Question:

Is the Hadith “Ask your heart” “استفت قلبك” a fabrication?

What does this hadith mean?

Answer:

الحمد لله والصلاة والسلام على رسول الله

Wabisa ibn Ma’bad (رضي الله عنه) said: “I came close to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) until my knees touched his. He asked: ‘O Wabisa, should I inform you of what you came to ask or will you ask?’ I replied: ‘O Messenger of Allah, inform me.’ He said: ‘You came to ask me about righteousness and sin.’ I replied: ‘Yes.’ He combined three of his fingers and started to poke me with them in my chest and said, ‘O Wabisa, ask your heart, ask yourself.’ [He repeated it three times and then said:] ‘Righteousness is that which the heart feels at ease with and the soul is contented with, and sin is that which troubles the heart and causes doubts in the chest, even if people pass fatwa (of permissibility) for you and give you verdicts.’”

[Ahmed in his Musnad 4/228 (#18001 & 18006 Risalah), Darmi in his Sunan #2575 Book of Sale, Chapter Leave That Which Puts You in Doubt for That Which Does Not, Abu Ya’laa in his Musnad #1586 & #1587 Tabarani in Kabir Vol.22 Pg.149 (#403)]

Ibn Rajab has discussed the chain of this hadith in details in his ‘Jameul Uloom wal Hikam’ [Vol.2 Pg.93-97] the summary of which follows:

“In this chain there are two factors that weaken it:

• There is a break between Az-Zubair and Ayyub because he narrates it from a group of people he did not name.
• Az-Zubair is weak. Darqutni said: ‘He narrated manakeer ahadith.’ Ibn Hibban also considered him weak.

However there is a shorter supporting narration collected by Ahmed in his Musnad [4/227] Wabisa ibn Ma’bad (رضي الله عنه) said “I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ asking him concerning righteousness and sin. He said: ‘Righteousness is what your heart feels at ease with, and sin is what causes uneasiness in your heart even if people pass a verdict on it for you.’” [Bazzar also collected it. See Kashful Astaar #183]

• Ibnul Madini said: ‘As-Sulami (one of the transmitters) is unknown.’ (Ibn Hibban made a similar statement concerning him in his ‘Thiqaat’ Vol.5 Pg.370)

This hadith has been narrated by other Sahabah in different chains and some of them are good chains.

1. Imam Ahmed narrates in his ‘Musnad’ [5:252] from Abu Umamah (رضي الله عنه): “A man asked, O Messenger of Allah, what’s a sin?” He replied: “When something causes uneasiness in your heart, leave it.”

This chain is good on the condition of Muslim. It was also collected by Ibn Hibban in his ‘Saheeh’ [#176] (and Hakim in Mustadrak. The latter remarked after narrating the hadith with many chains: “All of these ahadith are authentic and connected on the condition of Shaikhain (Bukhari and Muslim).”).

2. Imam Ahmed narrates in his ‘Musnad’ [4/194] from Abu Tha’labah al-Khushani (رضي الله عنه), “I asked: O Messenger of Allah, inform me concerning what is lawful for me and what is unlawful on me.” He replied: “Righteousness is what the soul feels at ease with and the heart is contented with. Sin is what the soul does not feel ease with and the heart is not contented with even if muftis pass verdicts for you.”

This chain is also good (authentic).

3. Abdur Rahman ibn Mu’awiyah (رحمه الله) said a man asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ what is lawful for me and what is unlawful? The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) replied: “Whatever your heart considers strange, then leave it.”

Abul Qasim Baghawi collected it in his ‘Mu’jam’. [Ibnul Mubarak in Zuhd #824] Abdur Rahman is a famous tabe’e. Therefore this hadith is mursal (with an authentic chain back to the Tab’ee).

There are many aathaar of the Sahabah that also support the above hadith. Some are mentioned below:

1. Ibn Masud (رضي الله عنه) said: “Beware of the annoyers of the heart! Whatever troubles you in the heart, leave it.” [Collected by Abu Nuaim in ‘Hilyah’ 1:135]
2. Abu Dardaa (رضي الله عنه) said: “Good is contentment and sin is doubt.” [Tafsir Tabri Vol.23 Pg.128]

[Summarized from Jameul Uloom wal Hikam by Ibn Rajab Hanbali Vol.2 Pg.93-97]

Imam Muslim narrates in his ‘Saheeh’: An-Nawaas ibn Sam’an (رضي الله عنه) reported: The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “Righteousness is good character, and sin is what causes uneasiness in your heart and what you dislike others to become aware of.” [Saheeh Muslim #2553]

This is why Hafiz Munziri and Imam Nawawi declared the hadith under discussion (the hadith of Wabisah ibn Ma’bad) and its chain as sound.

• Munziri said: “Its chain is good.” [Targheeb wat Tarheeb #2701 Baitul Afkaar Dawliyah]
• Imam Nawawi declared it sound in his ‘Riyadus Saliheen’ [#591] and in his ‘Arba’een’ [#27].

