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An-Nawawi's Forty Hadith 6: Avoiding Doubtful Matters:

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As educators, we constantly strive to instill fundamental Islamic principles in our students, and few lessons are as critical as the importance of avoiding doubtful matters. This discussion is based on the famous narration by Nu'man bin Bashir, which is meticulously analyzed in the great work Tuhfatus Saniyah Syarh Arbain Nawawiyah by Sheikh Khalid Mahmud Al-Juhani. This profound Hadith provides clear guidance on navigating the fine line between the clear lawful (Halal) and the clear unlawful (Haram), focusing our attention on the gray areas of Syubhat (doubtful matters).

الْحَدِيثُ السَّادِسُ :الابْتِعَادُ عَنِ الشُّبُهَاتِ

عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ الحَلَالَ بَيِّنٌ، وَإِنَّ الحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ، لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الحَرَامِ، كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ، أَلَا وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلَا وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللهِ مَحَارِمُهُ، أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، أَلَا وَهِيَ القَلْبُ». رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ.

VOCABULARY

إِنَّ: Indeed / Verily

الحَلَالَ  The lawful (Halal)

بَيِّنٌ: Is clear / evident

وَإِنَّ: And indeed

الحَرَامَ: The unlawful (Haram)

بَيِّنٌ: Is clear / evident

وَبَيْنَهُمَا And between them

أُمُورٌ: Matters / Affairs

مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ: Doubtful / Ambiguous

لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ: Do not know them

كَثِيرٌ: Many

مِنَ النَّاسِ: Of the people

فَمَنِ: So whoever

اتَّقَى: Guards against / Avoids

الشُّبُهَاتِ: The doubtful matters

اسْتَبْرَأَ: He has cleared / absolved himself

لِدِينِهِ: For his religion

وَعِرْضِهِ: And his honor

وَمَنْ: And whoever

وَقَعَ: Falls

فِي: Into

الشُّبُهَاتِ: The doubtful matters

وَقَعَ: Falls

فِي الحَرَامِ: Into the unlawful (Haram)

كَالرَّاعِي: Like the shepherd

يَرْعَى: Who grazes (his flock)

حَوْلَ: Around

الحِمَى: The sanctuary / Protected area

يُوشِكُ: He is likely / about to

أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ: To graze in it (trespass)

أَلَا: Truly / Behold

وَإِنَّ: And indeed

لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ: For every king

حِمًى: A sanctuary / boundary

أَلَا وَإِنَّ: Truly and indeed

حِمَى اللهِ: The sanctuary of Allah

مَحَارِمُهُ: Are His prohibitions

أَلَا وَإِنَّ: Truly and indeed

فِي الجَسَدِ: In the body

مُضْغَةً: A morsel (lump of flesh)

إِذَا صَلَحَتْ: If it is good / sound

صَلَحَ: Becomes good / sound

الجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ: The whole body

وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ: And if it is corrupt / spoiled

فَسَدَ: Becomes corrupt / spoiled

الجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ: The whole body

أَلَا وَهِيَ: Truly, and it is

القَلْبُ: The heart

THE SIXTH HADITH: AVOIDING DOUBTFUL MATTERS

On the authority of Abu 'Abdullah An-Nu'man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say: Truly, what is lawful is evident, and what is unlawful is evident, and between the two are doubtful matters which many people do not know. Thus, he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, but he who falls into doubtful matters falls into that which is unlawful, like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Truly every king has a sanctuary, and truly Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Truly in the body there is a morsel of flesh, which, if it be whole, all the body is whole, and which, if it be diseased, all of it is diseased. Truly, it is the heart. (Narrated by Al-Bukhari and Muslim)

LESSONS FROM THE HADITH

الحَثُّ عَلَى فِعْلِ الحَلَالِ، وَالتَّحْذِيرُ مِنْ فِعْلِ الحَرَامِ، وَالشُّبُهَاتِ

1 – Encouragement to do what is lawful (Halal), and warning against doing what is unlawful (Haram) and doubtful matters.

مَنْ لَمْ يَتَوَقَّ الشُّبْهَةَ فِي كَسْبِهِ، وَمَعَاشِهِ عَرَّضَ نَفْسَهُ لِلطَّعْنِ

2 – Whoever does not guard against doubt in his earnings and livelihood exposes himself to criticism.

