Sahih al-Bukhari 52
Sahih
Sahih al-Bukhari — Hadith 52
Narrated by An-Nu'man ibn Bashir
إِنَّ الْحَلاَلَ بَيِّنٌ وَإِنَّ الْحَرَامَ بَيِّنٌ وَبَيْنَهُمَا أُمُورٌ مُشْتَبِهَاتٌ
Translation
The Prophet said: 'That which is lawful is clear and that which is unlawful is clear, and between the two are doubtful matters about which many people do not know. Whoever avoids the doubtful matters clears himself regarding his religion and his honor.'
Commentary
This hadith establishes a key principle of Islamic jurisprudence: the categories of permissible and prohibited are largely clear, but there exists a grey area of doubtful matters. The prudent path is to avoid such ambiguities. This hadith is considered one of the foundational narrations of Islamic legal theory.