What is meant by doubtful matters in the saying of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him): “The lawful is clear, and the forbidden is clear, and between them are doubtful matters”?

The Shaykh : So what do you have to say?

The questioner : A question?

The Shaykh : Of course, a question.

The questioner : The Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) said: . We hope, may Allah reward you with good, that you clarify for us the details regarding the topic of doubtful matters and their ruling. May Allah bless you?

The Shaykh : What I understand from his saying (peace be upon him): , is that these are matters in which the evidences of the Shari'ah conflict for some observers, between an evidence indicating the obligation of something, for example, and another evidence indicating the permissibility of that thing. That researcher or observer of those evidences, seeing the apparent conflict, is unable to perform the weighing of them, which is the domain of scholars of knowledge, research, and verification. So he stands there confused between what obligates prohibition or forbiddance, for example, and what necessitates permissibility. When he reaches this point in his research, then his saying (peace be upon him) comes: , , and this is the intended meaning of the hadith I mentioned earlier: . For example, in the previous discussion last night with Shaykh Nasser regarding the face of the woman, whoever becomes clear to him the evidence, whether for prohibition or permissibility, must follow the evidence. (And upon you be peace and the mercy of Allah and His blessings, welcome). And whoever remains confused and is unable to take what one of the two evidences indicates, then at that time he should act with caution, as we said, by covering the face of his wife, daughter, or sister.
Another example: For instance, many people are afflicted by the hadiths indicating the prohibition of drinking while standing and the hadiths indicating the permissibility of drinking while standing. So the matter is difficult for many people, and some of them are compelled to say that the prohibition is for discouragement and not for prohibition, so they lean toward the opinion of the permissibility of drinking while standing. So whoever studies the evidences of the two groups, those who say prohibition and prevention for the sake of prohibition, and the evidences of those who say permissibility and lawfulness, even if with dislike, and neither opinion becomes stronger in his view, then at that time he should be cautious and not drink while standing. As for whoever finds one of the two indications stronger in his view, then at that time he must follow the evidence. This is the tracing of the hadith: to the end of the hadith. This is what I have as an answer to the question.