La adri nisf al-'ilm' — 'I don't know is half of knowledge' — and the methodology of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه), who accepted the Prophet's (ﷺ) statements on faith even without full understanding. The reflection closes with a call to crush the intellectual ego during Ramadan, stay within one's lane, and default to the Prophet's teachings and established scholarship when encountering what one does not understand.

## Key Points
- The term 'ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm' (those rooted in knowledge) appears only twice in the Quran, in Surah Ali 'Imran and Surah An-Nisa.
- True scholarly rootedness in Islam is not defined solely by literacy, language fluency, or academic credentials, but by humility and firm faith.
- Many companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) could not read or write, yet they are considered the best generation and exemplified being 'rooted in knowledge.'
- According to Aisha (رضي الله عنها), ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm are those who believe in both the clear (muhkam) and ambiguous (mutashabihat) verses, deferring to what Allah and His Prophet intended.
- Those with deviated hearts seek out ambiguous verses to cause dissension or justify personal desires, often disguising this as scholarship.
- AI tools like ChatGPT are compared to those who fabricate religious knowledge — they cannot say 'I don't know' and will invent Quranic verses if needed.
- Imam ash-Sha'bi's principle 'La adri nisf al-'ilm' (I don't know is half of knowledge) is a mark of true scholarship.
- The methodology of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (رضي الله عنه) was to accept the Prophet's (ﷺ) statements on faith, even without full comprehension.
- Ramadan is an opportunity to crush not only the social ego but also the intellectual ego — avoiding opinions on matters where one has no authority.
- Believers are urged to default to the Prophet's teachings and established scholars when encountering what they do not understand, rather than offering personal interpretations.

## Transcript
**[0:00]** I was reflecting today on a term that I noticed, subhanAllah, for the first time on a personal level. And this is the beauty of the Qur'an as you're reading from front to back. That this term only shows up in this very specific section of the Qur'an.

**[0:17]** In fact, it's only in Surah Ali 'Imran and Surah An-Nisa. الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ Very interesting term. الرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ Those who are rooted in knowledge. Only shows up twice and it's an incredibly deep term.

**[0:33]** And subhanAllah, the amazing thing about this term, before I talk about the context of it. When you think of a scholar, when you think of someone who has a lot of knowledge. You often think of someone who is well-read perhaps.

**[0:48]** Someone who can cite sources. Someone who can speak the Arabic language fluently. Someone who can jump from place to place. Who can immediately make connections. Who can demonstrate clarity in the Islamic tradition and so on and so forth. When you think 'ulama, that's what you usually think of.

**[1:05]** And that's not entirely invalid. Because truly there is an objective threshold of 'ilm, of knowledge. Which is studying the language, studying the grammar, studying the Qur'an, studying the Sunnah. Studying the various Islamic sciences and being able to string that together.

**[1:20]** And speak in a way that's clear to how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala intended something to be spoken about. That's true, there's an objectivity there that exists in terms of knowledge. But I go back frequently to this idea of asking Allah for the iman of the Bedouin illiterate woman.

**[1:40]** The 'ajuza, the illiterate woman that dwells right now in some part of the Islamic world. That might be illiterate, maybe can't read or write at all in fact. Yet still is actually at a level of her faith that would be to the envy of all of us.

**[1:58]** And we would ask Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala to have that iman. That is actually a huge swath of our Ummah. In fact, go back to the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ). Many of the companions that we adore, and they are the best generation that ever walked the face of the earth,

**[2:17]** could not even read or write. We adore them as we should adore them. No matter what we would do, if we were to spend Uhud in gold, we would not reach their level. And they fit this description as being ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm.

**[2:33]** Those who are rooted in knowledge. What's the difference between 'ulama and ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm in this regard? Something very interesting because our mother 'Aisha (رضي الله تعالى عنها), she actually explains the term in Surah Ali 'Imran, especially in the context of Surah Ali 'Imran.

