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

Arabic text

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ سَرِيَّةً فَاسْتَعْمَلَ رَجُلًا مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ، وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ، فَغَضِبَ، فَقَالَ: أَلَيْسَ أَمَرَكُمُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَنْ تُطِيعُونِي؟ قَالُوا: بَلَى، قَالَ: فَاجْمَعُوا لِي حَطَبًا، فَجَمَعُوا، فَقَالَ: أَوْقِدُوا نَارًا، فَأَوْقَدُوهَا، فَقَالَ: ادْخُلُوهَا، فَهَمُّوا، وَجَعَلَ بَعْضُهُمْ يُمْسِكُ بَعْضًا، وَيَقُولُونَ: فَرَرْنَا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مِنَ النَّارِ، فَمَا زَالُوا حَتَّى خَمَدَتِ النَّارُ، فَسَكَنَ غَضَبُهُ، فَبَلَغَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، فَقَالَ: «لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ القِيَامَةِ؛ الطَّاعَةُ فِي المَعْرُوفِ».

Translation

‘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."

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.

Benefits

• 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.

Topics

• Da‘wah and Hisbah
• Seerah and History
• Shariah-approved Politics
• Ways of Electing the Supreme Muslim Imam (Ruler)
• Prophet's Biography
• Prophet's Battles and Expeditions