Home > The 40 Hadith of Nawawi > Hadith 27 of Nawawi
Hadith number 27 of the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi, in faithful English translation.
Contents
Updated on 07 October 2026 at 4:51 AM
📖 25 min readThis hadith belongs to the collection of the 40 hadiths of Imam an-Nawawi (may Allah have mercy on him), the most studied hadith compilation in the world: foundations of faith, worship and character, all authentic narrations.
from 'Abd as-Salam, from 'Ayyoub ibn 'Abd Allah ibn Moukraz, from Wabisa ibn Ma'bad, who said, "I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), wanting to leave no deed of good nor sin without asking him about it. He said to me, 'Draw near, O Wabisa!' I drew near to him until my knee touched his knee. He said, 'O Wabisa! Shall I inform you of that for which you came to question, or do you question me?' I said: O Messenger of Allah, inform me. He said, 'You came to ask me about righteousness and sin?' I said: yes. He joined his three fingers, and began pointing them at my breast, saying, 'O Wabisa! Take counsel of your soul: righteousness is that wherein the heart finds rest, and the soul is calm; and sin is that which scratches in the heart, wavering in the breast, even were the people to give you opinions and congratulate you?!'"
And in another version of Imam Ahmad: az-Zoubayr did not hear it from 'Ayyoub, and said, his companions of assembly informed me, and I saw him. In the isnad of this hadith: two matters, each requiring its weakness: the first, its interruption between az-Zoubayr and 'Ayyoub: he reports from people he did not hear. The second: the weakness of this az-Zoubayr. Ad-Daraqoutni said: he reports reproved hadiths; and Ibn Hibban graded him weak also, having named him 'Ayyoub ibn 'Abd as-Salam, erring in his name. He has another channel of Wabisa, reported by Imam Ahmad also, from the narration of Mou'awiya ibn Salih, from Abu 'Abd Allah as-Soulami, who said: I heard Wabisa, and he mentions the hadith in abridged form, its wording: "righteousness is that whereat your breast opens, and sin that which scratches in your breast, even were the people to give you opinions upon it." This as-Soulami: 'Ali ibn al-Madini said: he is unknown.
Al-Bazzar and at-Tabarani report it, and with them, Abu 'Abd Allah al-'Asadi; al-Bazzar said, we know no one naming him. He says also: in certain narrations he was named Mouhammad. 'Abd al-Ghani ibn Sa'id the hafiz said, "Were someone to say, it is Mouhammad ibn Sa'id the crucified, I would not reject it." This crucified one was crucified by al-Mansour for zandaqa, famous for lying and fabrication; but he met not Wabisa, and Allah knows best.
This hadith is reported from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) by multiple channels; some of its channels are good. Imam Ahmad reported it, and Ibn Hibban in his Sahih, by the way of Yahya ibn Abi Kathir, from Zayd ibn Salam, from his grandfather Mamtour, from Abu 'Oumama, who said: a man said, O Messenger of Allah! What is sin? He said, "When something scratches in your breast, leave it." And here is a good isnad, according to the condition of Mouslim, for the hadith of Yahya ibn Kathir, from Zayd ibn Salam was reported, and Ahmad established his hearing of him, even were Ibn Ma'in to have denied it. And Imam Ahmad reports from the narration of 'Abd Allah ibn al-'Ala ibn Zabr, who said: I heard Mouslim ibn Michkam say: I heard Abu Tha'laba al-Khouchani say: I said, O Messenger of Allah! Inform me of what is lawful to me and what is forbidden me.
He said, "Righteousness is that wherein the soul is calm, and the heart rests; and sin that wherein the soul is not calm, nor the heart rests, even were the giver of opinion to congratulate you." And that also is a good isnad: 'Abd Allah ibn al-'Ala ibn Zabr is reliable, famous; al-Boukhari reports for him. And Mouslim ibn Michkam is reliable also, famous. And at-Tabarani and others report, by a weak chain, from the hadith of Wathila ibn al-Asqa', may Allah be pleased with him, who said: I said to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), give me a verdict upon a matter none shall ask you after. He said, "Take counsel of your soul." I say: how shall I do it? He said, "Leave what puts you in doubt towards what puts you not in doubt, even were the giver of opinion to congratulate you." I say: and how shall I do it? He said, "Lay your hand upon your heart: the heart rests for the licit, and rests not for the illicit."
