Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 2626 in the Book of Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad).

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#2625

#2626

Sunan Abu Dawud

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Sunan Abu Dawud #2626

Q: What is Sunan Abu Dawud 2626 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad)) states: "‘Ali (Allaah be pleased with him) said “The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) sent an army and appointed a man as a commander for them and he commanded them to listen to him and obey. He kindled fire and ordered…"

Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad)

Sahih

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

حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ، عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، - رضى الله عنه - أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَعَثَ جَيْشًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَيُطِيعُوا فَأَجَّجَ نَارًا وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَقْتَحِمُوا فِيهَا فَأَبَى قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ وَأَرَادَ قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا - أَوْ دَخَلُوا فِيهَا - لَمْ يَزَالُوا فِيهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ وَقَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

‘Ali (Allaah be pleased with him) said “The Messenger of Allah(ﷺ) sent an army and appointed a man as a commander for them and he commanded them to listen to him and obey. He kindled fire and ordered them to jump into it. A group refused to enter into it and said “We escaped from the fire; a group intended to enter into it. When the Prophet (ﷺ) was informed about it, he said “Had they entered into it, they would have remained into it. There is no obedience in matters involving disobedience to Allaah. Obedience is in matters which are good and universally recognized.

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) sent an army and appointed a commander, instructing them to obey him. The commander ordered them to jump into a fire, which some soldiers refused, stating they had fled from fire. The Prophet (ﷺ) was informed of this and emphasized that obedience is only in matters that are good and recognized, highlighting the importance of discerning right from wrong.

Modern Application

This principle of discerning right from wrong is crucial in today's world, where individuals often face conflicting demands. People must evaluate the morality of commands and ensure their actions align with ethical standards, especially in workplaces or social settings where authority may be misused.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Obedience to Allah and Prophetic Command because it emphasizes that obedience should only be given in matters that are good and recognized, not in actions that contradict divine commands.

Obedience to Allah Prophetic Command

Related Ayahs

سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ

An-Nisaa (The Women)

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

3 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.

يَٰٓأَيُّهَا ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَطِيعُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ وَأَطِيعُوا۟ ٱلرَّسُولَ وَأُو۟لِى ٱلْأَمْرِ مِنكُمْ ۖ فَإِن تَنَٰزَعْتُمْ فِى شَىْءٍۢ فَرُدُّوهُ إِلَى ٱللَّهِ وَٱلرَّسُولِ إِن كُنتُمْ تُؤْمِنُونَ بِٱللَّهِ وَٱلْيَوْمِ ٱلْءَاخِرِ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ خَيْرٌۭ وَأَحْسَنُ تَأْوِيلًا

O you who have believed, obey Allah and obey the Messenger and those in authority among you. And if you disagree over anything, refer it to Allah and the Messenger, if you should believe in Allah and the Last Day. That is the best [way] and best in result.

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 الحُجُرَاتِ

Al-Hujuraat (The Inner Apartments)

بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ

1 ayah

وَٱعْلَمُوٓا۟ أَنَّ فِيكُمْ رَسُولَ ٱللَّهِ ۚ لَوْ يُطِيعُكُمْ فِى كَثِيرٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلْأَمْرِ لَعَنِتُّمْ وَلَٰكِنَّ ٱللَّهَ حَبَّبَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْإِيمَٰنَ وَزَيَّنَهُۥ فِى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَكَرَّهَ إِلَيْكُمُ ٱلْكُفْرَ وَٱلْفُسُوقَ وَٱلْعِصْيَانَ ۚ أُو۟لَٰٓئِكَ هُمُ ٱلرَّٰشِدُونَ

And know that among you is the Messenger of Allah. If he were to obey you in much of the matter, you would be in difficulty, but Allah has endeared to you the faith and has made it pleasing in your hearts and has made hateful to you disbelief, defiance and disobedience. Those are the [rightly] guided.

Common Words

104 total85 unique11 repeated

ٱلله7x

ٱلرسول4x

فى3x

من2x

ومن2x

أطيعوا2x

وأطيعوا2x

فإن2x

ما2x

ٱلأمر2x

إليكم2x

يطع1x

فقد1x

أطاع1x

تولى1x

فما1x

أرسلنك1x

عليهم1x

حفيظا1x

يعص1x

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About Sunan Abu Dawud

This hadith is #2626 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad). It is graded Sahih.

Browse all Sunan Abu Dawud All Hadith Collections

Sunan Abu Dawud #2626

Context

Modern Application

Topics

Related Ayahs

Common Words

Related Hadiths

About Sunan Abu Dawud

About This Hadith