6th Hadith - Lawful and Unlawful are clear (Bukhari: 52)

الحديثُ السادسُ

 عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ اللهِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيْرٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُوْلُ : إِنَّ الْحَلاَلَ بَيِّنٌ وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُوْرٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهُنَّ كَثِيْرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى  الشُّبُهَاتِ فَقَدْ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِيْنِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ، كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعىَ حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوْشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيْهِ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ  لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى أَلاَ وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللهِ مَحَارِمُهُ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ   مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ  أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ

[رواه البخاري ومسلم]

6th Hadith Translation

Al-Nauman-Ibn-Bashir (R.A.) reported: The Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.), said:

 “Verily, the lawful is clear and the unlawful is clear, and between the two of them are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Thus, he who avoids doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor, and he who falls into doubtful matters will fall into the unlawful as the shepherd who pastures near a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Verily, every king has a sanctum and the sanctum of Allah is his prohibitions. Verily, in the body there is a piece of flesh which if upright then the entire body is upright, and if corrupt then the entire body is corrupt. No doubt it is the heart. 

(Bukhari: 52)

Brief Narration

The first thing to note is that Imam Bukhari recorded this hadith in the beginning of the Book of Trading (“Kitab Al-Buyu”). This hadith emphasizes the importance of glorifying Allah. If we want to glorify Allah, we have to glorify His injunctions, commandments, whether they are obligations (so we perform them), or whether they are prohibitions (so we don't perform them).

The Scholars are of the view that the vast majority of acts fall into one of the first two categories, either it is evidently lawful or unlawful. Only a minority number of acts fall into the third category, that which is doubtful. There are doubtful matters that a Muslim might face in his/her everyday dealings and activities. This hadith helps the Muslim in dealing with such matters.

(Reference: Commentary of Forty Hadiths of An-Nawawi by Dr. Jamal Ahmed Badi)