When you are not sure whether something is right, what should you do?
Islamic Studies · 40 Hadith, 9th and 10th Grade · 60 to 75 minutes
Last lesson, Hadith 5 taught that worship has to come from what Allah (SWT) revealed and what the Prophet (pbuh) taught. Anything added to the religion that is not from it is rejected. We also practiced asking, "Where is this from?" before passing on anything about the deen.
مَنْ أَحْدَثَ فِي أَمْرِنَا هَذَا مَا لَيْسَ مِنْهُ فَهُوَ رَدٌّ
The Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) said: "Whoever introduces into this matter of ours something that is not from it, it is rejected."
Hadith 5 asked where our worship comes from. Hadith 6 looks at the whole of life: what is clear, what is not clear, and what to do in between.
Before we read anything, take this question seriously. There is no wrong first answer.
Do you tend to go right up to the line, as long as you have not crossed it, or do you stay a few steps back? Why?
When you are unsure, whose answer do you trust, and what makes you trust them?
Keep your answer in mind. Hadith 6 describes these moments, and what to do in them.
عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: "إِنَّ الْحَلَالَ بَيِّنٌ، وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنْ النَّاسِ، فَمَنْ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ فَقَدْ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ،
Abu Abdillah an-Nu'man ibn Bashir (RA) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) say: "The halal (lawful) is clear and the haram (unlawful) is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters that many people do not know. So whoever guards against the doubtful matters has protected his religion and his honor,
The hadith says many people do not know these doubtful matters. What does that tell you about whether anyone knows them?
وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ، كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ، أَلَا وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلَا وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ مَحَارِمُهُ،
and whoever falls into the doubtful matters falls into the haram, like the shepherd who grazes [his flock] around a sanctuary and is about to graze inside it. Truly, every king has a sanctuary, and truly, the sanctuary of Allah (SWT) is what He (SWT) has made haram.
A shepherd grazing near the edge never plans to cross it. So how does his flock end up inside?
أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ". [رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ]
Truly, in the body there is a morsel of flesh (mudghah): if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Truly, it is the heart." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]
Why do you think a hadith about halal and haram ends with the heart?
You have heard the word mudghah before, in Hadith 4. We will come back to it later today.
An-Nu'man ibn Bashir (RA) was one of the youngest Companions (RA). Biographers report that he was the first child born to the Ansar after the Hijrah, so he was only eight or nine years old when the Prophet (pbuh) passed away. His father, Bashir ibn Sa'd (RA), was a Companion too, which is why the Arabic says "radiya Allahu 'anhuma," may Allah (SWT) be pleased with them both.
In the narration in Sahih Muslim (1599), he pointed his two fingers toward his ears as he said, "I heard." Al-Nawawi explains that this makes it plain he heard it from the Prophet (pbuh) himself.
"Scholars are agreed on the great weight of this hadith and its many benefits, and that it is one of the hadith on which Islam turns."
He also reports that a group of scholars called it a third of Islam, together with Hadith 1 on intention and a hadith we will study in Lesson 11.
He was a child when he heard this, and he carried it for the rest of his life. What have you learned at your age that you hope to carry that long?
Its permission is plain, and there is no real doubt about it.
Its prohibition is plain, and there is no real doubt about it.
It is not clear to many people which of the two it belongs to.
"Between the two there are matters that are unclear to many people: are they halal or haram? As for those firmly grounded in knowledge, it is not unclear to them, and they know which of the two they belong to."
Something can be unclear to you for two kinds of reasons. You may not know the ruling, or you may not know the facts of the situation in front of you.
Look at the words "many people." If you are one of the many who do not know, what should you do when a doubtful matter comes up?
A careful shepherd keeps his flock out of the strip next to the line. He does not test how close he can get.
"Among the kings of the Arabs and others, every king had a protected land that he guarded and kept people out of, and whoever entered it, he punished. Whoever was careful for himself would not go near that protected land, out of fear of falling into it."
Ask yourself: when I want to stand as close to the line as I can, what am I really hoping to get out of it?
Al-Nawawi explains the words "whoever falls into the doubtful matters falls into the haram" in two ways.
