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Sahih al-BukhariMilitary Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)

Had they entered it, they would never have come out of it until the Day of Judgment. Obedience is only in what is right

Chapter: The Sariya of the Ansar

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 4340

Narrator:Ali

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَاحِدِ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَرِيَّةً فَاسْتَعْمَلَ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ، فَغَضِبَ فَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ أَمَرَكُمُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنْ تُطِيعُونِي‏.‏ قَالُوا بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ فَاجْمَعُوا لِي حَطَبًا‏.‏ فَجَمَعُوا، فَقَالَ أَوْقِدُوا نَارًا‏.‏ فَأَوْقَدُوهَا، فَقَالَ ادْخُلُوهَا‏.‏ فَهَمُّوا، وَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يُمْسِكُ بَعْضًا، وَيَقُولُونَ فَرَرْنَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنَ النَّارِ‏.‏ فَمَا زَالُوا حَتَّى خَمَدَتِ النَّارُ، فَسَكَنَ غَضَبُهُ، فَبَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏

لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ، الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ ‏"

‘Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:

The Prophet (ﷺ) sent out a detachment and appointed a man from the Ansār as their leader, instructing them to obey him. He became angry and said: Did not the Prophet (ﷺ) command you to obey me? They replied: Yes. He said: Then gather some firewood for me. So they gathered it. He then said: Light a fire, and they did. Then he said: Enter it. They were about to do so, but some held back the others, saying: We fled to the Prophet (ﷺ) to escape from the Fire. They remained like that until the fire went out and his anger subsided. When the Prophet (ﷺ) was informed of this, he said: "Had they entered it, they would never have come out of it until the Day of Judgment. Obedience is only in what is right."

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 4340, 7145), Muslim (No. 1840b, 1840c) and Ahmad (No. 969).

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Explanation

The Prophet (ﷺ) sent out an army and appointed a man from the Ansār as their leader, instructing them to obey him. The leader became angry with them and said: Did not the Prophet (ﷺ) command you to obey me? They said: Yes. He said: Then I command you to gather firewood, light a fire, and enter it. So they gathered the firewood and lit the fire, but when they were about to enter it, they began looking at one another. And they said: We only followed the Prophet (ﷺ) to escape from the Fire—so should we enter it? While they were in this state, the flames of the fire went out, and the leader's anger subsided. When the Prophet (ﷺ) was informed of this, he said: Had they obeyed him and entered the fire they had kindled, they would have been tormented therein and would not have come out of it until the existence of this world. There is no obedience to a created being in disobedience to the Creator; obedience is only required in what is right, not in sin.

Lessons

  • This shows that obedience is only in what is right and not in sin, even if the one giving the command is someone whose obedience is obligatory.
  • The sinning monotheist is threatened with Hellfire, yet Allah may forgive him.
  • The legitimacy of appointing a leader during military expeditions, as well as during travel.

Explanation in Arabic

أرسل النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم جيشًا، وجعل رجلًا من الأنصار أميرًا عليهم، وأمرهم بطاعته، فغضب عليهم الأمير وقال لهم: ألم يأمركم النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أن تطيعوني؟

قالوا: بلى، قال: فقد أمرتكم أن تجمعوا حطبًا وتوقدوا نارًا ثم تدخلوا فيها، فجمعوا الحطب وأوقدوا النار، فلما أرادوا الدخول فيها، جعل ينظر بعضهم إلى بعض.

وقالوا: إننا ما اتبعنا النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إلا فرارًا من النار فهل ندخلها؟ وبينما هم كذلك انطفأ لهيب النار، وذهب عن الأمير غضبه.

فأخبر النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بذلك فقال: لو أطاعوه ودخلوا النار التي أوقدوها لعذبوا فيها ولم يخرجوا منها مدة الدنيا، ولا طاعة لمخلوق في معصية الخالق؛ إنما تجب الطاعة في المعروف لا في المعصية.

  • بيان أن الطاعة إنما هي في المعروف ولا تكون في المعصية، ولو كان الآمر ممن تجب طاعته.
  • العاصي الموحِّد متوَعَّدٌ بالنار، وقد يغفر الله له.
  • مشروعية التأمير في الغزو، وكذلك في السفر.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْله : ( حَدَّثَنَا عَبْد الْوَاحِد ) هُوَ اِبْن زِيَاد. قَوْله : ( حَدَّثَنِي سَعْد بْن عُبَيْدَة ) بِالتَّصْغِيرِ. قَوْله : ( عَنْ أَبِي عَبْد الرَّحْمَن ) هُوَ السُّلَمِيّ. قَوْله : ( فَغَضِبَ ) فِي رِوَايَة حَفْص بْن غِيَاث عَنْ الْأَعْمَش فِي الْأَحْكَام " فَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِمْ " وَفِي رِوَايَة مُسْلِم " فَأَغْضَبُوهُ فِي شَيْء ". قَوْله : ( فَقَالَ أَوْقَدُوا نَارًا ) فِي رِوَايَة حَفْص " فَقَالَ عَزَمْت عَلَيْكُمْ لَمَّا جَمَعْتُمْ حَطَبًا وَأَوْقَدْتُمْ نَارًا ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُمْ فِيهَا " وَهَذَا يُخَالِف حَدِيث أَبِي سَعِيد , فَإِنَّ فِيهِ فَأَوْقَدَ الْقَوْم نَارًا لِيَصْنَعُوا عَلَيْهَا صَنِيعًا لَهُمْ أَوْ يَصْطَلُونَ , فَقَالَ لَهُمْ : أَلَيْسَ عَلَيْكُمْ السَّمْع وَالطَّاعَة ؟ قَا…

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Scholars’ grades

ScholarGradeApplies toWork
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH Authenticصحيح The hadith صحيح البخاري No. 4340

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 7145

The Prophet (ﷺ) sent an army unit (for some campaign) and appointed a man from the Ansar as its commander and ordered them (the soldiers) to obey him. (During the campaign) he became angry with them and said, "Didn't the Prophet (ﷺ) order you to obey me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "I order you to…

لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا أَبَدًا، إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ ‏"

Narrated by Ali

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 1840b

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…

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…

Narrated by Ali

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 1840c

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of A'mash.

وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ ‏.‏

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 969

حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَرِيَّةً…

Narrated by Ali Arabic only

Also reported by… (3)
  • دلائل النبوة للبيهقي (1681)لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا ، إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ
  • مسند أبي يعلى الموصلي (373)لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا أَبَدًا ، إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ
  • مسند أبي يعلى الموصلي (605)لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا ، إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ

On the same subject

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan Abu Dawud 2625

‘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…

لاَ طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ ‏"

Narrated by Ali + 5 other versions

Not graded Musnad Ahmad 18983

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ أَخْبَرَنَا هَمَّامٌ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ أَبِي مِرَايَةَ عَنْ عِمْرَانَ بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ عَنْ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ لَا طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ تَبَارَكَ…

Narrated by Imrān ibn Husayn + 5 other versions Arabic only

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