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Hadith 27 · 7 fragments

Righteousness and sin

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, hadith No.27

The fragments are a technical division for precise citation, not a canonical numbering of parts of the hadith. The wording inside each fragment is unchanged.

Arabic edition text

1

عَنْ النَّوَّاسِ بْنِ سَمْعَانَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم قَالَ:

Narrator

On the authority of an-Nawas bin Sam’an (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah 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.

Word by word
عَنْ
ʿan
from
النَّوَّاسِ
l-nawwāsi
al-Nawwas
بْنِ
ib'ni
son of
سَمْعَانَ
samʿāna
Sam'an
رَضِيَ
raḍiya
may be pleased
اللهُ
l-lahu
Allah
عَنْهُ
ʿanhu
with him
عَنْ
ʿan
from
النَّبِيِّ
l-nabiyyi
the Prophet
صلى
ṣallā
may bless
الله
l-lahu
Allah
عليه
ʿalayhi
him
و
wa
and
سلم
sallama
grant peace
قَالَ
qāla
who said
2

"الْبِرُّ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ، وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي صَدْرِك، وَكَرِهْت أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ"

Matn

[Muslim] And on the authority of Wabisah bin Ma’bad (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “You have come to ask about righteousness.

Word by word
الْبِرُّ
al-birru
righteousness
حُسْنُ
ḥus'nu
(is) goodness of
الْخُلُقِ
l-khuluqi
character
وَالْإِثْمُ
wal-ith'mu
and sin
مَا
mā
(is) what
حَاكَ
ḥāka
wavers (disturbs)
فِي
fī
in
صَدْرِك
ṣadrika
your breast
وَكَرِهْت
wakarih'ta
and you dislike
أَنْ
an
that
يَطَّلِعَ
yaṭṭaliʿa
come to know
عَلَيْهِ
ʿalayhi
of it
النَّاسُ
l-nāsu
the people
3

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ].

Matn

” I said, “Yes.

Word by word
رَوَاهُ
rawāhu
narrated it
مُسْلِمٌ
mus'limun
Muslim
رَوَاهُ
rawāhu
narrated it
مُسْلِمٌ
mus'limun
Muslim
4

وَعَنْ وَابِصَةَ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: أَتَيْت رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم فَقَالَ: "جِئْتَ تَسْأَلُ عَنْ الْبِرِّ؟

Matn

” He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Consult your heart.

Word by word
وَعَنْ
waʿan
and from
وَابِصَةَ
wābiṣata
Wabisa
بْنِ
ib'ni
son of
مَعْبَدٍ
maʿbadin
Ma'bad
رَضِيَ
raḍiya
may be pleased
اللهُ
l-lahu
Allah
عَنْهُ
ʿanhu
with him
قَالَ
qāla
who said
أَتَيْت
ataytu
I came to
رَسُولَ
rasūla
the Messenger of
اللَّهِ
l-lahi
Allah
صلى
ṣallā
may bless
الله
l-lahu
Allah
عليه
ʿalayhi
him
و
wa
and
سلم
sallama
grant peace
فَقَالَ
faqāla
and he said
جِئْتَ
ji'ta
you have come
تَسْأَلُ
tas-alu
to ask
عَنْ
ʿan
about
الْبِرِّ
l-birri
righteousness
5

قُلْت: نَعَمْ.

Matn

Righteousness is that about which the soul feels at ease and the heart feels tranquil.

Word by word
قُلْت
qul'tu
I said
نَعَمْ
naʿam
yes
6

فقَالَ: استفت قلبك، الْبِرُّ مَا اطْمَأَنَّتْ إلَيْهِ النَّفْسُ، وَاطْمَأَنَّ إلَيْهِ الْقَلْبُ، وَالْإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي النَّفْسِ وَتَرَدَّدَ فِي الصَّدْرِ، وَإِنْ أَفْتَاك النَّاسُ وَأَفْتَوْك" .

Matn

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 favour].

Word by word
فقَالَ
faqāla
then he said
استفت
is'tafti
consult
قلبك
qalbaka
your heart
الْبِرُّ
al-birru
righteousness
مَا
mā
(is) what
اطْمَأَنَّتْ
iṭ'ma-annat
is at ease
إلَيْهِ
ilayhi
with it
النَّفْسُ
l-nafsu
the soul
وَاطْمَأَنَّ
wa-iṭ'ma-anna
and is at ease
إلَيْهِ
ilayhi
with it
الْقَلْبُ
l-qalbu
the heart
وَالْإِثْمُ
wal-ith'mu
and sin
مَا
mā
(is) what
حَاكَ
ḥāka
wavers (disturbs)
فِي
fī
in
النَّفْسِ
l-nafsi
the soul
وَتَرَدَّدَ
wataraddada
and hesitates
فِي
fī
in
الصَّدْرِ
l-ṣadri
the breast
وَإِنْ
wa-in
even if
أَفْتَاك
aftāka
give you a ruling
النَّاسُ
l-nāsu
the people
وَأَفْتَوْك
wa-aftawka
and keep ruling for you
7

حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، رَوَيْنَاهُ في مُسْنَدَي الْإِمَامَيْنِ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ [رقم:4/227]، وَالدَّارِمِيّ [2/246] بِإِسْنَادٍ حَسَنٍ

Matn

” A good hadeeth transmitted from the musnads of the two imams, Ahmed bin Hambal and Al- Darimi, with a good chain of authorities

Word by word
حَدِيثٌ
ḥadīthun
a hadith
حَسَنٌ
ḥasanun
good (hasan)
رَوَيْنَاهُ
rawaynāhu
we narrated it
في
fī
in
مُسْنَدَي
mus'naday
the two Musnads of
الْإِمَامَيْنِ
l-imāmayni
the two imams
أَحْمَدَ
aḥmada
Ahmad
بْنِ
ib'ni
son of
حَنْبَلٍ
ḥanbalin
Hanbal
[رقم:4/227]
raqm 4/227
no. 4/227
وَالدَّارِمِيّ
wal-dārimiyyi
and al-Darimi
[2/246]
2/246
2/246
بِإِسْنَادٍ
bi-is'nādin
with a chain (isnad)
حَسَنٍ
ḥasanin
good

Lesson

The measure of the good is the peace of conscience; sin is what troubles the soul and what one is ashamed to show to people, even when others excuse it.

Text within an-Nawawi's collection: the Arabic source edition and the Ukrainian translation by the “Nur” project (by meaning).