"One: that from dealing so much in doubtful things, he comes across the haram, even though he did not intend it."
"The second: that he gets used to taking things lightly and trains himself in it, and grows bold with one doubtful thing, then one heavier than it, then another heavier still, and so on, until he falls into the haram on purpose."
Both from al-Nawawi, Sharh Sahih Muslim · translated
The second way can be the harder one to notice. Each step looks small next to the one before it, so it never feels like a big decision.
Ask yourself: is there something in my life where I have been moving a little closer to the line each time?
"That is, his religion is kept clear of blame in the Shariah, and he has guarded his honor from people speaking against him."
"Honor is the place in a person where praise and blame fall."
Stepping back protects you twice. It keeps your record with Allah (SWT) clear, and it keeps your name clear among people. Standing right at the line can cost you both, even if you never cross it.
Have you ever been blamed for something only because you were close to it? What would stepping back have looked like?
Safiyyah (RA), the wife of the Prophet (pbuh), visited him in the masjid during his i'tikaf in the last ten nights of Ramadan, and he walked her to the door.
مَرَّ رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، فَسَلَّمَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ لَهُمَا النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: "عَلَى رِسْلِكُمَا، إِنَّمَا هِيَ صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ حُيَيٍّ". فَقَالاَ: سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. وَكَبُرَ عَلَيْهِمَا. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: "إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَبْلُغُ مِنَ الإِنْسَانِ مَبْلَغَ الدَّمِ، وَإِنِّي خَشِيتُ أَنْ يَقْذِفَ فِي قُلُوبِكُمَا شَيْئًا".
...two men of the Ansar (RA) passed by and greeted the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh). The Prophet (pbuh) said to them, "Take your time. This is only Safiyyah bint Huyayy (RA)." They said, "Glory be to Allah (SWT), O Messenger of Allah (SWT)!" and it weighed heavily on them. The Prophet (pbuh) said, "Shaytan reaches into a person as far as the blood reaches, and I feared that he might cast something into your hearts."
Ibn Rajab gives this hadith as an example of protecting one's honor. The Prophet (pbuh) also protected the two men's hearts.
The two men did not suspect him. Why did the Prophet (pbuh) explain anyway?
وَمَا أَرْسَلْنَا مِن قَبْلِكَ إِلَّا رِجَالًا نُّوحِي إِلَيْهِمْ ۚ فَاسْأَلُوا أَهْلَ الذِّكْرِ إِن كُنتُمْ لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And We sent not before you except men to whom We revealed [Our message]. So ask the people of the message [i.e., former scriptures] if you do not know.
In its context, the ayah answers people who doubted that a prophet could be a human being: ask those who know the earlier scriptures. Scholars also drew a general lesson from its wording.
"The general wording of this ayah praises the people of knowledge... For Allah (SWT) commanded whoever does not know to turn to them in every matter that comes up."
On some questions the schools of fiqh differ. When that happens, ask your imam or another person of knowledge you trust, and follow their guidance. If no one at home can answer your questions, your imam is a good place to start.
Who are two people you could ask about the deen? What makes someone worth asking?
Notice that you are unsure. That feeling is worth paying attention to.
Is it the ruling you do not know, or the facts of the situation?
While you do not know, stay away from the edge. If you later learn that it is fine, waiting has cost you very little.
Ask someone who knows, and tell them the whole situation honestly.
Ask yourself why you want it. Am I looking for the truth, or only for a yes?
Hadith 6 is about real doubts. It is not about worrying over things that are plainly fine. Imam al-Bukhari titled a chapter of his Sahih: "Whoever does not consider whisperings (waswasah) and the like to be among the doubtful matters." If worries like that keep coming back to you, talk to someone you trust.
Ask yourself: which of these five steps do I most often skip?
ثُمَّ يَكُونُ مُضْغَةً مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ
"...then a mudghah (morsel of flesh) for a like period..."
In Hadith 4, mudghah named one of the stages every one of us passed through before birth. In Hadith 6, the same word points to a mudghah inside each of us right now: the heart.
