Sahih Muslim #4633

The Book on Government
Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ - وَتَقَارَبُوا فِي اللَّفْظِ - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَرِيَّةً وَاسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَيُطِيعُوا فَأَغْضَبُوهُ فِي شَىْءٍ فَقَالَ اجْمَعُوا لِي حَطَبًا ‏.‏ فَجَمَعُوا لَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَوْقِدُوا نَارًا ‏.‏ فَأَوْقَدُوا ثُمَّ قَالَ أَلَمْ يَأْمُرْكُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ تَسْمَعُوا لِي وَتُطِيعُوا قَالُوا بَلَى ‏.‏ قَالَ فَادْخُلُوهَا ‏.‏ قَالَ فَنَظَرَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ فَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ النَّارِ ‏.‏ فَكَانُوا كَذَلِكَ وَسَكَنَ غَضَبُهُ وَطُفِئَتِ النَّارُ فَلَمَّا رَجَعُوا ذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏
The Mersenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent an expeditionand appointed over the Mujahids a man from the Ansar. (While making the appointment), he ordered that his work should be listened to and obeyed. They made him angry in a matter. He said: Collect for me dry wood. They collected it for him. Then he said: Kindle a fire. They kindled (the fire). Then he said: Didn't the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) order you to listen to me and obey (my orders)? They said: Yes. He said: Enter the fire. The narrator says: (At this), they began to look at one another and said: We fled from the fire to (find refuge with) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) (and now you order us to enter it). They stood quiet until his anger cooled down and the fire went out. When they returned, they related the incident to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). He said: If they had entered it, they would not have come out. Obedience (to the commander) is obligatory only in what is good.
Narrated by It has been narrated on the authority of 'All who said:

Context

This narration describes an incident where the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ sent a commander for an expedition and emphasized the importance of obedience to authority. When the commander became angry, he threatened to make the soldiers enter a fire, which they refused, illustrating the limits of obedience. The Prophet ﷺ later clarified that obedience is only required in what is good.

Modern Application

In contemporary settings, this hadith serves as a reminder that while leadership and authority are important, they must be exercised with wisdom and in accordance with ethical principles. It encourages individuals to question orders that may lead to harm.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Obedience to Allah and Prophetic Conduct because it emphasizes the principle of obedience in Islam while also highlighting the ethical considerations that must guide such obedience.

Related Ayahs

سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ
An-Nisaa (The Women)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
2 ayahs
مَّن يُطِعِ ٱلرَّسُولَ فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ ٱللَّهَ ۖ وَمَن تَوَلَّىٰ فَمَآ أَرْسَلْنَٰكَ عَلَيْهِمْ حَفِيظًۭا
He who obeys the Messenger has obeyed Allah; but those who turn away - We have not sent you over them as a guardian.
وَمَن يَعْصِ ٱللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُۥ وَيَتَعَدَّ حُدُودَهُۥ يُدْخِلْهُ نَارًا خَٰلِدًۭا فِيهَا وَلَهُۥ عَذَابٌۭ مُّهِينٌۭ
And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits - He will put him into the Fire to abide eternally therein, and he will have a humiliating punishment.
سُورَةُ النُّورِ
An-Noor (The Light)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
قُلْ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ ۖ فَإِن تَوَلَّوْا۟ فَإِنَّمَا عَلَيْهِ مَا حُمِّلَ وَعَلَيْكُم مَّا حُمِّلْتُمْ ۖ وَإِن تُطِيعُوهُ تَهْتَدُوا۟ ۚ وَمَا عَلَى ٱلرَّسُولِ إِلَّا ٱلْبَلَٰغُ ٱلْمُبِينُ
Say, "Obey Allah and obey the Messenger; but if you turn away - then upon him is only that [duty] with which he has been charged, and upon you is that with which you have been charged. And if you obey him, you will be [rightly] guided. And there is not upon the Messenger except the [responsibility for] clear notification."
سُورَةُ طه
Taa-Haa (Taa-Haa)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
إِذْ رَءَا نَارًۭا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ ٱمْكُثُوٓا۟ إِنِّىٓ ءَانَسْتُ نَارًۭا لَّعَلِّىٓ ءَاتِيكُم مِّنْهَا بِقَبَسٍ أَوْ أَجِدُ عَلَى ٱلنَّارِ هُدًۭى
When he saw a fire and said to his family, "Stay here; indeed, I have perceived a fire; perhaps I can bring you a torch or find at the fire some guidance."
سُورَةُ مُحَمَّدٍ
Muhammad (Muhammad)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
طَاعَةٌۭ وَقَوْلٌۭ مَّعْرُوفٌۭ ۚ فَإِذَا عَزَمَ ٱلْأَمْرُ فَلَوْ صَدَقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ لَكَانَ خَيْرًۭا لَّهُمْ
Obedience and good words. And when the matter [of fighting] was determined, if they had been true to Allah, it would have been better for them.

Common Words

78 total68 unique6 repeated
ٱلله4x
ٱلرسول3x
نارا3x
ومن2x
ما2x
على2x
من1x
يطع1x
فقد1x
أطاع1x
تولى1x
فما1x
أرسلنك1x
عليهم1x
حفيظا1x
يعص1x
ورسوله1x
ويتعد1x
حدوده1x
يدخله1x
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About Sahih Muslim

This hadith is #4633 from Sahih Muslim, in the Book of The Book on Government. It is graded Sahih and narrated by It has been narrated on the authority of 'All who said:.

About This Hadith