A similar hadith is reported from the hadith of Abu Hourayra, by a weak chain also. And Ibn Lahi'a reports from Yazid ibn Abi Habib that Souwayd ibn Qays informed him, from 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mou'awiya: a man asked the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, O Messenger of Allah! What is lawful to me, and what is forbidden me? And he repeated three times, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) keeping silent at all of it; then he said, "Where is the questioner?" He said: it is I, O Messenger of Allah! He said of his fingers, "What your heart denies, leave it." Abu al-Qasim al-Baghawi reports it in his collection, and says: I know not whether 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mou'awiya heard from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) or not, and I know no other hadith of him.
I say: it is 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mou'awiya ibn Khoudayj: he came connected in the book of detachment of Ibn al-Moubarak; this 'Abd ar-Rahman is a famous Successor, his hadith therefore mursal. And it is authenticated from Ibn Mas'oud, may Allah be pleased with him, that he said, "Sin is the scratching of the hearts." Imam Ahmad argued by it, and reports it from Jarir, from Mansour, from Mouhammad ibn 'Abd ar-Rahman, from his father, who said: 'Abd Allah said, "Beware of the scratchings of the hearts; and what scratches in your heart of anything whatsoever, leave it." And Abu ad-Darda said, "good is in rest, and evil in doubt." And Ibn Mas'oud is reported, by a severed channel, that it was said to him: see, a thing scratches in our breasts without our knowing, licit or illicit? He said, "Beware of the scratchings: they are the sin." The scratching and the rubbing are near in sense: intended is what leaves in the heart a trace of constriction, of discomfort, of repulsion and aversion.
These hadiths contained the explanation of righteousness and sin; and certain of them contain the explanation of the licit and the illicit.
In the hadith of an-Nouwas ibn Sim'an, the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) explained righteousness by beautiful character. And he explained it in the hadith of Wabisa and others by that wherein the heart and the soul rest; likewise he explained the licit in the hadith of Abu Tha'laba.
Righteousness has two senses
The explanation of righteousness diverged because it applies, with two considerations, to two senses. The first: by consideration of treating the creation with excellence, sometimes restricted to excellence towards parents, one says then righteousness towards parents; and it is often applied to excellence towards the creation in general. Ibn al-Moubarak composed a book he named, "the book of righteousness and kinship"; likewise in the Sahih of al-Boukhari and the collection of at-Tirmidhi, "the book of righteousness and kinship"; and this book contains excellence towards the creation in general, righteousness towards parents therein preferred to other. And in the hadith of Bahz ibn Hakim, from his father, from his grandfather, that he said, O Messenger of Allah! Who is the most righteous? He said, "your mother." He said: then who? He said, "then your father." He said: then who? He said, "then the nearest, then the nearest."
Of this sense are the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "The accomplished pilgrimage has no reward save Paradise." And in the Mousnad, that he was asked of the righteousness of the pilgrimage, and said, "feeding food, and spreading the salam." And in another version, "and the beautiful word." And Ibn 'Omar, may Allah be pleased with both of them, used to say, "Righteousness is an easy thing: an open face, and a gentle word." When righteousness is coupled to piety, as in His words,
"And aid one another in righteousness and piety."
Al-Ma'ida, 2
what is intended by righteousness may be the treatment of the creation with excellence, and by piety the treatment of the Truth, by obedience and avoidance of His prohibitions. What is intended by righteousness may be the doing of the obligations, and by piety the avoidance of the prohibitions. His words,
"And aid one another not in sin and hostility."
Al-Ma'ida, 2
what is intended by sin may be the disobediences; and by hostility the oppression of the creation. And what is intended by sin may be that which is illicit in itself, such as fornication, theft and wine; and by hostility: exceeding what is permitted towards what is forbidden, whose species is permitted, like killing the one whose death is permitted for retaliation, and the one whose is not; taking from people more than the duty in the zakat and the like; exceeding the limit ordained in the legal punishments, and likewise.
The second sense of righteousness: the doing of all the obediences, outward and hidden, as His words:
"But righteousness is of him who believes in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book and the prophets; who gives wealth despite his love, to the kin, the orphans, the poor, the wayfarer, the beggars, and for the slaves; establishes the prayer, gives the zakat, fulfilling their covenants when they conclude them; and the patient in misery, hardship and time of hardness: those are the truthful, and those are the God-fearing."
Al-Baqara, 177
It is reported that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), asked about faith, recited this verse.
Righteousness in this sense includes all the hidden obediences: believing in Allah, His angels, His books and His messengers; and the outward obediences: spending wealth in what Allah loves, establishing the prayer, giving the zakat, fulfilling the covenant, enduring the decrees, such as sickness and poverty; and above the obediences: enduring the meeting of the enemy.
The answer of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) in the hadith of an-Nouwas may be exhaustive of all these attributes, for beautiful character may intend moralisation by the morals of the Law, and education by the conducts of Allah by which He educated His servants in His book, as the Most High said to His messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
"And you are, indeed, upon a moral immense."
