Lā Ḍarar wa Lā Ḍirār
لا ضرر ولا ضرارDefinition
No harm and no reciprocal harm — one of the most foundational legal and ethical principles in Islamic jurisprudence, transmitted as a complete prophetic maxim. Lā ḍarar prohibits initiating harm against others; lā ḍirār prohibits reciprocating harm with disproportionate harm. Together they establish that Islam's ethical framework is not merely permission-based (what is allowed) but harm-prevention-based (what protects). Scholars have derived entire branches of Islamic law from this single hadith — environmental protection, consumer rights, medical ethics, and the limits of defensive action all trace back to it. Al-Nawawi included it as a principle because its application extends across virtually every domain of human life.
As understood in the classical tradition of Imam al-Nawawī and the scholars of his school.
Appears in
1 book in the library
Hear the term in context.
Every book above uses Lā Ḍarar wa Lā Ḍirār the way the classical scholars meant it. Listen with the full Study Kit in the app.