A full exposition of this hadith would require a lengthy, independent volume. What follows is a brief note that opens the door for the student of knowledge to review, reflect, and ponder; within it he will discover abundant good from the treasures of understanding.
Allah alone grants success. May blessings and peace be upon our Prophet Muhammad, his family, and all his Companions.
Benefits
• Al-Qaḥṭānī said: “Whatever you are unsure about, cautious piety (waraʿ) dictates avoiding it; for the very object of your doubt is the locus of misgiving. Rayba is hesitation and uncertainty, and the hadith ‘Leave that which causes you doubt’ teaches that whenever you are uncertain about something, abandon it—leave aside whatever unsettles you.”
• Al-Ghazālī wrote: “Waraʿ is of several ranks:
- The waraʿ of the veracious (ṣiddīqīn): refraining from anything taken without the intention of gaining strength for worship.
- The waraʿ of the devout (muttaqīn): abandoning what contains no inherent suspicion yet might lead to what is unlawful.
- The waraʿ of the righteous (ṣāliḥīn): avoiding whatever admits even the possibility of prohibition, provided that such possibility has some real basis; if it has no basis, that is the waraʿ of those afflicted by obsessive scruples.”
• Shaykh al-Islām Ibn Taymiyyah said: “The difference between renunciation (zuhd) and scrupulousness (waraʿ) is that zuhd is leaving what does not benefit one in the Hereafter, whereas waraʿ is leaving what one fears may harm one in the Hereafter.” Ibn al-Qayyim commented: “This is among the finest and most comprehensive statements ever made about zuhd and waraʿ.” He further explained: “If a blessing distracts a person from Allah, renouncing it is better; but if it does not distract him and he remains grateful for it, his state is better. Zuhd, then, is to free the heart from attachment to it and from finding repose in it.”
• Al-Ṣanʿānī said: “Know that all of waraʿ is summed up in the Prophet’s ﷺ saying, ‘Part of a person’s excellence in Islam is that he leaves what does not concern him.’ The hadith encompasses refraining from whatever does not concern one—speech, sight, listening, grasping, walking, and every inward and outward movement. This Prophetic wisdom is both complete and sufficient regarding waraʿ.”
Hadith Two
Anas ibn Mālik, may Allah be pleased with him, said: “We startled a hare at Marr al-Ẓahrān. The people chased it but became tired. I caught up with it and seized it, then brought it to Abū Ṭalḥah, who slaughtered it. He sent its upper leg—or its thigh—to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and he accepted it.”