Al-Qalam, 4
And 'Aicha, may Allah be pleased with her, said, "his morality was the Quran," meaning that he educated himself by His education, doing His commands, avoiding His prohibitions. Acting by the Quran became therefore for him a morality, like nature and disposition, without separation; and that is the best of morals, the noblest and the finest. It has been said, "the whole of the religion is a morality."
As for the hadith of Wabisa, he said, "righteousness is that wherein the heart rests, and the soul is calm." And in a version, "that whereat the breast opens." And he explained the licit likewise, as in the hadith of Abu Tha'laba and others.
That indicates that Allah brought His servants upon the nature of knowing the truth, resting in it, accepting it, implanting in the natures the love of that and the repulsion of its contrary.
[Righteousness, Islam, the upright nature, the known good and the good:] That may enter into his words in the hadith of Iyad ibn Himar, "I created My servants upright, Muslims; the demons came to them, turned them from their religion, forbade them what I had made lawful, and commanded them to associate with Me that for which I had sent down no proof." And his words, "every newborn is born upon the upright nature: his two parents make him Jew, Christian or mage, like the beast giving birth to a beast entire: do you perceive in it any amputated one?" Abu Hourayra, may Allah be pleased with him, said: read then, if you will, "the nature of Allah upon which He brought the people: no change in the creation of Allah." That is why Allah named what He commands "the known good", and what He forbids "the blameworthy": the Most High says,
"Allah commands justice, excellence, giving to kin, and forbids turpitude, the blameworthy and oppression."
An-Nahl, 90
and the Most High says, describing the Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
"he makes lawful to them the good things, and forbids them the evil ones."
Al-'A'raf, 157
And He informed that the hearts of the believers rest by His remembrance: the heart into which the light of faith enters, opening and expanding therein, rests for the truth, finds calm in it, accepts it, and turns from the false, detesting it without accepting it.
Mu'adh ibn Jabal said, "I warn you against the deviation of the sensible: for the devil can utter a word of straying upon the tongue of the sensible, and the hypocrite can utter a word of truth." It was said to Mu'adh: how shall I know that the sensible utters a word of straying, and the hypocrite a word of truth? He said, "If: avoid from the speech of the sensible the ambiguous sayings that are said, what is that? And turn not away from him, for he may repent; and receive the truth when you hear it, for the truth has a light." Abu Dawoud reports it, and in a version of him he said, "If: what is ambiguous to you of the speech of the sensible, until you say, what did he intend by this word?" That indicates that truth and falsehood are not confounded to the clear-sighted believer: he knows the truth by the light upon it, his heart accepting it, turning from the false, denying it without knowing it.
[And whoever reports what he did not hear:] Of this sense are the words of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), "There shall be at the end of time a people reporting to you what you have not heard, nor your fathers: beware of them!" That is, they come with what the hearts of the believers disapprove and know not. And in his words, "you and your fathers," the allusion that what knowledge of was established among the believers, despite the oldness of the pact and the length of time, is the truth; and what was introduced after, disapproved of, has no good.
The hadith of Wabisa and what is in its sense indicate the return to the hearts at ambiguity: that wherein the heart rests and the breast opens is righteousness and the licit; and its contrary is sin and the illicit.
His words in the hadith of an-Nouwas ibn Sim'an, "sin is that which scratches in the breast, and which you dislike that people know," allude that sin is what leaves in the breast discomfort, narrowness, anguish and disquiet, the breast not opening to it; and despite that it is, among the people, disapproved: they disapprove it at its knowledge. Here is the highest rank of the knowledge of sin at ambiguity: that which its doer and other than its doer disapprove.
What the Muslims see beautiful
Of this sense are the words of Ibn Mas'oud, may Allah be pleased with him, "What the believers see beautiful is, with Allah, beautiful; and what they see ugly is, with Allah, ugly."
His words in the hadith of Wabisa and Abu Tha'laba, "even were the giver of opinion to congratulate you," mean that what scratches in the breast of a man is sin, even were another to congratulate him saying, it is no sin. Here is the second rank: the thing disapproved by its doer without another; and he made of it also a sin.
That is only when its holder is of those whose breasts opened to faith, and the giver of opinion gives by pure conjecture or inclination towards a passion, without legal proof. As for the giver of opinion having a legal proof, the duty upon the seeker of opinion is to return to it, even were his breast not to open, like the legal permissions: breaking the fast in travel, in sickness, shortening the prayer in travel and the like, whose breasts of many ignorant ones do not open: no regard is given them.
The Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) sometimes commanded his companions what the breasts of certain of them opened not, and they abstained from it, and he became angry at that: like when he commanded them to transform the pilgrimage into umra, certain of them detesting it; and like when he commanded the slaughter of their offerings and release from the umra of al-Houdaybiya, and they detested it; and like their detesting his negotiating with Qouraych, on condition he return of his year, and whoever came to him of them be returned to them.
What the text has come with
In sum: that of which the text has come, the believer has only obedience to Allah and to His messenger, as the Most High says,
"It belongs not to a believing man nor a believing woman, when Allah and His messenger decide an affair, to have choice in their affair."
Al-Ahzab, 36
It must be received with the opening of the breast and the satisfaction, for what Allah and His messenger have legislated requires believing in it, being satisfied with it, and submitting to it, as the Most High says,
"No! By your Lord! They believe not until they make you judge of their disputes, then find in themselves no discomfort at what you decided, and submit in full."
An-Nisa, 65
What has no text therein
As for what has no text of Allah nor of His messenger, nor of the one conformed to in his words, of the Companions and the Ancients of the community: when something scratches in the soul of the tranquil believer, whose heart rests by faith, his breast opened by the light of knowledge and certainty, and he finds none issuing an opinion of permission, save the one whose opinion is reported, being of those whose knowledge nor religion is guaranteed, known rather as following passion: here the believer returns to what scratches in his breast, even were these deceivers to congratulate him. Imam Ahmad stated the like. Al-Marouzhi says in the book of scruple: I said to Abu 'Abd Allah, the breaking of bonds is sweeter to me than the other markets, and something of its affair scratched in my heart. He said, "its affair is a dirty and sullied affair." I say: do you disapprove acting in it? He said, "Leave that: when nothing scratches in your heart." I say: something scratched therein. He said, "Ibn Mas'oud said, sin is the scratching of the hearts." I say: it is after consultation. He said, "What scratches in your heart?" I say: my heart became troubled. He said, "sin is the scratching of the hearts."
What preceded concerning the explanation of these hadiths
What touches the explanation of these hadiths mentioned here preceded, in the commentary of the hadith of an-Nou'man ibn Bachir, may Allah be pleased with him, "the licit is clear, and the illicit clear"; in the commentary of the hadith of al-Hasan ibn 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with both of them, "leave what puts you in doubt towards what puts you not in doubt"; and the commentary of the hadith, "when you have no modesty, do as you will."
Groups of jurists, Shafi'ite and Hanafite theorists of the origins of fiqh, mentioned the question of inspiration: proof or not? And mentioned therein the divergence between them; and part of our companions mentioned that unveiling is not a way of the rules, the qadi Abu Ya'la taking it from the speech of Ahmad blaming the theorists over obsessions and thoughts; and part of our companions contradicted them therein. We have mentioned here the text of Ahmad of the return to the scratching of the hearts.
Ahmad and others rather blamed the theorists over the obsessions and thoughts of the sufis, their speech thereon resting on no legal proof, but on pure opinion and taste, just as he denied the speech over the questions of licit and illicit by pure taste, without legal proof.
As for the return, in ambiguous affairs, to the scratching of the hearts: the prophetic texts and the opinions of the Companions indicated it; how would Imam Ahmad deny it after that, especially as the return towards it agrees with them?!
The hadith, "the truth is a rest, and falsehood a doubt," preceded: truth is distinguished from falsehood by the rest of the heart towards it, knowing it, and the repulsion of falsehood and its denial, as ar-Rabi' ibn Khouthaym said, "speech has a light like the light of day: you know it; and falsehood has a darkness like the darkness of night: you deny it." And Imam Ahmad reports from the hadith of Rabi'a, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn Sa'id ibn Souwayd, from Abu Houmayd and Abu 'Ousayd, may Allah be pleased with both of them: the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "When you hear a speech of me that your hearts recognise, your hairs and your skins soften towards it, and you see it of you near: I am the most entitled of you to it; and when you hear a speech of me that your hearts deny, your hairs and your skins turn from it, and you see it of you far: I am the furthest of you from it."
Its isnad: it has been said, according to the condition of Mouslim, for he reports by this same isnad a hadith; but this hadith is affected by a defect, for he reports it from Boukayr ibn al-'Achajj, from 'Abd al-Malik ibn Sa'id, from 'Abbas ibn Sahl, from 'Ubayy ibn Ka'b, as his words. Al-Boukhari said: the most correct is that. And Yahya ibn 'Adam reports from Ibn Abi Dhi'b, from Sa'id al-Maqbari, from Abu Hourayra, may Allah be pleased with him, from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said, "When there is reported to you from me a speech you recognise without denying it, believe it: I say only what is known and not denied; and when there is reported to you from me a speech you deny without knowing it, believe it not: I say not what is denied and not known." And this hadith is affected by a defect also. And its isnad upon Ibn Abi Dhi'b diverged: the traditionists report it from him, from Sa'id, in mursal form; and the mursal is more correct with the imams of the traditionists, among them Ibn Ma'in, al-Boukhari, Abu Hatim ar-Razi and Ibn Khuzayma; and he said, "I saw none of the scholars of hadith establish its connection."