مَشْرُوعِيَّةُ ضَرْبِ الأَمْثَالِ لِلْمَعَانِي الشَّرْعِيَّةِ العَمَلِيَّةِ

3 – The legitimacy of using examples (analogies) for practical legal concepts.

التَّنْبِيهُ عَلَى مَكَانَةِ القَلْبِ العَظِيمَةِ، فَإِذَا صَلَحَ القَلْبُ صَلَحَ الجَسَدُ

4 – Drawing attention to the great status of the heart; if the heart is sound, the body becomes sound.

كُلَّمَا كَانَ التَّكَسُّبُ طَيِّبًا أَثَّرَ ذَلِكَ فِي صَلَاحِ القَلْبِ

5 – Whenever the earning is good (pure), that affects the goodness of the heart.

هُنَاكَ أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَةٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ يَجِبُ الحَذَرُ مِنْهَا

6 – There are doubtful matters that many people do not know, which must be cautioned against.

تَفَاضُلُ النَّاسِ فِي العِلْمِ، فَقَدْ يَكُونُ الأَمْرُ فِيهِ شُبْهَةٌ عِنْدَ شَخْصٍ لَكِنَّهُ وَاضِحٌ عِنْدَ آخَرَ

7 – People differ in knowledge; a matter might contain doubt for one person but is clear to another.

الإِصْرَارُ عَلَى المَكْرُوهَاتِ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى الوُقُوعِ فِي الحَرَامِ

8 - Persisting in disliked acts (Makruh) leads to falling into the unlawful (Haram).

Reference: At-Tuhfatu As-Saniyah fi Syarhi Al-Arbain An-Nawawiyah by Sheikh Dr. Khalid Mahmud Al-Juhani Translation by: Irfan Nugroho (Teacher at the At-Taqwa Quranic School of Sukoharjo)

CHECK YOUR KNOWLEDGE

Part A – Multiple Choice Questions (10 items) 1 – What does the word 'Halal' mean?
  1. Forbidden
  2. Clear
  3. Lawful
  4. Doubtful
2 – What does the word 'Haram' mean?
  1. Lawful
  2. Unlawful
  3. Ambiguous
  4. Easy
3 – Matters that are 'Mushtabihat' are those that are...
  1. Very clear
  2. Very good
  3. Doubtful
  4. Very easy
4 - The Hadith says that between Halal and Haram there are...
  1. Safe roads
  2. Doubtful matters
  3. Many people
  4. New laws
5 - A person who avoids doubtful matters protects his...
  1. Money and car
  2. House and family
  3. Religion and honor
  4. Friends and neighbors
6 – If someone falls into doubtful matters, they are likely to fall into the...
  1. Clear path
  2. Haram
  3. Halal
  4. Safe zone
7 – The Hadith compares the doubtful area to a shepherd grazing his flock near a...
  1. Big river
  2. School yard
  3. Protected sanctuary
  4. Deep forest
8 – What part of the body is described as a 'morsel of flesh'?
  1. The hand
  2. The heart
  3. The head
  4. The stomach
9 – If this 'morsel of flesh' is good (sound), then the whole body will be...
  1. Corrupt
  2. Diseased
  3. Sound
  4. Weak
10 – What is the best title for the lesson learned from this Hadith?
  1. The Benefits of Eating
  2. The Importance of the Heart
  3. Avoiding Doubtful Matters
  4. A Shepherd's Daily Job
Part B – Translate Each Arabic Word into English (10 items)
  1. الحَلَالُ (Al-Halāl):
  2. الحَرَامُ (Al-Ḥarām):
  3. الشُّبُهَاتِ (Asy-Syubuhāt):
  4. بَيِّنٌ (Bayyinun):
  5. يَقُولُ (Yaqūl):
  6. كَثِيرٌ (Kathīrun):
  7. اتَّقَى (Ittaqā):
  8. الجَسَدُ (Al-Jasad):
  9. صَلَحَ (Ṣalaḥa):
  10. القَلْبُ (Al-Qalb):
In summary, the profound lesson of the Sixth Hadith centers on purifying our hearts and our earnings. The guidance provided by the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) is timeless: the state of the physical body directly reflects the state of the heart, the spiritual core. By constantly maintaining vigilance and recognizing the importance of avoiding doubtful matters, we protect our religious commitment, our honor, and the purity of our hearts, ensuring the soundness of our entire existence. We hope these insights benefit all students of PPTQ At-Taqwa and beyond.
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