وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ وَحَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَا: أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ: «مَا أَنْتَ بِمُحَدِّثٍ قَوْمًا حَدِيثًا لَا تَبْلُغُهُ عُقُولُهُمْ إِلَّا كَانَ لِبَعْضِهِمْ فِتْنَةً».
Translation: Abū al-Ṭāhir and Ḥarmalah transmitted through Ibn Wahb, Yūnus, Ibn Shihāb and ʿUbayd Allāh b. ʿAbd Allāh b. ʿUtbah that Ibn Masʿūd said: When you relate to people something their understanding cannot reach, it may become a trial for some of them.
This is Ibn Masʿūd’s statement. “Their minds cannot reach it” refers to inability to grasp the intended sense without necessary context or conceptual preparation. “Fitnah” signifies resulting confusion or harmful misapplication. Truth remains truth, but teaching sequence and framing must be fitted to the audience.