**[2:51]** When you look at how Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala talks about those who have a deviation in their hearts. الَّذِينَ فِي قُلُوبِهِمْ زَيْغٌ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ مَا تَشَابَهَ مِنْهُ ابْتِغَاءَ الْفِتْنَةِ وَابْتِغَاءَ تَأْوِيلِهِ وَمَا يَعْلَمُ تَأْوِيلَهُ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا وَمَا يَذَّكَّرُ إِلَّا أُولُو الْأَلْبَابِ

**[3:26]** That sounds very compelling. But Allah is saying because their hearts are twisted, what do they do? They look to the ambiguous, al-mutashabihat, something that could be interpreted in a different way. And then they offer odd interpretations. In the process, Allah 'azza wa jal condemns what they are seeking.

**[3:43]** They're seeking either dissension in the community or they're seeking a pathway to their desire that can be disguised as devotion and righteousness. This is what they're seeking because their hearts are twisted, their hearts are messed up. And so they'll give you really great answers about the text, or so it seems.

**[4:03]** They'll answer in a very scholarly way. If you read Islamic academia, what exists in the world of academia about Islam, some of the dumbest people in the world are PhDs in Islamic studies at Ivy League universities.

**[4:19]** Scholars of hadith, scholars of Qur'an. And they write some of the most atrocious content about this deen that could be found to where you could find an eight-year-old that grew up in Valley Ranch Islamic Center that would answer questions better than them.

**[4:36]** But they speak in a way that conveys knowledge, a vehicle of knowledge. And Allah 'azza wa jal says, وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ. Those who are rooted in knowledge say what? Now, if you think about ChatGPT, by the way, and AI, and the way that it works right now,

**[4:52]** ChatGPT doesn't know the term لا أدري, I don't know. It refuses to tell you that. In fact, if you tell ChatGPT or you tell these large learning models, give me an ayah that speaks to this. If it doesn't have the ayah, it'll make one up for you. That's why we now have scandals of Muslim councils that put out statements and khutbah

**[5:09]** templates that have fake ayahs of the Qur'an. Because ChatGPT can't say لا أدري وَاللهُ أَعْلَمُ. It's a people pleaser. It has to make you happy. It'll make up an ayah for you. Whatever you need, I'll give it to you. Whatever you're seeking, I'll give it to you. Who are ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm, those who are rooted in firm knowledge?

**[5:27]** Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala actually praises them for admitting their limitation of knowledge. Allah calls them knowledgeable precisely because they admit their limitations in knowledge. وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ. We believe in it.

**[5:43]** كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا. All of it is from our Lord. 'Aisha (رضي الله تعالى عنها), our mother, she says that ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm are those who believe in mutashabih and muhkam. The ambiguous and the unambiguous and they default to whatever Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala

**[6:01]** meant by it and whatever Allah 'azza wa jal intended by it. We believe in it as the Prophet (ﷺ) taught us to believe in it. If we don't know, that's our limitation. The methodology of Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (رضي الله تعالى عنه), كَانَ قَالَهَا فَقَدْ صَدَقَ.

**[6:17]** If he said it (ﷺ), then he's telling the truth. I don't understand it yet, but if he said it, he's telling the truth. The end of Surah Al-Baqarah before we come into Ali 'Imran, آمَنَ الرَّسُولُ بِمَا أُنزِلَ إِلَيْهِ مِن رَّبِّهِ وَالْمُؤْمِنُونَ. The Prophet (ﷺ) believes in what was revealed to him and the believers

**[6:34]** believe as well. كُلٌّ آمَنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ. We're being asked or being commanded to follow the way of Abu Bakr (رضي الله تعالى عنه) and say we believe. We believe in it all from Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala. If I don't understand it, that's my limitation.

**[6:50]** And that gives you an understanding of لا أدري نصف العلم. As Imam ash-Sha'bi (رحمه الله) said, I don't know is half of knowledge. Being able to say I don't know is half of knowledge. And it comes off as embarrassing sometimes to not know.

