Answered by Kamil Uddin
Question:
“The halal is clear and the haram is clear. Between the two there are doubtful matters concerning which people do not know whether they are halal or haram. One who avoids them in order to safeguard his religion and his honor is safe, while if someone engages in a part of them he may be doing something haram, like one who grazes his animals near the hima (the grounds reserved for animals belonging to the King which are out of bounds for others’ animals); it is thus quite likely that some of his animals will stray into it. Truly, every king has a hima, and the hima of Allah is what He has prohibited. So Beware, in the body there is a flesh; if it is good, the whole body is good, and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
What circumstances does this hadith refer to? Does this refer to situations in which there is a difference of opinion, and some say that something is halal and others say it is haram? Does it mean that wherever these disagreements exist about a particular matter, that it is better to avoid that thing? Is it because people will be taken to account if they follow the opinion that something is halal and it turns out to be incorrect? Also, what approach should individuals take on matters on which there are difference of opinion, even within the madhhab? Do they have to pick one scholar and follow them on everything; do they follow what appears to be a general consensus?
Approaching Doubtful Matters and Exercising Precaution: An Explanation of a Hadith on Halāl and Harām
Question:
“The halal is clear and the haram is clear. Between the two there are doubtful matters concerning which people do not know whether they are halal or haram. One who avoids them in order to safeguard his religion and his honor is safe, while if someone engages in a part of them he may be doing something haram, like one who grazes his animals near the hima (the grounds reserved for animals belonging to the King which are out of bounds for others’ animals); it is thus quite likely that some of his animals will stray into it. Truly, every king has a hima, and the hima of Allah is what He has prohibited. So Beware, in the body there is a flesh; if it is good, the whole body is good, and if it is corrupt the whole body is corrupt, and behold, it is the heart.” [Bukhari & Muslim]
What circumstances does this hadith refer to? Does this refer to situations in which there is a difference of opinion, and some say that something is halal and others say it is haram? Does it mean that wherever these disagreements exist about a particular matter, that it is better to avoid that thing? Is it because people will be taken to account if they follow the opinion that something is halal and it turns out to be incorrect? Also, what approach should individuals take on matters on which there are difference of opinion, even within the madhhab? Do they have to pick one scholar and follow them on everything; do they follow what appears to be a general consensus?