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[This page was last updated: 21/05/02]

On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan bin Ali bin Abi Taib, the
grandson of the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ëalayhi wasallam, and
who is dearest to him, radiyallahu ëanhuma, who said: ìI committed to
memory from the Messenger of Allah, sallallahu ëalayhi wasallam,
(the following words):

ìLeave that about which you are in doubt for that

about which you are in no doubt.î

[Al-Tirmidhi and al-Nasaíi related it, and al-Tirmidhi said: It is a good

and genuine Hadith]

background
This hadith goes in line with Hadith 6. In this hadith the Prophet,
sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, has set a criterion by which Muslims can
decide whether something is permissible or not. There is another
version of this hadith where the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam,
elaborated further by saying: “Verily, truth is tranquillity and falsehood
is doubt.” This means that the truth will lead to tranquillity and
falsehood will lead to doubt.

Thus the criterion set by the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam,

allows us to judge what is false or wrong (i.e. something which causes
us to be doubtful) and what is the truth (i.e. something which we are
sure of and confident that it is correct because we feel happy and at
peace with it). This hadith lays down a principle that can be applied in
all aspects of one’s life. It also shows the way to truth and
righteousness. Thus, this hadith is of extreme importance.

lessons
This hadith indicates that one should only perform an act or deed
(which is permissible and proper) if he is positive or certain of it.
Performing this act will lead to some kind of tranquillity or happiness in
this life and in the Hereafter – this is one of the benefits of applying
the hadith.

In the other version of this hadith mentioned above, falsehood leads to

doubt and never to tranquillity. So if a believer finds his heart being
disturbed by something (i.e. he feels uncertain or doubtful), then he
should stay away from it. The heart of the true believer is tranquil at
the sight of truth and righteousness. And the heart becomes unsure
and shaky at the sight of falsehood and wrong.

We can conclude that this criterion applies only to the guided

righteous Muslim who is enlightened by wahi, i.e. the Qur’an and
Sunnah, and is adhering to this guidance. If a Muslim is indulging in
forbidden acts, this criterion will not work for him because his heart
will not be sensitive to what it faces.
The criterion of the hadith is activated by certain conditions or
pre-requisites: knowledge, iman, adhering to the enlightenment of the
wahi, etc. In other words, this criterion can only exist if the person is
adhering to the commands of Allah subhana wa ta’ala, the commands
of the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, following the wahi, etc.
Only then can a person reach such a status or level. But for those
who indulge in muharramat (prohibitions), do not observe wajibat
(obligations) , etc., this criterion will not be activated. Even if it does
exist, it will not be reliable.

Sometimes there are people who try to avoid doubtful matters while
they are indulging in muharram. For example, the people who killed
al-Hussain (the brother of the narrator of this hadith). After having
killed him, they start discussing about the ruling on the killing of
mosquitoes, whether it is permissible or not.

There are many matters or issues relating to the shariah where the
scholars have conflicting views or opinions. For example, some
scholars say that it is a wajib to recite Surat al-Fatihah in the
congregational prayer while other scholars say it is not. Or the paying
of zakat for Muslim women’s jewellery – whether a woman has to pay
zakat for jewellery that she wears/uses and not just for those that she
keeps for investment – an issue which has never been resolved. In
these situations, can the Muslim apply the criterion of this hadith?
According to some scholars, it is permissible to do so – this is known
as the ‘cautious approach’. This became a very well-known approach
for some scholars who used it whenever there were conflicting views.

So for the issue of reciting Surat al-Fatihah, to those who insist that
without reciting it the prayer is invalid, these scholars following the
cautious approach say that they should recite it. And in the case of the
zakat for jewellery, the cautious approach is that it is better to pay the
zakat for all jewellery, whether it is worn/used or not, so that the
woman will be ‘saved’ either way.

There is another approach of the scholars which holds that it is not a

matter of conflicting views, it is a matter of the authenticity and
soundness of the proofs. If there is a sound dalil (evidence), the
scholars will follow it. This approach is also practiced by those who
strictly follow a madhab because the madhab follows a dalil.

