It is narrated from Sayyiduna Nu’man bin Bashir (may Allah be pleased with him), he says: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) saying this, and at the same time he pointed towards his ears: Indeed, the lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, but between the lawful and unlawful there are some doubtful matters, many people are unaware of whether they are lawful or unlawful. Whoever avoids these doubtful matters has protected his religion and honor, and whoever indulges in them is close to falling into the unlawful. Its example is like a man who grazes his animals near a sanctuary; it is possible that they may enter it. Every king has a forbidden area, and the forbidden things of Allah Almighty are His prohibited matters. There is a piece of flesh in the human body; if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt. Beware! That is the heart.
Hadith Referenceالفتح الربانی / كتاب البيوع والكسب والمعاش وما يتعلق بالتجارة / 5725
Hadith Gradingمحدثین:صحیح
Hadith Takhrij«أخرجه البخاري: 2051، ومسلم: 1599، (انظر مسند أحمد ترقيم الرسالة: 18368 ترقیم بيت الأفكار الدولية: 18558»
Brief Explanation
Benefits: … In the light of the Qur’an and Hadith, lawful (halal) and unlawful (haram) matters are absolutely clear. However, there are some matters in between regarding which a clear ruling of permissibility or prohibition cannot be made; these are called doubtful (mushtabih) matters. The demand of this blessed hadith is that one should also abstain from such matters, so that a person remains completely protected from unlawful acts. Whoever avoids these doubtful matters will receive reward from Allah Ta’ala, and whoever seeks justification for them will be regretful and deprived of virtues.
See Hadith number (6204); in this hadith, a doubtful matter is mentioned.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said regarding a date lying on the road: “If I did not fear that it might be from charity (sadaqah), I would have eaten it.” (Sahih Bukhari: 2055)
From the last part of the blessed hadith, it is understood that the rectification of a servant depends on the heart; therefore, the heart should be kept sincere and efforts should be made for its rectification.