Taken from: Fatāwā ad-Dīn al-Khāliṣ, Vol. 1, p. 203❖ Question:
What is the Shar‘i ruling regarding the statement “Khair al-Umūr Awsatuha”?
People often say, “The best of affairs are those that are moderate.”
To what extent is this statement correct? Is it an authentic Hadith or merely a saying?
(Questioner: Akhūkum Jamīl)
❖ Answer:
Wa ʿalaykum as-Salām wa raḥmatullāhi wa barakātuh!
Alḥamdulillāh, and peace and blessings be upon the Messenger of Allah. To proceed:
✿ The Reality of the Statement “خَيْرُ الْأُمُورِ أَوْسَطُهَا”
The phrase “Khair al-Umūr Awsatuha” is classified as a weak (ḍaʿīf) ḥadīth, and the full explanation is detailed below:
◈ Narration of the Hadith
Imām al-Bayhaqī رحمه الله narrated this in his book:
As-Sunan al-Kubrā (3/273) from Kinānah:
"The Prophet ﷺ prohibited two forms of ostentation:
① One in which a man wears fine clothing so that people look at him,
② And the other in which a man wears worn-out and shabby clothes so that people look at him.
ʿAmr (the narrator) says:
I have received from the Messenger ﷺ that he said:
❝Choose the middle path between both, and the best of affairs is that which is moderate.❞"
◈ Comment by Imām al-Bayhaqī:
"This narration is munqaṭiʿ (disconnected)."
✿ References in Other Books:
Imām al-Qurṭubī quoted this in:
(2/154), (5/343), (6/271)
Al-ʿAjlūnī, in Kashf al-Khafā’ (1/391), Ḥadīth No. 1247, wrote:
"This is a weak ḥadīth."
In Al-Ittiḥāf (8/13), (7/336):
"It is said that this is a mursal narration."
◈ Weakness in the Chain:
In another chain, one of the narrators is majhūl (unknown).
In ad-Daylamī, this narration is mentioned without any chain.
✿ Criticism by Hadith Scholars:
In Al-Maqāṣid al-Ḥasanah (pp. 205 & 455):
"This is a weak ḥadīth."
✔ Conclusion:
The statement “خَيْرُ الْأُمُورِ أَوْسَطُهَا” is a weak narration, and it is not valid to consider it a principle of creed or Sharīʿah, because its chain is disconnected and includes unknown narrators.
However, it may be treated as a wise saying or proverbial statement, but attributing it to the Prophet ﷺ as a Hadith is not permissible according to Sharīʿah.
❖ Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
