The Book of Virtue, Enjoining Good Manners, and Joining of the Ties of Kinship — Hadith 6357

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنِي هَارُونُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ الأَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، حَدَّثَنِي مُعَاوِيَةُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ صَالِحٍ - عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ جُبَيْرِ بْنِ نُفَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ نَوَّاسِ بْنِ سِمْعَانَ، قَالَ أَقَمْتُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِالْمَدِينَةِ سَنَةً مَا يَمْنَعُنِي مِنَ الْهِجْرَةِ إِلاَّ الْمَسْأَلَةُ كَانَ أَحَدُنَا إِذَا هَاجَرَ لَمْ يَسْأَلْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ شَىْءٍ - قَالَ - فَسَأَلْتُهُ عَنِ الْبِرِّ وَالإِثْمِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏ "‏ الْبِرُّ حُسْنُ الْخُلُقِ وَالإِثْمُ مَا حَاكَ فِي نَفْسِكَ وَكَرِهْتَ أَنْ يَطَّلِعَ عَلَيْهِ النَّاسُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

Nawwas b. Sam'an reported: I stayed with Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) for one year. What obstructed me to migrate was (nothing) but (persistent) inquiries from him (about Islam). (It was a common observation) that when anyone of us migrated (to Medina) he ceased to ask (too many questions) from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). So I asked him about virtue and vice. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Virtue is a kind disposition and vice is what rankles in your mind and that you disapprove of its being known to the people.