"[§37] A dâ'î should know the exterior and the interior, legally and intellectually. God has said: 'Say: Are those equal, those who know and those who do not know; it is solely those who possess knowledge';⁴⁷ and He said: 'Rather these are clear signs in the hearts of those endowed with knowledge';⁴⁸ and He said: 'Is then he who guides to the truth more right to be followed; or is he who does not guide unless he is himself guided; how is it with you that you judge in this way?;⁴⁹ and the Prophet said: 'There are four items which, should the mount be pressed so hard in going forward, it wears thin in exhaustion, and that would be of little account: Let the servant hope for nothing but his Lord; fear nothing except his own sins; the ignorant should not be ashamed of acquiring knowledge; and the learned person, when asked something he does not know, say, "I do not know."' Our master the Commander of Believers said: 'Half of knowledge for he who does not know is to say, "God alone knows", and if I came upon a youth belonging to our party who had not tried to acquire knowledge, I would myself see to his instruction.' It is as God says: 'If a group from each party were to remain aside to undertake studies in religion and to admonish their own people when they return to them perhaps they should become able to warn themselves.'⁵⁰ If a dâ'î does not have this sort of knowledge, and someone questions him and opponents debate with him, they will defeat him and thus cause great harm, discord, disgrace and damage in the teaching."

(Source: Klemm, V. and Walker, P. E., A Code of Conduct—A Treatise of the Etiquette of the Fatimid Ismaili Mission, pp.50-51)

48. Qur'an, 29:49.

49. Qur'an, 10:35.

50. Qur'an, 9:122.