Source: Sharḥ Kitāb al-Jāmiʿ from Bulūgh al-Marām by Ibn Ḥajar al-ʿAsqalānī
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
عن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يقول: – وأهوى النعمان بإصبعيه إلى أذنيه –
إن الحلال بين وإن الحرام بين، وبينهما مشتبهات لا يعلمهن كثير من الناس، فمن اتقى الشبهات فقد استبرأ لدينه وعرضه، ومن وقع في الشبهات وقع في الحرام، كالراعي يرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يقع فيه.
ألا وإن لكل ملك حمى، ألا وإن حمى الله محارمه.
ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله، ألا وهي القلب.
[متفق عليه – Bukhārī 52, Muslim (Kitāb al-Musāqāt), 107]
"Al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr (رضي الله عنهما) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say – and al-Nuʿmān gestured with his fingers toward his ears –
Indeed, the ḥalāl is clear and the ḥarām is clear. Between the two are doubtful matters unknown to many people.
So whoever avoids the doubtful matters has safeguarded his religion and honour, and whoever falls into them will fall into ḥarām, like a shepherd grazing near a sanctuary – he is likely to enter it.
Indeed, every king has a sanctuary; indeed, the sanctuary of Allah is that which He has made unlawful.
Indeed, in the body is a piece of flesh – if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt.
Indeed, it is the heart."
❖ The clear commands and prohibitions are established through Qur’ān and Sunnah.
Avoiding doubtful matters:
This reflects the careful avoidance of anything doubtful – even when likely permissible.
When the heart is upright, the limbs obey righteously.
When the heart is corrupt, actions reflect disobedience.
Desires and justifications often stem from the heart, not the intellect.
Clarity in ḥalāl and ḥarām allows safe decision-making.
Doubtful matters are a spiritual danger and should be avoided.
The heart plays a central role in guiding all bodily actions.
A cautious believer steers away from doubtful things to guard his faith and honour.
Translation: Ḥāfiẓ ʿAbd al-Salām bin Muḥammad Bhaṭwī
✦ Ḥadīth
عن النعمان بن بشير رضي الله عنهما قال: سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم يقول: – وأهوى النعمان بإصبعيه إلى أذنيه –
إن الحلال بين وإن الحرام بين، وبينهما مشتبهات لا يعلمهن كثير من الناس، فمن اتقى الشبهات فقد استبرأ لدينه وعرضه، ومن وقع في الشبهات وقع في الحرام، كالراعي يرعى حول الحمى يوشك أن يقع فيه.
ألا وإن لكل ملك حمى، ألا وإن حمى الله محارمه.
ألا وإن في الجسد مضغة إذا صلحت صلح الجسد كله، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسد كله، ألا وهي القلب.
[متفق عليه – Bukhārī 52, Muslim (Kitāb al-Musāqāt), 107]
"Al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr (رضي الله عنهما) reported: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say – and al-Nuʿmān gestured with his fingers toward his ears –
Indeed, the ḥalāl is clear and the ḥarām is clear. Between the two are doubtful matters unknown to many people.
So whoever avoids the doubtful matters has safeguarded his religion and honour, and whoever falls into them will fall into ḥarām, like a shepherd grazing near a sanctuary – he is likely to enter it.
Indeed, every king has a sanctuary; indeed, the sanctuary of Allah is that which He has made unlawful.
Indeed, in the body is a piece of flesh – if it is sound, the whole body is sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body is corrupt.
Indeed, it is the heart."
❖ Key Vocabulary
- الشبهات: Doubtful matters – neither clearly ḥalāl nor clearly ḥarām
- استبرأ لدينه وعرضه: He has protected his religion and honour
- الحمى: A sanctuary, reserved area – metaphor for Allah's prohibitions
- المضغة: A piece of flesh – symbolic of the heart
✿ Key Insights and Lessons
➊ The Ḥalāl is Clear and So is the Ḥarām
- The ḥadīth identifies three categories:
- Clearly ḥalāl: Foods like fruit, bread, milk; permissible business and dealings.
- Clearly ḥarām: Pork, alcohol, fornication, backbiting, lying – all explicitly forbidden.
- Doubtful matters (shubuhāt): Grey areas not well known to the general people.
❖ The clear commands and prohibitions are established through Qur’ān and Sunnah.
➋ What Are the Doubtful Matters?
- They resemble both ḥalāl and ḥarām.
- Only scholars can distinguish them properly.
- Laypersons are at risk of unintentionally falling into sin if they do not avoid such areas.
Avoiding doubtful matters:- Preserves a person's faith and reputation.
- Helps establish caution and leads to higher spiritual discipline.
➌ Example: The Lost Date
- The Prophet ﷺ saw a date on the ground and refrained from eating it, saying:
“Had I not feared it might be from ṣadaqah (charity), I would have eaten it.”
[Muttafaqun ʿalayh]
This reflects the careful avoidance of anything doubtful – even when likely permissible.➍ Whoever Falls into Doubts Will Fall into Ḥarām
- Just like a shepherd grazing near a king’s sanctuary might soon trespass,
likewise, one dealing in grey areas will likely fall into clear sin. - This is not a declaration that doubtful matters are harām by default,
but a warning about the slippery slope they present.
➎ Protecting Your Honour and Religion
- Public use of doubtful matters may result in bad assumptions from others.
- Even if a person is innocent, their reputation can be harmed.
- Avoidance leads to safety in both religion and worldly respect.
➏ Avoiding Makrūh (Disliked) Acts
- Although makrūh acts are not strictly ḥarām, consistent exposure to them:
- Weakens spiritual resolve
- Makes the heart comfortable with transgression
- Eventually leads to committing clear sins
➐ The Heart is the Command Centre
- The soundness or corruption of the body depends on the state of the heart.
When the heart is upright, the limbs obey righteously. When the heart is corrupt, actions reflect disobedience. Desires and justifications often stem from the heart, not the intellect. Summary
Clarity in ḥalāl and ḥarām allows safe decision-making. Doubtful matters are a spiritual danger and should be avoided. The heart plays a central role in guiding all bodily actions. A cautious believer steers away from doubtful things to guard his faith and honour.