The Scholars are of the opinion that the vast majority of acts fall into one of the first two groups: either it is evidently and obviously lawful or unlawful. Only a minority number of deeds fall into the third category, that which is doubtful. It can be observed here that the Prophet, sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam, is using a metaphor, or analogy, twice in this hadith. As mentioned before, the use of metaphors or analogies in communicating ideas is very effective and powerful. Looking at the metaphor and the way it is worded (“just as a shepherd who pastures his flock round a preserve will soon pasture them in it”), we can say that the doubtful things or matters are closer to the unlawful things.
This narration stresses on the importance of glorifying Allah subhanallahu ta’ala. If we want to glorify Allah, we have to glorify His injunctions, commandments, whether they are obligations (so we perform them), or whether they are proscrptions (so we do not perform them). A Salaf once reported: “Don’t look at how minor the sin is that you committed, but look at the glory of the One you disobeyed, i.e. Allah subhanallahu ta’ala.” A sin, even if it is a minor one, means disobedience to Allah, hence disobeying the Glorification of Allah. And the glorification of Allah is actually and without doubt, one of the principles of Tawhid.
We stated before that the great actions or the principles of Tawhid are performed by the heart. That is why the heart is mentioned at the end of the hadith. Looking at the narration at first glance, we might have asked what the heart has to do with the rest of this hadith. It is in the heart that we glorify Allah. It is the action of heart when we refrain from and avoid the unlawful. If the heart is strong, sound, has no weaknesses, and is full of iman (faith), then this would help us to refrain ourselves from muharramat and makruhah (undesirable acts). Therfore only those with a strong and sound heart, i.e. the heart that is full of love for Allah, fear of Allah and glorification of Allah, will desist from the doubtful matters.
But individuals whose hearts are diseased and whose iman is weak, may go around the doubtful matters. Bit by bit they will indulge in the makruhah, delaying things and consequently getting into the muharram or delaying or even negating the wajib. It has to do with the status of the heart. That is why the scholars talk about the life of the heart. For instance, when you see Muslims praying in the masjid (mosque), you see hundreds of people praying together. But what differentiates them is the status of their hearts, whether it is devoted to Allah or not. How strong and pure is the heart? How sound is the heart? That is where people differ. This is what we should concern ourselves with, and compete – taking care of our hearts, purifying them, taking away any diseases from our hearts, to activate and ignite the flames of iman in the heart in order to make it alive.
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