Avoid that which I forbid you to do and do that which I command you to do to the best of your capacity. Verily the people before you went to their doom because they had put too many questions to their Prophets and then disagreed with their teachings.  

أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «مَا نَهَيْتُكُمْ عَنْهُ فَاجْتَنِبُوهُ وَمَا أَمَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ فَافْعَلُوا مِنْهُ مَا اسْتَطَعْتُمْ، فَإِنَّمَا أَهْلَكَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ كَثْرَةُ مَسَائِلِهِمْ وَاخْتِلاَفُهُمْ عَلَى أَنْبِيَائِهِمْ۔»  

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Ibn Shihab with the same chain of transmitters.  

عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ مِثْلَهُ سَوَاءً  

Abandon that which I have asked you to abandon, for the people before you went to their doom (for asking too many questions).  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ذَرُونِي مَا تَرَكْتُكُمْ وَفِي حَدِيثِ هَمَّامٍ مَا تُرِكْتُمْ فَإِنَّمَا هَلَكَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ ثُمَّ ذَكَرُوا نَحْوَ حَدِيثِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ وَأَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ  

The greatest sinner amongst the Muslims is one who asked about a thing (from Allah's Apostle) which had not been forbidden for the Muslims and it was forbidden for them because of his persistently asking about it.  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّ أَعْظَمَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ جُرْمًا مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ شَىْءٍ لَمْ يُحَرَّمْ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ فَحُرِّمَ عَلَيْهِمْ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَسْأَلَتِهِ  

The greatest sinner of the Muslims amongst Muslims is one who asked about a certain thing which had not been prohibited and it was prohibited because of his asking about it.  

أَحْفَظُهُ كَمَا أَحْفَظُ بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ الزُّهْرِيُّ عَنْ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَعْظَمُ الْمُسْلِمِينَ فِي الْمُسْلِمِينَ جُرْمًا مَنْ سَأَلَ عَنْ أَمْرٍ لَمْ يُحَرَّمْ فَحُرِّمَ عَلَى النَّاسِ مِنْ أَجْلِ مَسْأَلَتِهِ  

" A person asked about a thing from Allah's Apostle ﷺ and he indulged in hair-splitting."  

عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَزَادَ فِي حَدِيثِ مَعْمَرٍ رَجُلٌ سَأَلَ عَنْ شَىْءٍ وَنَقَّرَ عَنْهُ وَقَالَ فِي حَدِيثِ يُونُسَ عَامِرِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ سَعْدًا  

Paradise and Hell were presented to me and I have never seen the good and evil as (I did) today. And if you were to know you would have wept more and laughed less. He (the narrator) said: There was nothing more burdensome for the Companions of Messenger of Allah ﷺ than this. They covered their heads and the sound of weeping was heard from them. Then there stood up 'Umar and he said: We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life and with Muhammad as our Apostle, and it was at that time that a person stood up and he said: Who is my father? Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Your father is so and so; and there was revealed the verse:" O you who believe, do not ask about matters which, if they were to be made manifest to you (in terms of law), might cause to you harm" (v. 101).  

بَلَغَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَنْ أَصْحَابِهِ شَىْءٌ فَخَطَبَ فَقَالَ عُرِضَتْ عَلَىَّ الْجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ فَلَمْ أَرَ كَالْيَوْمِ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ وَلَوْ تَعْلَمُونَ مَا أَعْلَمُ لَضَحِكْتُمْ قَلِيلاً وَلَبَكَيْتُمْ كَثِيرًا قَالَ فَمَا أَتَى عَلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمٌ أَشَدُّ مِنْهُ قَالَ غَطَّوْا رُءُوسَهُمْ وَلَهُمْ خَنِينٌ قَالَ فَقَامَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ نَبِيًّا قَالَ فَقَامَ ذَاكَ الرَّجُلُ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَبِي قَالَ أَبُوكَ فُلاَنٌ فَنَزَلَتْ { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ}  

Messenger of Allah, who is my father? And he said: Your father is so and so, and there was revealed this verse:" Do not ask about matters which, if they were to be made manifest to you, might cause you harm" (v. 101).  

