Wara'
Wara' names the practice of leaving even what is permitted, out of caution, to stay well clear of anything doubtful or forbidden.
What it means for me: Wara' is a personal choice to leave more than the minimum requires. It says nothing about anyone else who takes up the very thing you chose to avoid. The choice is yours to make, not a standard to hold others to.
Example: A man declines an opportunity because its details make him uneasy, without ever calling it haram. That is wara': restraint chosen for himself, not a verdict placed on other people.
Do not confuse with: Haram, the forbidden. Leaving something out of wara' does not make it forbidden for someone else who takes it up without the same unease.
If scholars differ: Scholars agree wara' sits above simply taking what is permitted. They differ on its limits in modern transactions, since that depends on whether a genuine shubha, doubtful element, is actually present.
See the term in context
Is a person considered spiteful if people describe him as such, bearing in mind that people are God's witnesses on His earth? And what is the difference between wara' (scrupulousness) and taqwa (piety)? And what is the ruling on bleaching eyebrows from the top and bottom?
The heart must be purified from malice, rancor, and envy. It is known that God's witnesses on earth are His pious awliya' (saints/friends). Thus, whoever they praise as good is among the good, and whoever they condemn…
What is the difference between نَزَّلَ (nazzala) and أَنْزَلَ (anzala), وَرَاءَ (wara'a) and خَلْفَ (khalfa), عَلَى (ʻala) and فَوْقَ (fawqa), أَتَى (ata) and جَاءَ (ja'a), الْفَاسِقُ (al-fasiq) and الْفَاجِرُ (al-fajir)?
There is no difference between "nazala" (نزل) and "anzala" (أنزل); both convey the meaning of descent, the difference being in transitivity. "Wara’a" (وراء) can mean "behind" or "ahead" (it is from the words with…
What is the difference between Zuhd (asceticism) and Wara' (scrupulousness/piety)?
Asceticism (Zuhd) is abandoning what is of no benefit in the Hereafter. It is the heart's detachment from preoccupation with what is of no benefit in the Hereafter. It has stages: abandoning the unlawful (haram) and…
Questions that use it
What is the ruling on caring for one's appearance, looking after the body and its health, wearing elegant clothes, and studying worldly sciences to improve one's social status, provided that devotional duties are not neglected? And what is the concept of Zuhd (asceticism) and Wara' (piety) in Islam? And what is the ruling on wearing trousers and shirts?
What is the order of "Islam, Iman, Ihsan, Taqwa, Wara', Shukr" in terms of preference, and are there other words better than them?
Is it more appropriate to issue a fatwa based on scrupulousness (wara') or on ease (taysir) when there are two opinions, one of which offers ease and the other caution? And does acting with caution differ from issuing a fatwa based on it?