Such hadiths are carried upon the supposition of their authenticity upon the knowledge of the giant critics of the people of hadith, their abundant practice of the speech of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and other, of the state of the reporters of hadiths, the transmitters of reports, their knowledge of their truthfulness and lying, their memory and precision: for these have a special critique in the hadith, whose knowledge is proper to them, like the expert money-changer knowing the currencies, their good, bad, pure and alloyed; and the jeweller expert in the knowledge of gems, in criticising the jewels.
None of these can express the cause of his knowledge, nor establish for another a proof: its sign is that the unique hadith is presented to a group of those knowing this science, and they agree upon the answer without collusion. And it was tested with them many a time in the time of Abu Zur'a and Abu Hatim, and the affair was found thus, and the questioner said, "I testify that this science is an inspiration."
Al-'A'mach said, "Ibrahim an-Nakha'i was a changer in the hadith: I heard men and presented to him what I had heard." And 'Amr ibn Qays said, "It befits the holder of the hadith to be like the changer criticising the dirhams, for the dirhams contain the false and the falsified; likewise the hadith." And al-'Awza'i said, "we heard the hadith and presented it to our companions, like presenting the false dirham to the changers: what they knew, we took; and what they denied, we left." And it was said to 'Abd ar-Rahman ibn Mahdi: you say of the thing, this is authentic, and this is not established; of whom do you say that? He said, "See, were you to come to the critic, showing him your dirhams, and he says, this is good, and this is falsified, would you ask of whom that, or submit to him the affair?" He said: no, rather I would submit to him the affair.
He says: it is the like, for the length of sitting, disputation and knowledge of him. A similar saying is reported from Imam Ahmad also: it was said to him, O Abu 'Abd Allah! You say, "this hadith is reproved": how did you know it, without writing the hadith entire? He said, "Our example is the example of the critic of the currency: not all the currency falls into his hand; when the dinar falls into his hand, he knows it is good, and that it is bad." And Ibn Mahdi said, "the knowledge of hadith is an inspiration." And he said, "our denial of the hadith with the ignorant is like boasting." Abu Hatim ar-Razi said, "the example of the knowledge of hadith is the example of two gems, the price of the one a hundred dinars, and its like of its colour ten dirhams; and as the critic cannot inform of the cause of his critique, likewise we were provided a knowledge of which we cannot inform how we knew that this hadith is lying, and that this hadith is reproved, save by what we know."
He said, "The goodness of the dinar is known by comparison to another: were it lacking in redness and purity, one knows it is alloyed; and the species of the jewel is known by comparison to another: were it to differ in water and hardness, one knows it is glass. And the authenticity of the hadith is known by the uprightness of its transmitters, and that it be a speech whose like can be speech of prophethood; and its badness and denial are known by the singling out of the one whose uprightness is not authenticated by his narration." And Allah knows best. In every state, the giant critics knowing the defects of hadith are very rare individuals of the people of hadith. The first famous for the speech of critique of hadith was Ibn Sirine; then 'Ayyoub as-Sakhtiyani followed him, and Shou'ba took that from him, and Yahya al-Qattan took from Shou'ba, and Ibn Mahdi, and Ahmad took from the two, and 'Ali ibn al-Madini and Ibn Ma'in, and took the like al-Boukhari, Abu Dawoud, Abu Zur'a and Abu Hatim.
And Abu Zur'a said of his time, "The one understanding this has become rare, and how should I despise it when I repel him by one or two? For it is rare to find one mastering it?!" When Abu Zur'a died, Abu Hatim said, "Departed is the one mastering this," meaning Abu Zur'a; "there remained neither in Egypt nor in Iraq anyone mastering it." It was said to him, after the death of Abu Zur'a, "Do you know today anyone knowing this?" He said, "No." And came after them a group, among them an-Nasa'i, al-'Aqili, Ibn 'Adi and ad-Daraqoutni; and after them became rare the one expert in its knowledge, until Abu al-Faraj ibn al-Jawzi said, at the beginning of his book of the fabricated ones, "The one understanding this has become rare, rather he has vanished." And Allah knows best.