من حسن إسلام المرء

The hadith. Abu Hurayra reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ "Part of the beauty of a person's Islam is leaving what does not concern them."

Source: hadith no. 12 of An-Nawawi. Reported by At-Tirmidhi (no. 2317) and Ibn Majah (no. 3976). An-Nawawi grades it "ḥasan"; other scholars have discussed its chain [À VÉRIFIER : degré retenu par le centre].

What "does not concern us". It is not everything that concerns others: helping, advising, standing up for someone, all of this does concern us. What does not concern us is what brings us no good, neither in this life nor the next: curiosity about people's private lives, rumours, arguments that are not ours, hours wasted without purpose.

A short sentence, but very wide: • In words: not asking nosy questions ("How much does your father earn?"), not spreading what we have heard. • In looks: not going through someone else's phone, not spying. • Online: not jumping into every controversy, not commenting on strangers' lives. • In time: time is a treasure. Letting it slip away on what is useless is losing it.

The link with the beauty of Islam: whoever leaves the futile keeps his heart, his tongue and his time for what matters. It is not indifference; it is discernment.

And you? How much time do you spend each day on things that bring you nothing (endless videos, rumours, online arguments)? What small thing could you "leave" this week, and what could you replace it with?

Understanding the lesson

Explanation This hadith speaks of the "beauty" (husn) of a person's Islam. So it is not only about avoiding sin: it is about making one's practice more beautiful and refined, by keeping one's energy for what matters.

How do we know what "concerns us"? What concerns us is our duties towards Allah, our family, our studies or work, and the good we can do for others. The rest, especially when it touches people's private lives, does not concern us. The Qur'an says it clearly: "Do not spy" (meaning of part of 49:12).

Time is at the heart of this hadith. The Prophet ﷺ said: "There are two blessings in which many people are losers: health and free time." (Bukhari 6412). Leaving what does not concern us protects these two riches.

Leaving what is pointless is not becoming indifferent: it is choosing. When a friend needs help, that concerns us; when a rumour about him goes round, spreading it does not.

Lessons to draw from it • I don't dig into other people's private lives, in real life or online. • I don't pass rumours on: I let them stop with me. • I protect my time and my health, two blessings that are easily lost. • I keep my energy for what brings me good, in this life and the next.

Key points to remember • مِنْ حُسْنِ إِسْلَامِ الْمَرْءِ تَرْكُهُ مَا لَا يَعْنِيهِ (Tirmidhi 2317). • Two blessings often lost: health and free time (Bukhari 6412).

The main message Leaving what does not concern us makes our Islam more beautiful: we keep our heart, tongue and time for what matters.