Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 55 a
sahih

It is narrated on the authority of Tamim ad-Dari that the Prophet (ﷺ) said:

"The Religion is sincerity." We said, "To whom?" He said "To Allah, to His Book, To His Messenger, and to the leaders of the Muslims and their masses."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَّادٍ الْمَكِّيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِسُهَيْلٍ إِنَّ عَمْرًا حَدَّثَنَا عَنِ الْقَعْقَاعِ، عَنْ أَبِيكَ، قَالَ وَرَجَوْتُ أَنْ يُسْقِطَ، عَنِّي رَجُلاً قَالَ فَقَالَ سَمِعْتُهُ مِنَ الَّذِي سَمِعَهُ مِنْهُ أَبِي كَانَ صَدِيقًا لَهُ بِالشَّامِ ثُمَّ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَزِيدَ عَنْ تَمِيمٍ الدَّارِيِّ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏"‏ الدِّينُ النَّصِيحَةُ ‏"‏ قُلْنَا لِمَنْ قَالَ ‏"‏ لِلَّهِ وَلِكِتَابِهِ وَلِرَسُولِهِ وَلأَئِمَّةِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَعَامَّتِهِمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 1, Hadith 103
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 1, Hadith 98 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Sincere advice is one of the features of our true religion. Muslims should advise each other in a good manner, and without making a greater evil than the benefit they want to achieve. This should be with loving and knowing the rights of the one who is advised in the society for his being a Muslim. This hadith clarifies the methods of this supreme behavior. The Prophet ﷺ clarified that sincere advice is Islam's essence and a means for its spreading. It is to say or do something that contains goodness for a person(s) sincerely. It is to seek goodness for the one who is advised. Moreover, it is a comprehensive term with various meanings. The Prophet's companions asked him to whom they offer it, so he answered, "To Allah, to his Book, to his Messenger, to the leaders of Muslims and their common folk." As for one's dealing with Allah, it means glorifying His command, showing mercy on His creation, calling people to believe in Him, and avoiding any acts of polytheism while worshiping him only. As for one's dealing with the Quran, it means to believe that it is Allah's word, deeply love and glorify it, recite it as it should be recited, face those distorting its authentic interpretations, ratify its stories, ponder over its lessons and miracles, act upon its rules, spread its knowledge, and call people to believe in it. As for one's dealing with the Messenger, it means to believe, follow, obey his commands, and avoid what he forbade. Moreover, it means to be loyal to those who are loyal to him and hate those who hate him. In addition, it means glorifying him, spreading his teachings, and facing people's accusations against him. As for one's dealing with leaders of Muslims, it means helping them in what is right, obeying them in goodness, gently reminding them if they neglect something, and avoiding disobeying them unless we see them doing an act of clear disbelief that Allah obviously showed in his religion, which is conditional on ability and avoiding having greater harms. The Muslim's leaders may include the scholars as well. As for one's dealing with Muslim scholars, it means accepting what they narrated and thinking well of them. As for one's dealing with common Muslim folk, it means gently teaching them Islam's laws, providing them with what is beneficial, having mercy on them, respecting them, avoiding cheating or envying them, loving for them what one loves for himself, hating for them what one hates for himself, and defending their properties and honor. Finally, this hadith contains the following lessons: (1) It confirms that advising people is the essence of Islam, and (2) It urges people to advise all people types, from the ruler to lay people..
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