Avoid what I have forbidden you from; and do as much as you can, of what I have ordered you. Indeed, those before you were ruined because of their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their prophets
AuthenticMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 9
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Avoid what I have forbidden you from; and do as much as you can, of what I have ordered you. Indeed, those before you were ruined because of their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their prophets."
Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 7288), Muslim (No. 1337, 1337b, 1337c, 1337d), At-Tirmidhi (No. 2679), An-Nasa’i (No. 2619), Ibn Majah (No. 2) and Ahmad (No. 3793, 7063, 7188, 7797, 8310, 9158, 9404, 9646). Cited in The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi (No. 9).
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) informed us that if he forbade us from something, we must avoid it without exception, and if he ordered us to do something, we have to do it as much as we can. He then warned us against being like some of the previous nations, who asked their prophets excessive questions and disagreed with them, so Allah punished them with different types of destruction and ruin. We should therefore avoid being like them, so we will not be destroyed in the ways that they were.
Lessons
It enjoins compliance with the commands and prohibitions.
We are not permitted to do anything of the prohibitions. With regard to the commands, however, we are required to comply according to our abilities. This is because the abandonment of something falls within one’s capacity, whereas taking a certain action requires ability.
It is prohibited to ask a lot of questions. The scholars divided questions into two types, one of which aims at learning things needed in the religion. This type is required, and it applies to questions the Companions used to ask. The other type is such questions that are posed by way of obstinacy and affectation, which is prohibited.
It warns the Ummah of disobeying the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), as happened in the past nations.
When something is prohibited, this applies to any part of it, great or small, for avoiding it requires avoidance of the action altogether. For example, we are prohibited from usury, and this applies to any amount of it, big or small.
We are required to shun the means conducive to something prohibited, for this falls under the meaning of avoidance.
Man has certain capacity and ability, as indicated by his words: “As much as you can.” This refutes the claim by the Jabriyyah (Determinism) doctrine that man has no ability because he is forced to do whatever he does; even when a person moves his hand during his speech, this, according to them, is out of his control and he is compelled to do so. This view is undoubtedly wrong, and it results in great evils.
When a person hears a command from the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him), he should not ask whether it is obligatory or recommended; for he said: “Do it as much as you can.”
Whatever the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) commanded or prohibited is part of the Shariah, whether it exists in the Qur’an or not. We should observe the Sunnah if introduced something not in the Qur’an, be it a command or a prohibition.
One of the means to ruin is posing a lot of questions, especially about things that cannot be realized, like matters related to the unseen, the names and attributes of Allah, and the events on the Day of Judgment. Do not ask a lot about such matters, lest you ruin your life and become an obstinate and unnecessarily inquisitive person.
The past nations were ruined due to their frequent questioning and disobeying their prophets.
Explanation in Arabic
دلنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه إذا نهانا عن شيء وجب علينا اجتنابه بدون استثناء، وإذا أمرنا بشيء فعلينا أن نفعل منه ما نطيق.
ثم حذرنا حتى لا نكون كبعض الأمم السابقة حينما أكثروا من الأسئلة على أنبيائهم مع مخالفتهم لهم فعاقبهم الله بأنواع من الهلاك والدمار، فينبغي أن لا نكون مثلهم حتى لا نهلك كما هلكوا.
الأمر بامتثال الأوامر، واجتناب النواهي.
النهي لم يرخص في ارتكاب شيء منه، والأمر قيد بالاستطاعة؛ لأن الترك مقدور والفعل يحتاج إلى قدرة على إيجاد الفعل المأمور به.
النهي عن كثرة السؤال، قد قسم العلماء السؤال إلى قسمين: أحدهما: ما كان على وجه التعليم لما يحتاج إليه من أمر الدين، فهذا مأمور به ومن هذا النوع أسئلة الصحابة. والثاني: ما كان على وجه التعنت والتكلف وهذا هو المنهي عنه.
تحذير هذه الأمة من مخالفة نبيها، كما وقع في الأمم التي قبلها.
المنهي عنه يشمل القليل والكثير، لأنه لا يتأتّى اجتنابه إلا باجتناب قليله وكثيره، فمثلاً: نهانا عن الرّبا فيشمل قليله وكثيره.
ترك الأسباب المفضية إلى المحرم، لأن ذلك من معنى الاجتناب.
الإنسان له استطاعة وقدرة، لقوله: "مَا استَطَعْتُمْ" فيكون فيه رد على الجبرية الذين يقولون: إن الإنسان لا استطاعة له، لأنه مجبر على عمله، حتى الإنسان إذا حرّك يده عند الكلام، فيقولون تحريك اليد ليس باستطاعته، بل مجبر، ولا ريب أن هذا قول باطل يترتب عليه مفاسد عظيمة.
لا ينبغي للإنسان إذا سمع أمر الرسول -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أن يقول: هل هو واجب أم مستحبّ؟ لقوله: "فَأْتُوا مِنْهُ مَا استَطَعْتُمْ".
ما أمر به النبي -صلى الله عليه وسلم- أو نهى عنه فإنه شريعة، سواء كان ذلك في القرآن أم لم يكن، فُيعمل بالسنة الزائدة على القرآن أمراً أو نهياً.
كثرة المسائل سبب للهلاك ولا سيّما في الأمور التي لا يمكن الوصول إليها مثل مسائل الغيب كأسماء الله وصفاته، وأحوال يوم القيامة، لاتكثر السؤال فيها فتهلك، وتكون متنطّعًا متعمّقًا.
الأمم السابقة هلكوا بكثرة المسائل، وهلكوا بكثرة الاختلاف على أنبيائهم.
Scholars’ grades
Original grading term, without a named scholar: صحيح
Other versions
AuthenticMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)Sahih al-Bukhari 7288
"Leave me as I leave you. Verily, what destroyed those before you was their asking questions and their disagreement with their prophets. So, if I forbid you from something, avoid it; and if I command you with something, do as much of it as you can."
"Avoid what I have forbidden you from, and do as much as you can of what I have ordered you. Indeed, those before you were ruined because of their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their prophets."
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: خطبنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: "يا أيها الناس إن الله قد فرض عليكم الحج فحجوا" فقال رجل: أكل عام يا رسول الله؟ فسكت، حتى قالها ثلاثًا فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه…
Narrated by Abu Hurayrah
Not gradedMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)Bulugh al-Maram 721
وَأَصْلُهُ فِي مُسْلِمٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ - رضى الله عنه - 1 . 1 - صحيح. رواه مسلم ( 1337 )، عن أبي هريرة، قال: خطبنا رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال: " أيها الناس! قد فرض الله عليكم الحج فحجوا "…
AuthenticMuttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim)Mishkat al-Masabih 2505
