9th Hadith - Avoid Forbidden Things (Bukhari: 7288)

الحديث التاسع

  عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ صَخْر رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ رَسُوْلَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُوْلُ : مَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْهُ فَاجْتَنِبُوْهُ، وَمَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ، فَإِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ الَّذِيْنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ كَثْرَةُ مَسَائِلِهِمْ وَاخْتِلاَفُهُمْ عَلَى أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ

[رواه البخاري ومسلم]

9th Hadith Translation

On the authority of Abu-Hurairah (R.A.): I heard the Messenger of Allah (S.A.W.) say,

“What I have forbidden for you, avoid. What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. For verily, it was only the excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed [the nations] who were before you.” (Bukhari: 7288)

Brief Narration

The Hadith is self-explanatory. In the Hadith, our Prophet (S.A.W.) has told that all the forbidden things/acts must be totally avoided by a Muslim. By refraining from acts that lead to a prohibited act, we are actually safeguarding ourselves from falling into the forbidden.

Reasons and background of a hadith is very important for us understand its meaning. It was related during an incident where the Prophet (S.A.W.) said: "Allah has commanded you to perform Hajj. So perform Hajj, O servants of Allah." Then a man stood up and said: "O Prophet of Allah, do we have to do it every year?" Then the Prophet S.A.W.) said: "That whatever I forbid you to do, avoid it and whatever I command you to do, do it as much as you can." The incident above was at the time of revelation. Asking too many questions about an obligation may lead to complications and confusions. The Prophet (S.A.W.) was not happy with the question raised by the man for it could have caused the Hajj to be performed every year by each Muslim if the answer was yes to that question.

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