An-Nawawi's Forty HadithHadith 11

Leave what makes you doubt

ترك ما فيه ريبة

When something unsettles you, leave it for what you are sure of.

Sahih

The hadith

عَنْ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ سِبْطِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم وَرَيْحَانَتِهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: حَفِظْت مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم دَعْ مَا يُرِيبُك إلَى مَا لَا يُرِيبُك . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:2520]، [وَالنَّسَائِيّ] وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abee Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the one much loved by him, who said: I memorised from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.” [At-Tirmidhi] [An-Nasai] At-Tirmidhi said that it was a good and sound (hasan saheeh) hadeeth

Reported by
at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa'i

Lessons

Leave what makes you doubt for what does not. It is a recommendation in general, and a duty when the doubt touches something forbidden. The jurists took from it that certainty is not removed by doubt: whoever is sure of wudu and doubts losing it stays in wudu. At-Tirmidhi graded the hadith hasan sahih.

In practice: take the safer course in worship and dealings, and find the peace of mind that comes with avoiding doubt.

Evidence

Sahih

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 11

Grades
GraderVerdict
Full narration

عَنْ أَبِي مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ سِبْطِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم وَرَيْحَانَتِهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، قَالَ: حَفِظْت مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم دَعْ مَا يُرِيبُك إلَى مَا لَا يُرِيبُك . رَوَاهُ التِّرْمِذِيُّ [رقم:2520]، [وَالنَّسَائِيّ] وَقَالَ التِّرْمِذِيُّ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

On the authority of Abu Muhammad al-Hasan ibn Ali ibn Abee Talib (may Allah be pleased with him), the grandson of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the one much loved by him, who said: I memorised from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him): “Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt.” [At-Tirmidhi] [An-Nasai] At-Tirmidhi said that it was a good and sound (hasan saheeh) hadeeth

Graded through the collections it is cited from below.

Sahih

Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2518

Grades
GraderVerdict
Ahmad Muhammad ShakirSahih (Sahih)
Al-AlbaniSahih (Sahih)
Zubair Ali ZaiIsnaad Sahih (Sahih)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُوسَى الأَنْصَارِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ، عَنْ أَبِي الْحَوْرَاءِ السَّعْدِيِّ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِلْحَسَنِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ مَا حَفِظْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ حَفِظْتُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ دَعْ مَا يَرِيبُكَ إِلَى مَا لاَ يَرِيبُكَ فَإِنَّ الصِّدْقَ طُمَأْنِينَةٌ وَإِنَّ الْكَذِبَ رِيبَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْحَدِيثِ قِصَّةٌ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَأَبُو الْحَوْرَاءِ السَّعْدِيُّ اسْمُهُ رَبِيعَةُ بْنُ شَيْبَانَ ‏.‏ قَالَ وَهَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏ حَدَّثَنَا بُنْدَارٌ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ، فَذَكَرَ نَحْوَهُ ‏.‏

Al-Hasan bin 'Ali said:"I remember that the Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) said: 'Leave what makes you in doubt for what does not make you in doubt. The truth brings tranquility while falsehood sows doubt.'" Another chain reports a similar narration

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