I heard 'Irbad bin Sariyah say: 'One day, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) stood up among us and delivered a deeply moving speech to us that melted our hearts and caused our eyes to overflow with tears. It was said to him: 'O Messenger of Allah, you have delivered a speech of farewell, so enjoin something upon us.' He said: 'I urge you to fear Allah, and to listen and obey, even if (your leader) is an Abyssinian slave. After I am gone, you will see great conflict. I urge you to adhere to my Sunnah and the path of the Rightly-Guided Caliphs, and cling stubbornly to it. And beware of newly-invented matters, for every innovation is a going astray.'"
Narrated by Yahya bin Abu Muta' said:
Context
In this poignant moment, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) delivers a heartfelt farewell sermon, urging his followers to uphold their faith and adhere to his teachings. He emphasizes the importance of piety, obedience, and the dangers of innovation in religious matters. This hadith encapsulates the essence of his guidance for maintaining unity and following the right path.
Modern Application
Today, this message resonates as a call for individuals to remain steadfast in their beliefs and to seek knowledge while avoiding divisive practices. By adhering to established teachings, communities can foster a sense of belonging and purpose.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Guidance and Prophetic Warning because it provides essential advice for maintaining faith and warns against the pitfalls of innovation.
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."
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.
And obey Allah and obey the Messenger and beware. And if you turn away - then know that upon Our Messenger is only [the responsibility for] clear notification.