"The mudghah is a piece of flesh, named that because it is small enough to be chewed in the mouth. They said: the point is how small the heart is compared with the rest of the body, even though the soundness of the body and its corruption both follow the heart."
Ibn Rajab quotes a saying that fits the king in this hadith: "The heart is the king of the limbs, and the rest of the limbs are its soldiers."
In Lesson 3 we saw that what is inside a person can be different from what people see. How does that fit with the whole body following the heart?
These ayat close a dua of Ibrahim (AS). Ibn Rajab connects them to the end of Hadith 6.
يَوْمَ لَا يَنفَعُ مَالٌ وَلَا بَنُونَ ● إِلَّا مَنْ أَتَى اللَّهَ بِقَلْبٍ سَلِيمٍ
The Day when there will not benefit [anyone] wealth or children ● But only one who comes to Allah (SWT) with a sound heart."
"The sound heart is the one that is safe from every defect and from everything disliked. It is the heart in which there is nothing but love of Allah (SWT) and of what Allah (SWT) loves, and fear of Allah (SWT) and of whatever takes a person away from Him (SWT)."
Ask yourself: what is one thing crowding my heart right now, and what would help clear it?
عَنِ النَّوَّاسِ بْنِ سَمْعَانَ الأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنِ الْبِرِّ وَالإِثْمِ، فَقَالَ: "الْبِرُّ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ، وَالإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِكَ، وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ".
An-Nawwas ibn Sam'an al-Ansari (RA) said: I asked the Messenger of Allah (SWT) (pbuh) about righteousness and sin, and he said: "Righteousness is good character, and sin is what wavers in your chest and you would hate for people to find out about it."
This inner check is for a believer whose heart has been opened by faith, at times when a matter is unclear. It never stands against what the Quran and Sunnah make clear, and it works alongside asking someone who knows, not instead of it.
The hadith gives two signs of sin. What are they, and why might wanting to hide something be a warning sign?
You are not deciding a ruling. You are working out what to do while you are not sure. Talk through these three questions for 6 minutes, then each group shares its answers in about one minute.
At a friend's house, you are offered a snack. The label lists an ingredient you have never heard of and cannot identify.
An older student offers you money to "help with something" after school. They will not say exactly what it is, and they ask you not to tell anyone.
Friends are planning a late-night hangout. Nothing wrong is planned, but the last time this group stayed out that late, things went somewhere you did not want to be part of.
You hear two different answers to the same question about the deen from two people you respect.
Someone online is selling a brand-new phone for a small fraction of its price, cash only, and says, "No questions."
You notice you have spent an hour searching online for anyone who says the thing you want to do is fine.
Each one has a gap: something you do not know about the facts, or about where the situation could lead. Stepping back while you find out costs very little. Rushing in can cost your religion and your honor. On card 2, being asked to keep it secret is a reason to tell a parent or another adult you trust.
Two people you respect may give different answers because the schools of fiqh differ, so ask your imam which answer to follow. Card 6 is about the heart. If you are searching for a yes rather than for the truth, the end of Hadith 6, about the heart, is the part to think about.
None of these cards needed you to give a ruling. Each one needed the same three things: noticing that you are unsure, stepping back, and asking someone who knows.
Take out a sheet of paper and write your three answers quietly.
Your writing stays with you.
Hadith 6 praised the one who "guards against the doubtful matters." The Prophet (pbuh) used to ask Allah (SWT) for the very things that make that possible.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ يَقُولُ: "اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَسْأَلُكَ الْهُدَى وَالتُّقَى وَالْعَفَافَ وَالْغِنَى".
Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (RA) reported that the Prophet (pbuh) used to say: "Allahumma inni as'aluka-l-huda wa-t-tuqa wa-l-'afafa wa-l-ghina" (O Allah (SWT), I ask You (SWT) for guidance, taqwa, chastity, and freedom from need).
The word tuqa, taqwa, comes from the same root as ittaqa, "guards against," in Hadith 6.
When you notice you are unsure about something this week, step back first, then ask someone who knows before you decide.
Say this dua once a day and learn the words by heart. Each time, think about which of the four things you need most that day.