There are also many situations which consist of both good and bad.
The cautious approach will suggest that we avoid an act if it involves
both good and bad aspects. The approach which follows the dalil
applies the concept of weighing between benefits and harms. This
involves applying principles derived from the Qur’an and Hadith. These
principles state that it is permissible to give up a minor benefit in order
to avoid a major harm. Or tolerate a minor harm in order to avoid a
major one or to gain a major benefit.

Looking back on Islamic history, we can see that some scholars were
for one approach while other scholars were for the other. Thus it is
not crucial for us to determine which one is the better approach.

In the situation of conflicting views where something is known for

certain and something which is just a mere conjecture, what is known
for sure will take precedence, i.e. will be the prevailing view. This is
one of the principles of Fiqh. For example, if we know that a piece of
clothing has some impurity on it but we are not sure exactly where, it
is better that we wash the entire clothing. Another example is if a
person is doubtful about how many rakaats he has already prayed,
whether it is one or two, he should continue his prayer with what he is
certain of - he is sure he has prayed one rakaat so he should continue
with the second one.

Another principle is that it is not allowed to make ijtihad if something is

clearly and definitively stated in the Qur'an or authentic Hadith. If there
is text which clearly states the hukum (ruling), then the ijtihad is not
needed.

There is no righteousness or piety in avoiding something that is clearly

and unquestionably permissible, i.e. something that is lawful and
clearly permitted by shariah. For example, in the area of food, one
shouldn't say he will refrain from eating meat as a matter of
righteousness. He will not be rewarded for this.

There is the hadith that tells the story of the three men, where one
vowed not to sleep so he can pray all night, one vowed to fast
everyday and one vowed not to marry, all for the sake of
righteousness. These actions which these men vowed not to do
(sleeping, eating and getting married) are lawful things which are not
only permitted but also encouraged. (In fact, some scholars even say
that there should be a minimum number of hours everyday which we
allocate for sleep so that our bodies get enough rest.) When the
Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, heard of the three men's vows,
he was very disappointed. He, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, called them
and told them he was the most righteous and pious amongst them and
yet he sleeps, eats and marries. Moreover the Prophet, sallallahu
‘alayhi wasallam, made a principal concerning this matter by saying:
“This is my way, and whoever refrains from it is not part of me.”

Thus, if something is clearly permissible in shariah, there is no point in

refraining from doing it with the intention that doing so is an ibadah. If
it is for other good reasons, e.g. to avoid meat because of one’s
health, then it is okay.

One of the tricks of shaitan is that he will take something which is

forbidden and present it in a way to make it look like a permissible
act. One should be careful not to be deceived by shaitan. If something
is muharram, then no matter what, it is forbidden. We must not allow
shaitan to influence us and change our perception into thinking that
something which is forbidden may not be all that bad after all – that it
is permissible to do it.

Shaykh Jamaluddin Zarabozo says in his commentaries on Imam

Nawawi’s Forty Hadith that in these contemporary times there are
many matters in business transactions where there might contain
some implicit aspects of riba’. Thus there are many new situations or
issues where people are confused as to whether something is
acceptable or not. He says that it is better to avoid acts which we are
not sure of or where there are no clear views from scholars.

Sometimes these issues are discussed by scholars but their views are
not being promoted enough to the Muslims in general. Many of the
renowned scholars today meet once a year to discuss contemporary
issues and these issues are then published in a special magazine.
Unfortunately, this magazine is not widely distributed and not many
people, including educators, other scholars, etc., are aware of it. We
should all try to keep ourselves informed with the latest views or
opinions of the scholars, especially on matters related to our lifestyle
today, e.g. banking, insurance, etc.

conclusion
This hadith equips Muslims with a practical criterion by which to judge
doubtful acts and situations, and enables them to make the right
decision concerning these matters. However, Muslims need to
understand how to apply such a criterion correctly and not to be
deceived by wrong perceptions or personal interest.

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