"Do not share the knowledge with which you have been blessed with everyone in general, as you do with some people in particular; and know that there are some men in whom Allah, may He he glorified, has placed hidden secrets, which they are forbidden to reveal"
About this Quote
Wisdom is not only the possession of truth but the discernment of where, when, and to whom it is given. The saying urges restraint, warning that knowledge scattered indiscriminately can harm both speaker and hearer. People differ in readiness, temperament, and intention; a teaching that uplifts one person may confuse or inflame another. To treat every audience the same is to ignore the moral dimension of instruction. Knowledge is a trust, not a trophy.
The image of hidden secrets placed by God suggests two things at once: some realities are inherently esoteric, and some are incommunicable except to those prepared by character and training. Islamic tradition distinguishes between outward knowledge useful for all and inner insights that require spiritual capacity. Ali, a model of both statecraft and sanctity, lived through civil strife where words could be weaponized. Prudence in speech was not cowardice but responsibility, a shield against misinterpretation, fitna, and the ego’s need to display. The idea that certain knowers are forbidden to reveal what they carry does not license elitism; it sets a boundary against spiritual exhibitionism and the profanation of what is sacred.
Pedagogically, the counsel aligns with the maxim to speak to people according to their level. A good teacher grades the path, offers milk before meat, and waits until a student can bear a heavier truth. Mystically, it honors the fact that some experiences resist language; to force them into public talk is to reduce them to slogans or invite denial. Ethically, it reminds the learned to consider consequence: will a disclosure heal, or merely gratify vanity and stir confusion?
The lesson remains urgent in an age of frictionless sharing. Not every insight belongs on a stage. Share what benefits widely, tailor the difficult carefully, and guard the intimate with reverence. Discernment is part of knowledge itself.
The image of hidden secrets placed by God suggests two things at once: some realities are inherently esoteric, and some are incommunicable except to those prepared by character and training. Islamic tradition distinguishes between outward knowledge useful for all and inner insights that require spiritual capacity. Ali, a model of both statecraft and sanctity, lived through civil strife where words could be weaponized. Prudence in speech was not cowardice but responsibility, a shield against misinterpretation, fitna, and the ego’s need to display. The idea that certain knowers are forbidden to reveal what they carry does not license elitism; it sets a boundary against spiritual exhibitionism and the profanation of what is sacred.
Pedagogically, the counsel aligns with the maxim to speak to people according to their level. A good teacher grades the path, offers milk before meat, and waits until a student can bear a heavier truth. Mystically, it honors the fact that some experiences resist language; to force them into public talk is to reduce them to slogans or invite denial. Ethically, it reminds the learned to consider consequence: will a disclosure heal, or merely gratify vanity and stir confusion?
The lesson remains urgent in an age of frictionless sharing. Not every insight belongs on a stage. Share what benefits widely, tailor the difficult carefully, and guard the intimate with reverence. Discernment is part of knowledge itself.
Quote Details
| Topic | Knowledge |
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