Scrupulousness and Abandoning Things That Are Doubtful

Just think how you welcomed it with your tongues from one another, and uttered with your mouths something about which you had no knowledge. You deemed it a trifle, whereas in Allah’s sight it was most grave. (an-Nur 24:15)

 

304. An-Nu’man ibn Bashir, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say, ‘The halal is clear and the haram is clear. But between the two there are doubtful things about which most people have no knowledge. Whoever exercises caution with regard to what is doubtful, shows prudence in respect of his religion and his honor. Whoever gets involved in the doubtful things is like a herdsman who grazes his animals near a private preserve (hima). He is bound to enter it. Every king has a private preserve and the private preserve of Allah on His earth are the things that He has made forbidden. There is lump of flesh in the body, the nature of which is that when it is sound, the entire body is sound, and when it is corrupt, the entire body is corrupt—it is the heart.’” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Iman, 39; Sahih Muslim, Musaqat, 107).
305. An-Nawwas ibn Sam’an, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said, “Piety is good character. Wrong action is what is hatched up yourself and you do not want other people to know about.” (Sahih Muslim, Birr, 14).
306. Wabisa ibn Ma’bad, may Allah be pleased with him, said, “I came to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he said, ‘Have you come to ask about piety?’ I said, ‘Yes.’ He said, ‘Consult your heart. Piety is that with which the self is at rest and the heart is at rest and wrong action is what is hatched up in your self and echoes to and fro in your breast, even if people give an opinion in your favor and ask for your opinion.’” (Ahmad ibn Hanbal, Musnad, IV, 227–228; Darimi, Buyu, 2).

 

Nawawi, Imam. Riyad As-Salihin; The Gardens of the Righteous: A collection of authentic hadiths. Tughra Books Press, Inc. 2014