Riyad as-Salihin

Riyad as-Salihin 1570

Prohibition of Spying on Muslims and to be Inquisitive about Others
The Book of the Prohibited actions Search within the hadiths
Riyad as-Salihin 1570
Arabic hadith text
وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال‏:‏ ‏"‏إياكم والظن، فإن الظن أكذب الحديث، ولا تحسسوا، ولا تجسسوا ولا تنافسوا، ولا تحاسدوا، ولا تباغضوا، ولا تدابروا، وكونوا عباد الله إخوانًا كما أمركم‏.‏ المسلم أخو المسلم، لا يظلمه، ولا يخذله ولا يحقره‏.‏ التقوى ههنا، ‏"‏ ويشير إلى صدره ‏"‏بحسب امرئ من الشر أن يحقر أخاه المسلم، كل المسلم على المسلم حرام‏:‏ دمه، وعرضه، وماله، إن الله لا ينظر إلى أجسادكم، ولا إلى صوركم، ولكن ينظر إلى قلوبكم وأعمالكم‏"‏‏.‏ وفي رواية‏:‏ ‏"‏لا تحاسدوا، ولا تباغضوا، ولا تجسسوا، ولا تحسسوا ولا تناجشوا وكونوا عباد الله إخوانًا‏"‏‏.‏ وفي رواية‏:‏ ‏"‏لا تقاطعوا، ولا تدابروا، ولا تباغضوا ولا تحاسدوا، وكونوا عباد الله إخوانًا‏"‏‏.‏ وفي رواية‏:‏ ‏"‏لا تهاجروا ولا يبع بعضكم على بيع بعض‏"‏‏.‏ ‏(‏‏(‏رواه مسلم بكل هذه الروايات، وروى البخاري أكثرها‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏
Translation
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) said

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Beware of suspicion, for suspicion is the worst of false tales. Do not look for other's faults. Do not spy one another, and do not practise Najsh (means to offer a high price for something in order to allure another customer who is interested in the thing). Do not be jealous of one another and do not nurse enmity against one another. Do not sever ties with one another. Become the slaves of Allah, and be brothers to one another as He commanded. A Muslim is the brother of a Muslim. He should neither oppress him nor humiliate him. The piety is here! The piety is here!" While saying so he pointed towards his chest. "It is enough evil for a Muslim to look down upon his Muslim brother. All things of a Muslim are inviolable for his brother in Faith: his blood, his wealth and his honour. Verily, Allah does not look to your bodies nor to your faces but He looks to your hearts and your deeds."Another narration is: "Do not feel envy against one another; do not nurse enmity; do not spy on one another and do not cheat one another. Be Allah's slaves, brethren to one another."Another narration is: "Do not have estranged relations with one another. Do not nurse enmity and do not feel envy against one another. O Allah's worshippers! Be brothers!"Another narration is: "Do not estrange mutual relations and do not intervene into the transaction which is likely to be settled with another person."[Muslim].

Commentary

Overview & Central Theme

This profound hadith, recorded by Imam Muslim in Riyad as-Salihin (Book of Prohibited Actions, no. 1570), serves as a comprehensive charter for social ethics in Islam. The Prophet ﷺ delineates a sacred framework for communal harmony, forbidding suspicion, fault-finding, spying, envy, enmity, and severing ties. The central theme is the sanctity of Muslim brotherhood—a bond rooted in faith, requiring the protection of life, wealth, and honour. The hadith culminates in a transformative spiritual principle: Allah's judgment transcends outward appearances, focusing solely on the purity of hearts and the sincerity of deeds. This teaching establishes that true piety (taqwa) manifests not in ritual display but in the ethical treatment of fellow believers.

Context & Linguistic Insights

The hadith was uttered during the Farewell Pilgrimage (Hajjat al-Wada'), a context of collective unity where the Prophet ﷺ addressed the assembled Muslims, cementing universal brotherhood. Linguistically, the term "zann" (suspicion) refers to unfounded conjecture that leads to sin; "tajassasu" (spying) denotes seeking out others' hidden faults; "tanajush" (Najsh) is artificially inflating prices to deceive buyers; "tabaghadu" (mutual hatred) and "tahasadu" (envy) are spiritual diseases that corrode community bonds. The phrase "attaqua hahuna" (piety is here), repeated while pointing to his chest, emphasizes that taqwa resides in the heart, not in external displays. The command "be brothers" (ikhwanan) uses the plural intensive form, signifying a deep, unbreakable fraternity akin to blood kinship.

Key Scholarly Insights & Legal Benefits

  • Prohibition of suspicion (zann) without evidence—Imam An-Nawawi notes that while suspicion is blameworthy, it is permissible to act upon strong circumstantial evidence in judicial matters, but not in personal judgments against fellow Muslims.
  • Forbidding spying (tajassus) and fault-finding (tahassus)—these violate the privacy guaranteed by Islamic law, as Allah says: "Do not spy on one another" (Qur'an 49:12). This includes digital surveillance and social media intrusion in modern contexts.
  • Unlawfulness of Najsh (bidding against a genuine buyer) and cheating in transactions—this falls under commercial fraud, which the Prophet ﷺ explicitly cursed, establishing that economic dealings must be grounded in honesty and mutual consent.
  • Envy (hasad) is prohibited because it implies discontent with Allah's divine distribution of blessings; it leads to resentment and destruction of social bonds, as narrated in other hadiths comparing envy to fire consuming wood.
  • The sanctity of a Muslim's blood, wealth, and honour is inviolable—this is a fundamental legal maxim (qā'idah) underpinning Islamic criminal and civil law, making aggression against any of these a major sin.
  • Looking down upon another Muslim is sufficient evil—this highlights the gravity of arrogance (kibr), which the Prophet ﷺ declared as a barrier to Paradise.
"Know that the heart is the king of the limbs, and when it is sound, the limbs are sound; when it is corrupt, they are corrupt. The Prophet ﷺ pointed to the heart to teach that all outward actions are judged by the inner state of the heart, for Allah looks not at forms but at the reality of faith." — Imam Al-Qurtubi, Al-Mufhim

Daily Life & Spiritual Application

In contemporary life, this hadith demands a conscious purification of the heart and discipline of the tongue. A believer must avoid harbouring ill thoughts about others, instead interpreting their actions favourably (husn al-zann). Before speaking, one should ask: Does this foster unity or division? In the digital age, this means refraining from online gossip, cyber-spying, and sharing others' private information. In business, it mandates transparent transactions without deceptive pricing or manipulation. On a spiritual level, one must regularly examine the heart for envy, rancour, and pride, seeking Allah's help to replace these with gratitude, compassion, and humility. The ultimate application is to treat every Muslim as a brother or sister, defending their honour, protecting their rights, and prioritising reconciliation over estrangement. By internalising that Allah's gaze pierces through externalities to the heart's sincerity, one cultivates a life of genuine ihsan—worshipping Allah as if seeing Him, knowing He sees all.