6.2 Method of Questioning and Dialogue

The Prophet once announced that knowledge was treasure and its keys were questions. He encouraged his followers to ask questions to gain knowledge and declared that by asking one question four persons were rewarded namely the one who asked the question, the one who listened it, the one who learnt from it and the one who loved it.

To gain the attention and test the knowledge of the people and to kindle their curiosity, the Prophet used to pose them with questions and answer it later. Ibn Omer reported that once Prophet asked his companions the name of a tree which never withers its leaves and which could be compared to a faithful believer. Ibn Omer was about to answer that it was date palm but kept quiet, as he felt shy as he was the youngest person in the crowd. The people asked the Prophet to name the tree to which he replied, it was the date palm. (Bukhari, 1971, Vol.3, Hadith 411, p.224)

The Prophet used to encourage his companions to question in order to clear their doubts. During a sermon when a Bedouin interrupted the Prophet, the Prophet did not answer him. But after the sermon was over the Prophet called him and answered his question. (Bukhari, 1971, Vol.1, Hadith No.56, p.50)

On another occasion a person by name Dimam bin Tha’laba came to the Prophet and informed him that he was going to ask him some tough questions and he should not feel offended. The Prophet allowed him to ask any question and he answered all his questions patiently. (Bukhari, 1971, Vol.1, Hadith No.63, p.54)

Once a young man came to the Prophet and asked him an awkward question whether he would give permission to him to indulge in premarital sex. The Prophet called the youth to come closer to him and asked him whether he would allow anybody to have such relationship with his mother, sister or aunt. Shocked, the youth answered in the negative. Then the Prophet advised him lovingly and prayed for him.

Whenever a question was asked and the Prophet did not know the answer, he used to keep quiet. But once he got the answer he used to call the person who asked the question and give him the answer. (Ibn Kathir, 2003, p.518)

Through this method the Prophet used to explain the importance of certain unknown things by recollecting from the people the importance they attach to certain known things. During his last pilgrimage to Makkah he stood on the Mount of Mercy and delivered a sermon to the people. He asked the people whether they knew what day it was, what month it was and which city it was. Even though the people knew they were aware that it was an introduction to say something new and hence they respectfully replied that God and His Messenger alone knew. The Prophet kept quiet for sometime and asked them whether it was not the sacred day of sacrifice, whether it was not the holy month of “Dhu al-Hijjah and whether it was not the sacred and holy city. The people agreed to what he said.

Then the Prophet said that their blood, their property and their honour were as sacred as this day was sacred, as this month was sacred, and as this city was sacred. (Bukhari, 1971, Vol.1,Hadith No. 67, p.58)

The Prophet used to encourage a questioner to repeat the same until he or she understood something. Whenever Ayesha his wife heard something, which she did not understand, she used to ask again until she understood it completely. (Bukhari, 1971, Vol.1, Hadith No.103, p.81) Sometimes the Prophet got angry too when he was asked some questions which he did not like. However he replied to them too. (Bukhari, 1971, Vol.1, Hadith Nos. 91,92, p.75)