Al-Arba’īn an-Nawawīyah Ḥadīth [27]

عَنْ النَّوَّاسِ بْنِ سَمْعَانَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: الْبِرُّ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ، وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِكَ، وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ. رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ

وَعَنْ وَابِصَةَ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ: جِئْتَ تَسْأَلُ عَنْ الْبِرِّ؟، قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، فقَالَ: اِسْتَفْتِ قَلْبَكَ، الْبِرُّ مَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ إِلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ، وَاطْمَأَنَّ إِلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ، وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي النَّفْسِ وَتَرَدَّدَ فِي الصَّدْرِ، وَإِنْ أَفْتَاكَ النَّاسُ وَأَفْتَوْكَ. حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، رَوَيْنَاهُ في مُسْنَدَيِ الْإِمَامَيْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ وَالدَّارِمِيِّ بِإِسْنَادٍ حَسَنٍ

27 – It is reported on the authority of an-Nawās bin Sam’ān (may Allāh be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said:

“Righteousness is in good character, and wrongdoing is that which wavers in your soul, and which you dislike people finding out about.” [Reported by Muslim]

And it is reported on the authority of Wābiṣah bin Ma’bad (may Allāh be pleased with him) who said: I came to the Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) and he (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “You have come to ask about righteousness.” I said: ‘Yes.’ He (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “Consult your heart. Righteousness is that about which the soul feels at ease and the heart attains tranquility. And wrongdoing is that which wavers in the soul and causes uneasiness in the breast, even though people have repeatedly given their legal opinion [in its favor].” [A ḥasan ḥadīth related from the musnads of the two Imāms, Aḥmad bin Ḥanbal and Dārimī, with a ḥasan chain of authorities] ^[1]