**[7:09]** I don't know, I can't give an interpretation. Especially by the way, the people that are most prone to this subhanAllah when you read in the tafsir are not people who don't speak the language. It's actually mostly al-'Arab. You know why? Because if you speak the language, then you can easily make up some explanation about

**[7:25]** what means this and it means that and it means this and it means that and start giving a deviant interpretation on the ayah. You're actually more prone to it if you understand the language if you have bad intentions. When someone has bad intentions and they want to come off as smart and educated and

**[7:41]** they want to come off as knowing the religion, that's when they become prone to the weirdest and most bizarre interpretations of the religion. And the minute that you start to speak about the book of Allah without knowledge is the minute that you put yourself as a representative of Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala without

**[7:58]** right. The minute that you deviate from that. And so don't be like ChatGPT and make stuff up because you want to sound intelligent. Or I don't understand this and this makes more sense to me. Or I don't want to accept your interpretation because it's too simplistic. I don't want to.

**[8:13]** No, no. I think it means this and I think it means that. And look, this verse says this. It must mean that and it must mean this. Know your lane. Stay in your lane, oh believer. وَالرَّاسِخُونَ فِي الْعِلْمِ يَقُولُونَ آمَنَّا بِهِ

**[8:28]** I believe in it. كُلٌّ مِّنْ عِنْدِ رَبِّنَا It's all from my Lord. I believe in what I understand and what I don't understand because I know that al-'Alim, the most knowledgeable, the all knowledgeable is the one who revealed it. I'm good with it.

**[8:43]** The first place I go is, what did the Prophet (ﷺ) say about it? If we find what the Prophet (ﷺ) said about it, Alhamdulillah. What did established scholars who definitely know say about it? I default to that. And I say this, sounds so simplistic.

**[8:59]** لا أدري نصف العلم I don't know is half of knowledge. I say this, wallahi because in Ramadan, you're renewing faith. And crushing the ego is not always just taking it from somebody when they insult you or agitate you. Sometimes crushing the ego is also the intellectual ego.

**[9:17]** Right? Where you start to think that you're something you're not. And you start to opine where Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala has not given you the right to express your opinion. Know your lane and say, I don't get it yet. I don't understand. But I believe. Because the Prophet (ﷺ) said so. I reached my time.

**[9:32]** Jazakum Allahu khayran. May Allah subhanahu wa ta'ala make us from ar-rasikuna fil-'ilm. Allahumma ameen. Wassalamu alaikum warahmatullahi wabarakatuh.

## Other Episodes in "Pause and Reflect"
- [Singling Out the 27th Night for Worship? | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #12](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-12-singling-out-the-27th-night-for-worship.md)
- [Pay Attention to the Masjid Al-Aqsa Shutdown | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #11](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-11-pay-attention-to-masjid-al-aqsa-shutdown.md)
- [How Can You Despair of the Lord of Laylatul Qadr? | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #10](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-10-how-can-you-despair-of-the-lord-of-laylatul-qadr.md)
- [What If Laylatul Qadr Is The Wrong Night? | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #9](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-9-what-if-laylatul-qadr-is-the-wrong-night.md)
- [Sharia Takeovers and Middle East Chaos | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #8](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/ramadan-pause-and-reflect-8-sharia-takeovers-and-middle-east-chaos.md)
- [Why The Epstein Empire Attacked Iran | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #7](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/why-the-epstein-empire-attacked-iran-ramadan-pause-and-reflect-7.md)
- [How Am I Supposed To Feel About Israel vs. Iran? | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #6](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/how-am-i-supposed-to-feel-about-israel-vs-iran-pause-and-reflect-6.md)
- [The Only Surah Without Bismillah | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #5](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/the-only-surah-without-bismillah-ramadan-pause-and-reflect-5.md)
- [One Small Sin That Tips the Scale | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #4](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-4-one-small-sin-that-tips-the-scale.md)
- [He Wrote on Himself Mercy | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #3](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-3-he-wrote-on-himself-mercy.md)
- [The Baqarah Challenge | Ramadan Pause and Reflect #1](https://yaqeeninstitute.org/watch/series/pause-and-reflect-ramadan-2026/pause-and-reflect-1-the-baqarah-challenge.md)