Anas declared that God’s messenger used to say, “Do not impose austerities on yourselves and so have God imposing austerities on you; for people have imposed austerities on themselves and God has imposed austerities on them. Their survivors are to be found in cells and monasteries.” , “Monasticism, they invented it; we did not prescribe it for them.” 1
Abu Umama reported God’s messenger as saying, “No people have gone astray after following right guidance unless they have been led into disputation.” Then God’s messenger recited this verse, “They only put him forth to you as a matter of dispute; nay, they are a contentious people.” 1
Narrated Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “The Qur’an came down showing five aspects:
what is permissible, what is prohibited, what is firmly fixed, what is obscure, and parables. So treat what is permissible as permissible and what is prohibited as prohibited, act upon what is firmly fixed; believe in what is obscure, and take a lesson from the parables.”
This is the wording in Al-masabih. Baihaqi transmitted it in Shu’ab al-iman, his wording being, “Act according to what is permissible, avoid what is prohibited, and follow what is firmly fixed.”
Abu Huraira reported God’s messenger as saying, “In the times in which you are living, anyone who abandons a tenth of what he is commanded will perish; but a time is coming when anyone who does a tenth of what he is commanded will be safe.”
