عَنْ أَبِي ثَعْلَبَةَ الْخُشَنِيِّ جُرْثُومِ بن نَاشِر رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم قَال: "إنَّ اللَّهَ تَعَالَى فَرَضَ فَرَائِضَ فَلَا تُضَيِّعُوهَا، وَحَدَّ حُدُودًا فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا، وَحَرَّمَ أَشْيَاءَ فَلَا تَنْتَهِكُوهَا، وَسَكَتَ عَنْ أَشْيَاءَ رَحْمَةً لَكُمْ غَيْرَ نِسْيَانٍ فَلَا تَبْحَثُوا عَنْهَا". حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، رَوَاهُ الدَّارَقُطْنِيّ ْ"في سننه" [4/184]، وَغَيْرُهُ.
On the authority of Abu Tha’labah al-Kushanee - Jurthoom bin Nashir RA - that the Messenger of Allah SAW said:
Verily Allah ta’ala has laid down religious obligations, so do not neglect them; and He has set limits, so do not overstep them; and He has forbidden some things, so do not violate them; and He has remained silent about some things, out of compassion for you, not forgetfulness - so do not seek after them.
A hasan hadeeth narrated by ad-Daraqutnee and others.
Among the wisdom-filled sayings of the Prophet ﷺ collected by Imam al-Nawawi in his Forty Hadith is Hadith 30, narrated by Abu Thaʿlabah al-Khushani RA. His full name was Jurthum ibn Nashir, a noble Companion who accepted Islam early and remained steadfast until his death in Syria. He was known for his piety, scrupulousness, and concern for the limits set by Allah. It is fitting that such a hadith, which deals with obligations, prohibitions, and divine limits, came through his narration.
This profound narration lays down the framework of Islamic law; clear obligations, clear prohibitions, defined limits, and merciful silence. To appreciate its depth, let us examine each part in turn.
“Allah has enjoined the obligations, so do not neglect them.”
The first part of the hadith emphasizes the obligations (fara’iḍ). These are the pillars of religious life; duties without which a Muslim’s practice is incomplete. Prayer, fasting, zakah, ḥajj, honoring parents, fulfilling trusts: all fall under this category.
Here, scholars of Islamic law elaborated on what it means for something to be “obligatory.”
In the Ḥanafi school, a distinction is made:
>> Farḍ (فرض): An obligation proven by definitive evidence (dalil qaṭʿi) such as an explicit Qur’anic verse or a mutawatir ḥadīth. Denying it is disbelief. Example: the five daily prayers.
>> Wajib (واجب): An obligation proven by probable evidence (dalil ẓanni) such as an authentic solitary ḥadith. Neglecting it is sinful, but denial does not expel one from Islam. Example: witr prayer, sacrifice (uḍḥiyah).
In the Shafiʿi school, however, farḍ and wajib are synonymous. Both terms mean “obligatory,” and no technical difference exists between them. This was also the dominant view of the Malikis and Ḥanbalis.
Imam al-Nawawi, being a Shāfiʿi, follows the position that the two terms are interchangeable. But the Ḥanafi nuance reminds us of how seriously scholars took the nature of divine evidence, distinguishing between what was absolutely certain and what was probable.
The Prophet ﷺ warns: “so do not neglect them.”
In other words, obligations are not optional expressions of devotion; they are the backbone of faith.
“He has set the limits, so do not transgress them.”
The second part refers to the ḥudud (حدود) of Allah. Linguistically, as explained in Lisan al-ʿArab, al-ḥadd means separation, boundary, edge, or prevention. It can mean the sharp edge of a sword (ḥadd al-sayf), or the line between two properties, or a legal restriction that prevents wrongdoing.
In the Qur’an, Allah says:
تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا
“These are the limits set by Allah, so do not transgress them.” [al-Baqarah 2:229]
Here, ḥudud refers to the moral, legal, and spiritual boundaries Allah has established. Some of these are penalties for major crimes, but more broadly they represent the lines between obedience and disobedience.
