The Doubtful Matters
Narrated by al-Nuʿmān bin Bashīrعن [أبي عبدِ اللهِ النُّعمانِ بنِ بَشيرٍ] رَضِي اللهُ عَنْهُما قالَ: (سَمِعْتُ رسولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يقولُ: "إنَّ الحَلاَلَ بَيِّنٌ وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ، وَبَيْنَهُما أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ لاَ يَعْلَمُهُنَّ كَثِيرٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ، فَمَنِ اتَّقَى الشُّبُهَاتِ فَقَدِ اسْتَبْرَأَ لِدِينِهِ وعِرْضِهِ، ومَنْ وَقَعَ فِي الشُّبُهَاتِ وَقَعَ فِي الْحَرَامِ، كَالرَّاعِي يَرْعَى حَوْلَ الْحِمَى يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَرْتَعَ فِيهِ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ لِكُلِّ مَلِكٍ حِمًى، أَلاَ وإِنَّ حِمَى اللهِ مَحَارِمُـهُ، أَلاَ وَإِنَّ فِي الْجَسَدِ مُضْغَةً إِذَا صَلَحَتْ صَلَحَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، وَإِذَا فَسَدَتْ فَسَدَ الْجَسَدُ كُلُّهُ، أَلاَ وهِيَ الْقَلْبُ"). رواه البخاريُّ ومسلمٌ.
From Abū ʿAbd Allāh al-Nuʿmān bin Bashīr (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhumā) who said:
I heard the Messenger of Allāh (ṣallallāhu alayhi wasallam) saying, "That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear and between the two are ambiguous matters which many people do not know of. So whoever took caution regarding the ambiguous matters has absolved himself regarding his religion and his honour. And whoever fell into the doubtful matters has fallen into the unlawful, just like the shepherd who grazes his flock around the sanctuary (of a king), all but grazing therein. Indeed, every king has a sanctuary (that cannot be violated) and indeed the sanctuary of Allāh is his prohibitions. Indeed, there is a morsel of flesh in the body which if it is sound the whole body is sound and which if itis corrupt the whole body is corrupt. Indeed, it is the heart."
Related by al-Bukhārī, Muslim
Translation by Abū ʿIyāḍ — Nawawis40Hadith.com, used with permission.