"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: "That which is lawful is plain and that which is unlawful is plain, and between them are matters which are not as clear. I will strike a parable for you about that: indeed Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, has established a sanctuary, and the sanctuary of Allah is that which He has forbidden. Whoever approaches the sanctuary is bound to transgress upon it, Or he said: 'Whoever grazes around the sanctuary will soon transgress upon it, and whoever indulges in matters that are not clear, he will soon transgress beyond the limits,""
Hadith Commentary: The Clear and Unclear Matters
This profound narration from Sunan an-Nasa'i 4453, found in The Book of Financial Transactions, presents a fundamental Islamic legal principle distinguishing between the clearly lawful (halal), clearly unlawful (haram), and ambiguous matters (mushtabihat).
The Sanctuary Parable Explained
The Prophet's analogy of Allah's sanctuary represents the boundaries of divine prohibition. Just as grazing animals near a protected area risk crossing into forbidden territory, humans who engage in doubtful matters risk transgressing clear prohibitions.
Scholars interpret this as a warning against excessive legalism in seeking loopholes, emphasizing that true piety lies in avoiding not only the clearly forbidden but also matters that approach prohibition.
Practical Application in Financial Transactions
In commercial dealings, this principle requires Muslims to avoid transactions with even slight elements of uncertainty (gharar) or resemblance to interest (riba), even if technically permissible through legal interpretation.
The wise approach is to maintain a safety margin from doubtful matters, as the Prophet taught that "he who avoids the doubtful matters clears himself in regard to his religion and his honor."
Scholarly Consensus
Classical commentators like Imam Nawawi emphasized that this hadith establishes the principle of "blocking the means" (sadd al-dhara'i), where matters leading to prohibited ends should be avoided even if not explicitly forbidden.
This approach protects both individual spirituality and social order by creating clear boundaries that prevent gradual moral and legal decline.