Indeed, Allah Almighty has enjoined obligations, so do not violate them; He has set limits, so do not transgress them; He has forbidden things, so do not commit them; and He has kept silent about things out of mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not search for them

Arabic text

عَنْ أَبِي ثَعْلَبَةَ الخُشَنِيِّ جُرْثُومِ بن نَاشِرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَال: «إِنَّ اللَّهَ فَرَضَ فَرَائِضَ فَلَا تُضَيِّعُوهَا، وَحَدَّ حُدُودًا فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا، وَحَرَّمَ أَشْيَاءَ فَلَا تَنْتَهِكُوهَا، وَسَكَتَ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ رَحْمَةً لَكُمْ غَيْرَ نِسْيَانٍ فَلَا تَبْحَثُوا عَنْهَا».

Translation

Abu Tha‘labah al-Khushani Jurthūm ibn Nāshir (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Indeed, Allah Almighty has enjoined obligations, so do not violate them; He has set limits, so do not transgress them; He has forbidden things, so do not commit them; and He has kept silent about things out of mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not search for them."

Explanation

The Prophet (ﷺ) informs that Allah has prescribed things and ordained obligations, and so fulfill them and do not neglect or fail to perform them; He has set certain limits and deterrents to restrain and deter you from what is not pleasing to Him; so do not exceed them by doing things not prescribed by the Shariah; and He has forbidden things, so do not engage in them or come close to them. Apart from these, there are things about which He kept silent out of mercy toward His servants. They remain permissible as they were originally, so do not search for them.

Benefits

• The Hadīth is a proof that Allah is the Lawgiver, as all command lies in His Hand, Exalted be He.
• The Hadīth comprises the Shar‘i (legal) rules regarding rulings and permissibility. A Shar‘i ruling is either subject to silence or spoken about. It either pertains to something enjoined by way of obligation or desirability or prohibited by way of prohibition or undesirability, or it is permissible.
• What Allah remained silent about—as He has neither enjoined it, set a limit for it, nor forbidden it—is then lawful.
• The Prophet's (ﷺ) eloquence is evident in the way he presented the Hadīth with such clear and distinct division.
• It is a duty to observe the obligations enjoined by Allah Almighty.
• It is prohibited to transgress the limits set by Allah Almighty.

Topics

• Jurisprudence and Juristic Principles
• Prescribed Punishments