Some people misunderstand the hadith and think it necessitates the disruption of Shariah, so they claim that the hadith is a fabrication. This is however an incorrect method of grading a hadith. If a meaning is hidden on one person it will not be hidden on all. The Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said: “Many a transmitters of hadith, convey it to those who understand it better.” [Abu Dawud #3660, Tirmithi #2656 He said, “It is sound.”]

The scholars have explained that the above hadith does not apply to anyone except one who has returned to his innate purity (fitra) and whose heart has opened up to complete submission. It applies to the true believer who has purified his heart from the rust and yolk of sins and lowly desires. For such people practicing the Deen of Allah becomes second nature. It does not apply to him who is drowned in sin.

Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said, “No child is born except on fitra and then his parents make him Jewish, Christian or Magian, as an animal produces a perfect young animal: do you see any part of its body amputated?” Then he recited “The pure Allah’s Islamic nature with which He (Allah) has created mankind. There cannot be any change in Allah’s religion. That is the straight religion; but most of men know not.” {Surah Rum: Aayah 30} [Bukhari #4775 The Book of Commentary]

They are the people of taqwa and the people of the remembrance of Allah. Allah says: “Those who believe, and whose hearts find contentment in the remembrance of Allah: for without doubt only in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find contentment.” {Surah Ra’ad: Aayah 28}

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) said in a hadith of Bukhari and Muslim [#1599]: “Halal is clear and haram is clear and between them are the doubtful things and most people have no knowledge about them. So whoever saves himself from these suspicious things saves his religion and his honor. And whoever indulges in these suspicious things is like a shepherd who grazes (his animals) near the hima (private pasture) of someone else and at any moment he is liable to fall in it.” [Bukhari #52 The Book of Belief, Chapter 39]

The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) advised: “Leave that which puts you in doubt for that which does not. Truthfulness is a source of contentment and falsehood is a source of doubt.” [Tirmithi #2518 He said, “This is an authentic hadith.”]

The doubtful things are the grey areas. There will be some evidences permitting it while others prohibit. So if a mufti passes a verdict that a particular issue of the grey area is halal and a person’s heart is not at ease with it, then the hadith under discussion is directing him to leave it out.  The following event is a practical example of the implementation of this principle:

Bashir ibn Ka’ab recited the verse: “Walk in its (the earth’s) manaakib” {Surah Mulk:15} Then he asked his slave-girl: ‘If you know what is ‘its manaakib’ then you are free for the sake of Allah.’ She answered: ‘Its manaakib is its mountains.’ It was as though his face changed colour due to anger. He desired (to keep her and have intercourse with) her, so he asked the scholars (concerning the ruling of permissibility of intercourse with her). Some permitted it while others prohibited it. So he asked Abu Dardaa (رضي الله عنه) and he replied: ‘Good is contentment and sin is doubt. Leave that which puts you in doubt for that which does not.’ So he (Bashir) left her. [Ibn Abi Shaibah in ‘Musannaf’ Vol.9 Pg.84-85 #16414 Shaikh Awwamah’s Edition, Tabri in his ‘Tafsir’ Vol.23 Pg.128 Turki’s Edition]

‘Manaakib’ is the plural of the word ‘mankib’ which literally means shoulder. The exegesis of the Quran Majeed differ concerning what is meant by the ‘shoulders of the earth’ in this verse. Majority say the ‘outskirts or outer regions’ of the earth is meant, since they resemble the shoulders of a human which are on the sides of the body. However, some are of the opinion that it means ‘mountains’. Therefore those who held the first opinion would have passed the verdict for Bashir that the slave-girl is not free so intercourse with her is still permissible. While those who were of the opinion that her interpretation was correct, would have passed the fatwa that she is free, therefore intercourse is unlawful. This created a doubt in Bashir’s heart. When he asked the noble sahabi, Abu Dardaa (رضي الله عنه), he replied: “Good is contentment and sin is doubt. Leave that which puts you in doubt for that which does not.” So Bashir refrained from intercourse with her and let her go.

Imam Daarmi indicated to this meaning by narrating the hadith under discussion in the chapter entitled ‘Leave That Which Puts You in Doubt for That Which Does Not’ in his ‘Sunan’. Hafiz Nurud Deen Haithami has related many of the above hadiths under the heading ‘Chapter of Refraining from the Doubtful’ in ‘Mujmauz Zawaid’ [Vol.10 Pg.293-295] which also serves as an explanation to the hadith.

However, if something is clearly permissible in Shariah then this hadith does not apply to that. It applies to the doubtful things. If you are disturbed about a doubtful issue, then leave it, even if people or scholars are saying that it is permissible.

[See Imam Tahawi’s ‘Sharh Mushkilul Aathaar Vol.5 Pg.385-389, Provisions for the Seekers Pg.38 & 54, Jame Uloom wal Hikam Vol.2 Pg.99-101, Al-Fathul Mubeen by Ibn Hajr Haitami Makki Pg. 399-411]

And Allah knows best.