32nd Hadith - No Harming Yourself or Others [Al-Baihaqee (Ibn Majah: 2341)

الحديث الثاني والثلاثون 

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيْدٍ سَعَدْ بْنِ سِنَانِ الْخُدْرِي رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى الله عليه وسلَّمَ قَالَ : لاَ ضَرَرَ وَلاَ ضِرَارَ 

[حَدِيْثٌ حَسَنٌ رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَه وَالدَّارُقُطْنِي وَغَيْرُهُمَا مُسْنَداً، وَرَوَاهُ مَالِك فِي الْمُوَطَّأ مُرْسَلاً عَنْ عَمْرو بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِيْهِ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَسْقَطَ أَبَا سَعِيْدٍ وَلَهُ طُرُقٌ يُقَوِّي بَعْضُهَا بَعْضاً]

32nd Hadith - Translation 

It was related on the authority of Abu Said Sad Bin Malik Bin Sinan Al-Khudri (R.A.) that the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) said:  

"There should be neither harming nor reciprocating harm." 

(Ibn Majah: 2341)

[A excellent (Sahih) hadith which Ibn Majah, Al-Daraqutni and others related as of sound isnad, but which Malik related in his Muwatta' as of broken isnad, from 'Amr bin Yahya, from his father, from the Prophet, sallallahu 'alayhi wasallam, but dropping (the name of) Abu Sa'id. This hadith has lines of transmission which strengthen one another (so that it may be regarded as of sound isnad).]

Brief Narration

There are other interpretations of the text. One of them is: "No harm and no harming". Another interpretation is given by Ustaz Jamaludin Zarabozo: "There is not to be any causing of harm; nor is there to be any requital of harm".

There is another version on the hadith in which the Prophet (S.A.W.) says: "No harm or harming in Islam". There is the additional phrase "in Islam". In a third version, the hadith states: "It is cursed whoever harms a mumin (believer)."

Any act that causes harm to others, whether individually or as a community and whether it is beneficial or not beneficial to the one who causes it, is prohibited in Islam. It should not exist in the first place and if it did, then a deliberate effort should be made to remove or minimize it. The scholars point out that those in authority should interfere and prevent such harmful acts.