Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.

Prohibitions from Allah are sacred so do not approach them

bukhari:52Abū Nuʿaym > Zakariyyāʾ > ʿĀmir > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart.  

البخاري:٥٢حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ عَنْ عَامِرٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشَبَّهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الْمُشَبَّهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِيِنِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ كَرَاعٍ يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى أَلاَ إِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ فِي أَرْضِهِ مَحَارِمُهُ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Dārimī, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī

Distance yourself from matters of doubt since what is permissible or prohibited has already been made clear

muslim:1599aMuḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr al-Hamdānī from my father > Zakariyyāʾ > al-Shaʿbī > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr > Samiʿtuh

I heard Messenger of Allah (may peace be upon himn) as having said this (and Nu'man) pointed towards his ears with his fingers): What is lawful is evident and what is unlawful is evident, and in between them are the things doubtful which many people do not know. So he who guards against doubtful things keeps his religion and honour blameless, and he who indulges in doubtful things indulges in fact in unlawful things, just as a shepherd who pastures his animals round a preserve will soon pasture them in it. Beware, every king has a preserve, and the things God his declaced unlawful are His preserves. Beware, in the body there is a piece of flesh; if it is sound, the whole body is sound and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and hearken it is the heart.  

مسلم:١٥٩٩aحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّاءُ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ، وَأَهْوَى النُّعْمَانُ بِإِصْبَعَيْهِ إِلَى أُذُنَيْهِ: «إِنَّ الْحَلاَلَ بَيِّنٌ وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهُنَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ۔ فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ، وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ۔ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى۔ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ مَحَارِمُهُ۔ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ۔ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ۔»  

ibnmajah:3984ʿAmr b. Rāfiʿ > ʿAbdullāh b. al-Mubārak > Zakariyyā b. Abū Zāʾidah > al-Shaʿbī > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr > al-Minbar And ʾAhwá Biʾiṣbaʿayh > Udhunayh

“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between them are matters that are not clear, about which not many people know. Thus he who guards against the unclear matters, he clears himself with regard to his religion and his honor. But he who falls into the unclear matters, he falls into that which is unlawful. Like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Every king has a sanctuary. And beware! Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Beware! In the body there is a piece of flesh which, if it is sound, the whole body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body will be corrupt. It is the heart.’”  

ابن ماجة:٣٩٨٤حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ عَنْ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ وَأَهْوَى بِإِصْبَعَيْهِ إِلَى أُذُنَيْهِ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ كَالرَّاعِي حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى أَلاَ وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ مَحَارِمُهُ أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلُحَتْ صَلُحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلاَ وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ  

ahmad:18374

“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between them are matters that are not clear, about which not many people know. Thus he who guards against the unclear matters, he clears himself with regard to his religion and his honor. But he who falls into the unclear matters, he falls into that which is unlawful. Like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Every king has a sanctuary. And beware! Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Beware! In the body there is a piece of flesh which, if it is sound, the whole body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body will be corrupt. It is the heart.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3984)  

أحمد:١٨٣٧٤

وَسَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنَّ الْحَلَالَ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ فِيهِ لِدِينِهِ وَعِرْضِهِ وَمَنْ وَاقَعَهَا وَاقَعَ الْحَرَامَ كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ أَلَا وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللهِ مَا حَرَّمَ أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْإِنْسَانِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلُحَتْ صَلُحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ  

darimi:2573Abū Nuʿaym > Zakariyyā > al-Shaʿbī > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say: ‘That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between them are matters that are not clear, about which not many people know. Thus he who guards against the unclear matters, he clears himself with regard to his religion and his honor. But he who falls into the unclear matters, he falls into that which is unlawful. Like the shepherd who pastures around a sanctuary, all but grazing therein. Every king has a sanctuary. And beware! Allah’s sanctuary is His prohibitions. Beware! In the body there is a piece of flesh which, if it is sound, the whole body will be sound, and if it is corrupt, the whole body will be corrupt. It is the heart.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3984)  

