An-Nawawi's Forty HadithHadith 32

No harm and no returning harm

نفي الضرر

A founding rule of the law: harm is to be removed, and not answered with more harm.

عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ سَعْدِ بْنِ مَالِكِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ الْخُدْرِيّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم قَالَ: " لَا ضَرَرَ وَلَا ضِرَارَ" . حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ، رَوَاهُ ابْنُ مَاجَهْ [راجع رقم:2341]، وَالدَّارَقُطْنِيّ [رقم:4/228]، وَغَيْرُهُمَا مُسْنَدًا. وَرَوَاهُ مَالِكٌ [2/746] فِي "الْمُوَطَّإِ" عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم مُرْسَلًا، فَأَسْقَطَ أَبَا سَعِيدٍ، وَلَهُ طُرُقٌ يُقَوِّي بَعْضُهَا بَعْضًا

On the authority of Abu Sa’eed al-Khudree (may Allah be pleased with him), that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: There should be neither harming (darar) nor reciprocating harm (dirar). A hasan hadeeth related by Ibn Majah, ad-Daraqutnee and others as a musnad hadeeth. It was also related by Malik in al-Muwatta in mursal form from Amr bin Yahya, from his father from the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), but leaving Abu Sa’eed from the chain. And it has other chains of narrations that strengthen one another

Reported by: Ibn Majah, ad-Daraqutni, Malik (al-Muwatta)

Lessons

No harm and no returning harm: Allah's law contains no harm, and no one may harm another, whether intended or not (7:157, 2:233). It is a broad principle showing that the Shariah protects people's welfare; hardship brings concessions, such as breaking the fast when ill or shortening the prayer when travelling. An-Nawawi graded it hasan; Malik's version is mursal, and its several chains strengthen one another.

In practice: make sure nothing you do, even what is your right, harms others.

Evidence

Hasan

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 32

Grades
Grader	Verdict
an-Nawawi	حديث حسن (Hasan)

Full narration

Scholarly opinionExplaining an-Nawawi's Forty: hadith 32 (islamweb)islamweb.net

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The hadith

Lessons

Evidence