Hadith 30: The Limits of the Sharīʿah
Read by our brother Abu Arwa Ali
-The obligated and prohibited matters
-What are the boundaries that Allah has set?
-Those matters that Allah has remained silent about
-Excessive questioning
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Hadith 30
- From Abū Thaʿlabah Jurthūm bin Nāshir (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu), from the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallallāhu ʿalayhi wasallam), that he said, “Allāh the Exalted has obligated religious duties, so do not neglect them. He has set boundaries, so do not transgress them. He has prohibited some things, so do not violate them and about some things He was silent, out of compassion for you, not forgetfulness, so seek not after them.” [Related by al-Dārqutnī]
- The explanation of this hadith is split into 7 parts
Part 1: The authenticity of this hadith
- What other ahaadith have related the same narration?
Part 2: Ibn Rajabs statement
- Ibn Rajab mentions that four matters gather together all of the rulings of the religion, these are:
- The obligations
- The prohibited matters
- The boundary
- Those matters that Allah has remained silent about
- What does this mean?
Part 3: The obligations
- What is the definition of “obligations”?
- What are some examples?
Part 4: The boundaries
- Three things have boundaries:
- The obligatory things
- The recommended, voluntary deeds
- The permitted allowed things, what are these things?
- What does this mean?
- Some examples
Part 5: The prohibited matters
- The Prophet (ﷺ) said “He has prohibited some things, so do not violate them”
Part 6: Those matters that Allah has remained silent about
- The Prophet (ﷺ) said “and about some things He was silent, out of compassion for you, not forgetfulness, so seek not after them”
- What does this mean?
- What are some examples?
- The danger of being overly meticulous about matters concerning the religion (e.g. going into excessive details)
- Going into matters of the unseen or seeking to know the nature of Allah’s attributes (e.g. His ascension over the throne, His face etc) is prohibited
- What is our duty in this world?
- The danger of basing your life on intellect
- What questions are useful and which ones should be avoided?
Part 7: Summary of Benefits
- 1. From the sharia of Allah, there those things which are absolute obligations
- 2. You must stop at the obligations, recommended and permitted matters (i.e. don’t transgress beyond them)
- 3. Every thing Allah has made Haraam, then it is upon a Muslim to abstain from it and refrain from it
- 4. Those things concerning which Allah has remained silent, then this is forgiveness from Allah