رَجُلٌ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَبِي قَالَ أَبُوكَ فُلاَنٌ وَنَزَلَتْ { يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَسْأَلُوا عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ إِنْ تُبْدَ لَكُمْ تَسُؤْكُمْ} تَمَامَ الآيَةِ  

He who desires to ask anything from me let him ask me about it. By Allah, I shall not move from this place so long as I do not inform you about that which you ask. Anas b. Malik said: People began to shed tears profusely when they heard this from Messenger of Allah ﷺ and Messenger of Allah ﷺ said it repeatedly: You ask me. Thereupon 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, who is my father? He said: Your father is Hudhafa, and Messenger of Allah ﷺ said repeatedly: Ask me, and (it was at this juncture that 'Umar knelt down and said): We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life and with Muhammad as the Messenger (of Allah). Messenger of Allah ﷺ kept quiet so long as 'Umar spoke. Then Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: (The Doom) is near; by Him, in Whose Hand is the life of Muhammad, there was presented to me the Paradise and Hell in the nook of this enclosure, and I did not see good and evil like that of the present day. Ibn Shihab reported: Ubaidullah b. 'Abdullah b. 'Utba told me that the mother of 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa told 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa: I have never heard of a son more disobedient than you. Do you feel yourself immune from the fact that your mother committed a sin which the women in the pre-Islamic period committed and then you disgrace her in the eyes of the people? 'Abdullah b. Hudhafa said: If my fatherhood were to be attributed to a black slave I would have connected myself with him.  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ حِينَ زَاغَتِ الشَّمْسُ فَصَلَّى لَهُمْ صَلاَةَ الظُّهْرِ فَلَمَّا سَلَّمَ قَامَ عَلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَذَكَرَ السَّاعَةَ وَذَكَرَ أَنَّ قَبْلَهَا أُمُورًا عِظَامًا ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ أَنْ يَسْأَلَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ فَلْيَسْأَلْنِي عَنْهُ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ تَسْأَلُونَنِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ أَخْبَرْتُكُمْ بِهِ مَا دُمْتُ فِي مَقَامِي هَذَا قَالَ أَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ فَأَكْثَرَ النَّاسُ الْبُكَاءَ حِينَ سَمِعُوا ذَلِكَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَأَكْثَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنْ يَقُولَ سَلُونِي فَقَامَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حُذَافَةَ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَبِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَبُوكَ حُذَافَةُ فَلَمَّا أَكْثَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنْ أَنْ يَقُولَ سَلُونِي بَرَكَ عُمَرُ فَقَالَ رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً قَالَ فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حِينَ قَالَ عُمَرُ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَوْلَى وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ لَقَدْ عُرِضَتْ عَلَىَّ الْجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ آنِفًا فِي عُرْضِ هَذَا الْحَائِطِ فَلَمْ أَرَ كَالْيَوْمِ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ قَالَ قَالَتْ أُمُّ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حُذَافَةَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حُذَافَةَ مَا سَمِعْتُ بِابْنٍ قَطُّ أَعَقَّ مِنْكَ أَأَمِنْتَ أَنْ تَكُونَ أُمُّكَ قَدْ قَارَفَتْ بَعْضَ مَا تُقَارِفُ نِسَاءُ أَهْلِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ فَتَفْضَحَهَا عَلَى أَعْيُنِ النَّاسِ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ حُذَافَةَ وَاللَّهِ لَوْ أَلْحَقَنِي بِعَبْدٍ أَسْوَدَ لَلَحِقْتُهُ  

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Zuhri with a slight variation of wording.  