الدارمي:٢٥٧٣أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَكَرِيَّا عَنْ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «الْحَلَالُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُتَشَابِهَاتٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِعِرْضِهِ وَدِينِهِ وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى فَيُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى أَلَا وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللَّهِ مَحَارِمُهُ أَلَا وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ»  

bayhaqi:10400[Chain 1] Abū Muḥammad Janāḥ b. Nudhayr b. Janāḥ al-Muḥāribī Bi-al-Kūfah > Abū Jaʿfar Muḥammad b. ʿAlī b. Duḥaym > Aḥmad b. Abū Ḥāzim > Yaʿlá b. ʿUbayd And al-Faḍl b. Dukayn > Zakariyyā b. Abū Zāʾidah [Chain 2] Abū ʿAbdullāh al-Ḥāfiẓ > Abū Bakr b. Isḥāq Imlāʾ > Mūsá b. al-Ḥasan b. ʿAbbād And ʿAmrū b. Tamīm al-Ṭabarī > Abū Nuʿaym > Zakariyyā > al-Shaʿbī > al-Nuʿmān b. Bashīr

I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, 'Both legal and illegal things are evident but in between them there are doubtful (suspicious) things and most of the people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the Hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to get in it. (O people!) Beware! Every king has a Hima and the Hima of Allah on the earth is His illegal (forbidden) things. Beware! There is a piece of flesh in the body if it becomes good (reformed) the whole body becomes good but if it gets spoilt the whole body gets spoilt and that is the heart. (Using translation from Bukhārī 52)   

البيهقي:١٠٤٠٠أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو مُحَمَّدٍ جَنَاحُ بْنُ نُذَيْرِ بْنِ جَنَاحٍ الْمُحَارِبِيُّ بِالْكُوفَةِ ثنا أَبُو جَعْفَرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيِّ بْنِ دُحَيْمٍ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ أنا يَعْلَى بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ وَالْفَضْلُ بْنُ دُكَيْنٍ قَالَا ثنا زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ ح وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَبْدِ اللهِ الْحَافِظُ ثنا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ إِمْلَاءً أنا مُوسَى بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَبَّادٍ وَعَمْرُو بْنُ تَمِيمٍ الطَّبَرِيُّ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ قَالَ ثنا زَكَرِيَّا عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النُّعْمَانَ بْنَ بَشِيرٍ يَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ الْحَلَالُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لَا يَعْلَمُهَا كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِعِرْضِهِ وَدِينِهِ وَمَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُوَاقِعَهُ ثُمَّ إنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى أَلَا وَإِنَّ حِمَى اللهِ مَحَارِمُهُ أَلَا إِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلُحَتْ صَلُحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ وَإنْ فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ أَلَا وَهِيَ الْقَلْبُ  

رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ أَبِي نُعَيْمٍ الْفَضْلِ بْنِ دُكَيْنٍ وَأَخْرَجَهُ مُسْلِمٌ مِنْ أَوْجُهٍ عَنْ زَكَرِيَّا بْنِ أَبِي زَائِدَةَ
suyuti:10658a
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السيوطي:١٠٦٥٨a

"الحلال بين والحرام بيِّن، وبينهما أمور مشتبهات لا يعلمها كثير من الناس فمن اتقى المُشْتَبِهَاتِ (فقد) اسْتَبْرَأَ لعِرْضِهِ وَدِينه، ومن وقع في المشتبهات وقع في الحرام كراع يرعى حول الحمى يُوشِكُ أن يُوَاقِعَهُ، ألَا وإن لكل مَلِك حمى ألا وإنَّ حِمَى الله -تعالى- في أرضه مَحَارِمُهُ، أَلا وإنَّ في الجسد مُضْغةَ إِذا صَلُحَتَ صَلحَ الجسدُ كله، وإذا فسدت فسد الجسدُ كلُّه ألا وهي القلب".  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [د] أبو داود [ت] الترمذي [ن] النسائي [هـ] ابن ماجة عن الشعبي عن النعمان بن بشير