Hadiths on leaving what is doubtful - At-Targhib wa’t-Tarhib by Imam Mundhiri

"Hadiths on Encouraging scrupulousness and leaving what is

doubtful and what causes uneasiness in the heart"

 -from 'At-Targhib wa’t-Tarhib' by Imam Mundhiri

599. An-Nu‘man ibn Bashir (RA) said, “I heard the Messenger of Allah [SAWS] 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 deen and his honour. 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 a 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.’” (Agreed upon. In a narration of at-Tirmidhi there is, “Between them are doubtful matters which many people do not know whether they are haram or halal. Whoever abandons them to keep his deen and honour clear is safe.”)

600. An-Nawwas ibn Sam‘an (RA) related that the Prophet [SAWS] said,

“Complete goodness (birr) is good character. Wrong action is that which goes to and fro agitatedly in your self and which you would dislike other people to know about.” (Muslim)

601. Anas  (RA)  reported that the Prophet  [SAWS]  found a date on the road and said, “If I were not afraid that it might be from the zakat, I would have eaten it.” (Agreed upon)

602. Al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali  (RA)  reported, “I memorised from the Messenger of Allah  [SAWS] , ‘Leave what gives you doubt for what gives you no doubt.’”

(At-Tirmidhi and an-Nasa’i, who says it is sahih as does Ibn Hibban. At-Tabarani transmitted it from the hadith of Wathila ibn al-Asqa‘ and adds, “He [SAWS] was asked, ‘Who is counted as scrupulous?’ He [SAWS] replied, ‘The one who stops at the doubtful.’”

603. ‘A’isha  (RA)  said, “Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (RA) had a slave who used to pay him a levy and Abu Bakr (RA) used to eat from the levy. One day he brought something and Abu Bakr (RA) ate some of it. The slave said to him, ‘Do you know what this is?’ He said, ‘What is it?’ He said, ‘In the Time of Ignorance I used to be a soothsayer for a man. I did not do soothsaying well. I only deceived him. He met me and gave me that from which you ate.’ So Abu Bakr (RA) inserted his hand into his mouth and vomited all that he had in his stomach.” (Al-Bukhari. The levy is that which the owner stipulates that a slave who goes out and earns should pay him each day.)

604. ‘Atiya ibn ‘Urwa as-Sa‘di  (RA)  said, “The Messenger of Allah [SAWS] said, ‘The slave will not achieve the status of being one of the Godfearing until he leaves that in which there is no harm for fear of that in which there is some harm.” (At-Tirmidhi who says it is hasan. Ibn Majah, and al-Hakim who says it is sahih)

605. Abu Umama  (RA)  said, “A man asked the Messenger of Allah [SAWS], ‘What is wrong action?’ He said, ‘When something goes to and fro agitatedly in your self, leave it.’ He asked, ‘What is belief ?’ He answered, ‘When your bad action causes you sorrow and your good action delights you, then you are a believer.’” (Ahmad with a sahih isnad)