Stay Away from Doubtful Matters

Bismi Llāhi r-Raḥmāni r-Raḥīm

Our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says,

“الْحَلاَلُ بَيِّنٌ وَالْحَرَامُ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُما أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ”

“The Halal (lawful) is clear and the Haram (unlawful) is clear, and between them are matters that are doubtful (not clear).”

Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla has declared and made clear what is ḥalāl, and also the ḥarām. Allāh ‘Azza wa-Jalla has made clear what is ḥarām also, our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam says. We must know them. We must stay away from the ḥarām, and we must do what is ḥalāl and what is of thawāb. But there are some things among them that are doubtful, says our Prophet ṣallá Llāhu ‘alayhi wa-sallam. Some things may be doubtful for people depending on the time, place and situation. We should stay away from them. We should not do them.

Therefore, some states of this time is that there are some things done that you think are ḥalāl but they are ḥarām. And things you think are ḥarām but are ḥalāl in a way. That’s why, you must be careful. If you have any doubts, you either stay away from it or you ask a scholar, a Hoca, a Muftī. If you do things according to your own mind without asking, you will commit a sin without knowing. If you consider what’s ḥarām as ḥalāl, it will be a sin for you and you will be held accountable. Sometimes there are those who consider what’s ḥalāl as ḥarām, they will have committed a sin also.

That’s why, we must be careful. Our creed and our Madhhab are clear. Ahlu s-Sunnah wa Jamā’ah, one of the four Madhhabs: Ḥanafī, Shāfiʿī, Mālikī and Ḥanbalī. In creed, either Māturīdi or Ashʿari. You should not be out of that. You should continue according to their principles. It is not a difficult thing. What we all do is the same but sometimes there are doubtful things. You should ask about them. In order not to forbid oneself from what is ḥalāl in vain, not to commit a sin and also not to continue committing ḥarām thinking it is ḥalāl.

Therefore, ask about the doubtful things. If you have doubt about something, definitely ask about it. “Asking is half of knowledge”, they say. That’s why, you must ask. “Is this good, is it bad, how is it,” etc. You must ask about everything. Don’t do doubtful things without asking. Otherwise, everything we do, the things we do all the time, shukr to Allāh ﷻ are correct. Because where we live is Ahlu s-Sunnah wal Jamā’ah.

But there are many people who are not Ahlu s-Sunnah wal Jamā’ah. Many consider the ḥalāl as ḥarām, and the ḥarām as ḥalāl. They do things that have nothing to do with them to harm people, whether knowingly or unknowingly. May Allāh ﷻ protect us. May Allāh ﷻ protect us for this evil. May He ﷻ not separate us from the right way, in shā’a Llāh. Wa min Allah at-Tawfiq.

Al-Fatiha.

• Mawlana Sheikh Muhammad Adil ar-Rabbaniق

04 May 2025/ 06 Dhul Qa’dah 1446

Fajr Prayer – Akbaba Dergah, Istanbul