Hadith Research Libraryمكتبة الحديث والرجال

Chapter 4.0

To listen to and obey the Imam

باب السَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ لِلإِمَامِ مَا لَمْ تَكُنْ مَعْصِيَةً

4 hadiths

Sahih al-Bukhari, 7142sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

5 transmitters

Narrated by Masdad bin MasrhadfromYahya bin Sa'id bin Farroukh al-QatanfromShu'bah bin al-HajjajfromYazid bin Hameed, Abu TiyahfromAnas bin Malik

Hadith text · Matn

‏ اسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنِ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ كَأَنَّ رَأْسَهُ زَبِيبَةٌ ‏

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English translation

Narrated Anas bin Malik:

Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "You should listen to and obey, your ruler even if he was an Ethiopian (black) slave whose head looks like a raisin."

Original Arabic chain wording

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي التَّيَّاحِ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

Sahih al-Bukhari, 7143sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

4 transmitters

Narrated by Sulaiman bin HarbfromHammad bin Zaydfromal-J'd bin Dinar al-Yshkryfrom'Imran bin Milhan, Abu Raja' al-Atardi

Hadith text · Matn

‏ مَنْ رَأَى مِنْ أَمِيرِهِ شَيْئًا فَكَرِهَهُ فَلْيَصْبِرْ، فَإِنَّهُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يُفَارِقُ الْجَمَاعَةَ شِبْرًا فَيَمُوتُ إِلاَّ مَاتَ مِيتَةً جَاهِلِيَّةً ‏

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English translation

Narrated Ibn `Abbas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If somebody sees his Muslim ruler doing something he disapproves of, he should be patient, for whoever becomes separate from the Muslim group even for a span and then dies, he will die as those who died in the Pre-lslamic period of ignorance (as rebellious sinners). (See Hadith No. 176 and 177)

Original Arabic chain wording

حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنِ الْجَعْدِ، عَنْ أَبِي رَجَاءٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، يَرْوِيهِ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏

Sahih al-Bukhari, 7144sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

5 transmitters

Narrated by Masdad bin MasrhadfromYahya bin Sa'id bin Farroukh al-Qatanfrom'Ubaidullah bin 'Umar bin HafsfromNafie'fromibn Umar

Hadith text · Matn

‏ السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ، فِيمَا أَحَبَّ وَكَرِهَ، مَا لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ، فَإِذَا أُمِرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَلاَ سَمْعَ وَلاَ طَاعَةَ ‏

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English translation

Narrated `Abdullah:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "A Muslim has to listen to and obey (the order of his ruler) whether he likes it or not, as long as his orders involve not one in disobedience (to Allah), but if an act of disobedience (to Allah) is imposed one should not listen to it or obey it. (See Hadith No. 203, Vol. 4)

Original Arabic chain wording

حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنِي نَافِعٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

Sahih al-Bukhari, 7145sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

6 transmitters

Narrated by 'Umar bin Hafs bin GhyathfromHafs bin GhyathfromSulaiman al-A'mashfromSa'd bin 'Ubaida al-SalmifromAbu 'Abdur Rahman al-SalmifromAli ibn Abi Talib

Hadith text · Matn

‏ لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا مَا خَرَجُوا مِنْهَا أَبَدًا، إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ ‏

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English translation

Narrated `Ali:

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 collect wood and make a fire and then throw yourselves into it." So they collected wood and made a fire, but when they were about to throw themselves into, it they started looking at each other, and some of them said, "We followed the Prophet (ﷺ) to escape from the fire. How should we enter it now?" So while they were in that state, the fire extinguished and their commander's anger abated. The event was mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said, "If they had entered it (the fire) they would never have come out of it, for obedience is required only in what is good." (See Hadith No. 629. Vol. 5)

Original Arabic chain wording

حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ حَفْصِ بْنِ غِيَاثٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَعَثَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَرِيَّةً، وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ، فَغَضِبَ عَلَيْهِمْ وَقَالَ أَلَيْسَ قَدْ أَمَرَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّ تُطِيعُونِي قَالُوا بَلَى‏.‏ قَالَ عَزَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ لَمَا جَمَعْتُمْ حَطَبًا وَأَوْقَدْتُمْ نَارًا، ثُمَّ دَخَلْتُمْ فِيهَا، فَجَمَعُوا حَطَبًا فَأَوْقَدُوا، فَلَمَّا هَمُّوا بِالدُّخُولِ فَقَامَ يَنْظُرُ بَعْضُهُمْ إِلَى بَعْضٍ، قَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّمَا تَبِعْنَا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِرَارًا مِنَ النَّارِ، أَفَنَدْخُلُهَا، فَبَيْنَمَا هُمْ كَذَلِكَ إِذْ خَمَدَتِ النَّارُ، وَسَكَنَ غَضَبُهُ، فَذُكِرَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