Part of a person's excellence in Islam is his leaving what does not concern him
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "Part of a person's excellence in Islam is his leaving what does not concern him."
Attribution: Narrated by At-Tirmidhi and others
Grade: An-Nawawi said: It is a Hasan (sound) Hadīth
Explanation
The Prophet (ﷺ) clarified that part of the perfection and beauty of a Muslim's Islam, and the completeness of his faith, is keeping away from what does not concern him, and what does not pertain to him, what does not benefit him of words and deeds, or matters of religion and worldly life that are of no relevance to him. Being preoccupied with what does not concern a person may distract him from what truly does, or may lead him to what he must avoid. For indeed, a person will be held accountable for his deeds on the Day of Judgment.
Benefits
People are of varying degrees in terms of their Islam, and it grows more excellent through some deeds.
Abandonment of idle and intrusive talk and action is a sign of the excellence of a person's Islam.
We are urged to preoccupy ourselves with religious and worldly matters that concern us. If it is part of the excellence of a person's Islam that he leaves what does not concern him, it is also part of its excellence that he gets preoccupied with what concerns him.
Ibn al-Qayyim (may Allah have mercy upon him) said: The Prophet (ﷺ) summarized Wara‘ (piety/caution) in one sentence, saying: "Part of a person’s excellence in Islam is his leaving what does not concern him." This includes abandonment of what does not concern a person, like certain speech, looking, listening, striking, walking, thinking, and other movements, inward and outward. This is a sufficient and adequate statement on Wara‘.
Ibn Rajab said: This Hadīth is a fundamental principle of good manners.
We are urged to seek knowledge, for this is the means by which a person knows what concerns him and what does not.
Enjoining good and forbidding evil and rendering advice are among the things that should concern a person, for he is required to do them.
It falls under the general meaning of this Hadīth that we should keep away from what does not concern us among the things prohibited by Allah Almighty and disliked by the Prophet (ﷺ), and also those needless matters related to the Hereafter, like the facts of the unseen, and the details of the judgment among the creation; this also includes asking and searching about supposed issues that have not occurred, are unlikely to occur, or their occurrence is inconceivable.