Thus, the Prophet ﷺ warns: “do not transgress them.”
The believer lives within boundaries, aware that crossing them brings spiritual harm and divine displeasure.
“He has prohibited certain things, so do not violate them.”
Next, the hadith mentions ḥaram matters. These prohibitions are clear: shirk, theft, fornication, usury, alcohol, and other major sins. They are like red lines on the path of life, not to be touched.
The Prophet ﷺ often stressed not only avoiding the prohibited, but also staying away from the “gray areas” that lead towards them. In another narration, he said:
“Whoever falls into doubtful matters may fall into the prohibited, like a shepherd grazing his flock near a sanctuary — soon he may graze inside it. Truly, every king has a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is His prohibitions.”
(al-Bukhārī, Muslim)
“He has kept silent about some things out of mercy for you, not out of forgetfulness, so do not seek after them.”
Finally, the hadith turns to the most subtle teaching: Allah’s silence on certain matters.
The Arabic word sakata (سكت) does not mean silence in the sense of speechlessness. Rather, as the scholars explain, it means that Allah did not reveal a ruling on some issues. This omission was not due to forgetfulness, for Allah says:
وَمَا كَانَ رَبُّكَ نَسِيًّا
“And your Lord is never forgetful.” [Maryam 19:64]
It was, instead, an intentional act of mercy.
The Principle of Defaults
From this, jurists derived a principle:
>> In acts of worship, the default is prohibition unless explicitly legislated.
>> In worldly matters, the default is permissibility unless explicitly forbidden.
Thus, eating with a spoon, riding in a car, using technology, or sleeping on a mattress with springs, all are permissible, unless evidence indicates otherwise.
The Role of Analogy
Not everything unmentioned falls into divine silence. Sometimes a ruling can be deduced by qiyas (analogy). For example, the Qur’an prohibits wine because it intoxicates [al-Ma’idah 5:90].
By analogy, beer, marijuana, and narcotics are also forbidden. These are not cases of Allah’s silence, but of applying revealed reasoning to new circumstances.
But where no ruling exists and no analogy can be drawn, silence itself is mercy. The Prophet ﷺ warned against excessive probing into such matters: “so do not seek after them.”
Religion is not meant to suffocate with unnecessary restrictions, but to balance clarity with flexibility.
In an age where people either overburden religion with excessive fatwas or disregard its clear limits, this hadith offers balance. Islam is neither rigid nor lax; it is a path of disciplined devotion infused with divine mercy.
The hadith captures the essence of divine law: clarity in obligations, firmness in prohibitions, wisdom in boundaries, and mercy in silence. To neglect obligations is to weaken faith. To transgress limits is to court sin. To violate prohibitions is to rebel. But to obsess over what Allah left unspoken is to misunderstand His mercy.
The believer, therefore, walks the straight path: diligent in worship, cautious with sin, respectful of limits, and grateful for divine ease.
اللَّهُمَّ اجْعَلْنَا مِمَّنْ يَسْتَمِعُونَ الْقَوْلَ فَيَتَّبِعُونَ أَحْسَنَهُ
O Allah, make us among those who listen to the word and follow the best of it.
[al-Zumar 39:18]
Disclaimer:
Instructor: Sheikh Dr. Sajid Umar | STEPS TO JANNAH S4 | Forty Hadith Imam Nawawi
These are notes sharing from the Steps of Jannah classes online taught by Sheikh Dr Sajid Umar focusing on Hadith 40 an-Nawawi. The classes are still ongoing, every Monday 8pm UK time. If you would like to join, please email stepstojannah12@gmail.com
The notes written are from a student’s personal notes transcribed from the sessions. Should there be any error, May Allah forgive us, and do feedback (ain1810@gmail.com) so that it can get amended, and may it be beneficial to all of us and may Allah reward Jannah to Sh Sajid and his team for the beneficial ‘ilm being shared and to all of the students Steps to Jannah, Ameen.