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِهَذَا الْحَدِيثِ وَحَدِيثِ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ مَعَهُ غَيْرَ أَنَّ شُعَيْبًا قَالَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ أَنَّ أُمَّ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ حُذَافَةَ قَالَتْ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ يُونُسَ  

Ask me and I shall leave no question of yours unanswered for you, and when the people heard about it they were overawed, as if (something tragic) was going to happen. Anas said: I began to look towards the right and the left and (found) that every person was weeping wrapping his head with the cloth. Then a person in the mosque broke the ice and they used to dispute with him by attributing his fatherhood to another man than his own father. He said: Allah's Apostle, who is my father? He said: Your father is Hudhafa. Then 'Umar b. Khattab (Allah be pleased with him) dared say something and said: We are well pleased with Allah as our Lord, with Islam as our code of life and with Muhammad as our Messenger, seeking refuge with Allah from the evil of Turmoil. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: Never did I see the good and evil as today. Paradise and Hell were given a visible shape before me (in this worldly life) and I saw both of them near this well.  

أَنَّ النَّاسَ سَأَلُوا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى أَحْفَوْهُ بِالْمَسْأَلَةِ فَخَرَجَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ فَصَعِدَ الْمِنْبَرَ فَقَالَ سَلُونِي لاَ تَسْأَلُونِي عَنْ شَىْءٍ إِلاَّ بَيَّنْتُهُ لَكُمْ فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ ذَلِكَ الْقَوْمُ أَرَمُّوا وَرَهِبُوا أَنْ يَكُونَ بَيْنَ يَدَىْ أَمْرٍ قَدْ حَضَرَ قَالَ أَنَسٌ فَجَعَلْتُ أَلْتَفِتُ يَمِينًا وَشِمَالاً فَإِذَا كُلُّ رَجُلٍ لاَفٌّ رَأْسَهُ فِي ثَوْبِهِ يَبْكِي فَأَنْشَأَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمَسْجِدِ كَانَ يُلاَحَى فَيُدْعَى لِغَيْرِ أَبِيهِ فَقَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ مَنْ أَبِي قَالَ أَبُوكَ حُذَافَةُ ثُمَّ أَنْشَأَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ ؓ فَقَالَ رَضِينَا بِاللَّهِ رَبًّا وَبِالإِسْلاَمِ دِينًا وَبِمُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولاً عَائِذًا بِاللَّهِ مِنْ سُوءِ الْفِتَنِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَمْ أَرَ كَالْيَوْمِ قَطُّ فِي الْخَيْرِ وَالشَّرِّ إِنِّي صُوِّرَتْ لِيَ الْجَنَّةُ وَالنَّارُ فَرَأَيْتُهُمَا دُونَ هَذَا الْحَائِطِ  

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Qatada.  

عَنْ أَنَسٍ بِهَذِهِ الْقِصَّةِ  

Ask me what you wish to ask. Thereupon a person said: Who is my father? He said: Your father is Hudhafa. Then another person stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, who is my father? He said: Your father is Salim, the freed slave of Shaiba. When 'Umar saw the signs of anger upon the face of Allah's Apostle ﷺ, he said: Messenger of Allah, we ask repentance from Allah. And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Abu Kuraib (the words are):" Messenger of Allah, who is my father? He said: Your father is Salim, the freed slave of Shaiba."  

سُئِلَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ كَرِهَهَا فَلَمَّا أُكْثِرَ عَلَيْهِ غَضِبَ ثُمَّ قَالَ لِلنَّاسِ سَلُونِي عَمَّ شِئْتُمْ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مَنْ أَبِي قَالَ أَبُوكَ حُذَافَةُ فَقَامَ آخَرُ فَقَالَ مَنْ أَبِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَبُوكَ سَالِمٌ مَوْلَى شَيْبَةَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى عُمَرُ مَا فِي وَجْهِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ مِنَ الْغَضَبِ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا نَتُوبُ إِلَى اللَّهِ وَفِي رِوَايَةِ أَبِي كُرَيْبٍ قَالَ مَنْ أَبِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ أَبُوكَ سَالِمٌ مَوْلَى شَيْبَةَ