Leaving What Does Not Concern You in Speech, Action, and Creed

He (RH) said: The twelfth Hadith.

On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (RA),

that he said: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"Part of the excellence of a person's Islam is his leaving what does not concern him."

A good Hadith, narrated by al-Tirmidhi and others in this manner.

Yes, this Hadith is one of the foundations of the Sunan,

as Abu Dawud expressed, for Abu Dawud said:

"The foundations of the Sunan are four Hadiths," and he mentioned this Hadith among them.

The reason this Hadith is one of the foundations of the religion and the Sunan

is that it encompasses leaving words and actions

—since words are actions— for which there is no need.

As for leaving words, it includes leaving many of the prohibitions,

such as backbiting, gossip, and so on,

and even some permissible speech that may lead to the forbidden.

For it is a sign of a servant's goodness and the excellence of his Islam.

As for actions, they are too numerous to count,

of actions avoided — the forbidden, the disliked, and others.

There remains a third matter I will point out, and that is

the way of the scholars among the Tabi'un and the Companions (RA),

that this Hadith indicates that a part of a person's good Islam is to avoid delving

into matters of the unseen concerning which there is no text.

So, whatever is not mentioned in the texts regarding

the Essence of Allah ﷻ, His Attributes, and His Names,

and what relates to the unseen matters of the past,

and the coming unseen matters that Allah ﷻ has informed us of — the signs of the Hour,

and the terrors of the Day of Judgment — part of the excellence of your Islam is to leave speaking of them.

And listen to this beautiful and magnificent statement made by one who was nurtured on wisdom: al-Hasan ibn Abi al-Hasan al-Basri (RH).

For he indeed suckled wisdom when raised in the house of the Mother of the Believers, Umm Salama (RA).

He says—may Allah be pleased with her—Al-Hasan (RH) says:

"Praise be to Allah, belief in Whom includes remaining ignorant of what He has not described Himself with."

A very great statement.

"Praise be to Allah, belief in Whom includes remaining ignorant of what He has not described Himself with."

Indeed, part of faith in Allah 'Azza wa Jall and the goodness of one's Islam,

and the soundness of his belief and adherence to his Prophet ﷺ, his Companions (RA), and the predecessors of the Ummah,

is that he does not delve into what has not been transmitted in the Sharia regarding the Essence of Allah 'Azza wa Jall, His attributes, and His descriptions.

So we believe in what has come in the Book of Allah and through the tongue of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ,

according to the intent of Allah ﷻ and His Messenger ﷺ,

and we do not delve into details wherein delving is harmful and not beneficial,

and speaking about them is a fitnah and has no reward.

This is a great matter the Muslim must pay attention to.

The author, al-Nawawi (RH), mentioned

that these hadiths encompassed the fundamentals of the religion, including this topic. Yes.

I ask Allah ﷻ for you...