Abu Dawud

Hadith Commentary:
First, I pledged allegiance to listen to the commands and prohibitions of Allah Almighty and to act upon them.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), out of kindness towards me, instructed me to say these words along with this pledge: that we will act upon the commands and orders of the leaders (umara) according to our ability, because Allah Almighty does not burden any person beyond his capacity.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said this out of perfect compassion and concern for the ummah.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
In these chapters, the importance of prayer (salah) and the times of prayer are being explained. The matter of prayer holds such significance that after taking the pledge (bay‘ah) upon Islam, a pledge is also taken for the timely performance of prayer. After embracing Islam, the first responsibility upon a Muslim is the performance of prayer, because it is the foundation of physical acts of worship (‘ibadat). Then, with honesty, the payment of zakah (almsgiving) is required, because it holds fundamental status among financial acts of worship. Therefore, a specific pledge is taken regarding their performance. The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) would also consider the circumstances of the person he was addressing, and would command him with whatever he needed.
(2)
Jarir ibn ‘Abdullah (radi Allahu anhu) was the chief of his people; therefore, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) taught him to have goodwill towards every Muslim. Similarly, the delegation of ‘Abd al-Qays was from among the mujahidin, and they would frequently have encounters with the disbelievers of Mudar. For this reason, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) instructed them to pay the khums (one-fifth) from the spoils of war.

Explanation:
The goodwill towards Allah and His Messenger is that one should honor them, never turn away from their obedience throughout life, propagate the Book of Allah, spread the Prophetic hadith, and disseminate them. One must never accept the statement of any spiritual guide, mujtahid, imam, or religious scholar that goes against Allah and His Messenger.

When the speech of Mustafa (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is present... do not look at anyone else's words or actions.
When the original exists, what is the value of the copy... what place is there for doubt and error here?

Hazrat Mughirah was the governor of Kufa on behalf of Amir Muawiyah (radi Allahu anhu). At the time of his passing, he appointed Hazrat Jarir bin Abdullah as his deputy, which is why Hazrat Jarir delivered this sermon upon his death and advised the people not to cause any evil or disorder until another governor arrives, but rather to wait patiently for him. Mischief and disorder were in the nature of the people of Kufa, so he warned them. It is said that Amir Muawiyah (radi Allahu anhu) appointed Ziyad as the governor of Kufa after Hazrat Mughirah, who was previously the governor of Basra.

Imam Bukhari rahimahullah concluded the Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman) with this hadith, in which there is an indication that, like Hazrat Jarir (radi Allahu anhu), whatever I have written here is solely intended for the goodwill and benefit of the Muslims, and there is absolutely no enmity or prejudice, as some people have thought in the past and even today. Along with this, the Imam (may Allah sanctify his secret) also indicated here that I have always acted with patience and forbearance, preferring forgiveness. Therefore, Muslims who come after me should continue to pray for my forgiveness until the Day of Judgment. «غفرالله له آمين»

The author of Idah al-Bukhari has beautifully stated: "The Imam is informing us that in the previous chapters, we have made allusions to the Murji’ah, the Khawarij, and at times even to some of the Ahl al-Sunnah, but our intention is sincerity. Unnecessary provocation is not our aim, nor do we seek fame; rather, we have done this out of a spirit of goodwill, and wherever a sect went astray or a person’s opinion did not seem correct to us, we have, with the intention of reward, clarified the correct matter." [ایضاح البخاری، ص : 428]

Imam Qastallani rahimahullah says:
«والنصيحة من نصحة العسل اذا صفيته اومن النصح وهو الخياطة بالنصيحة»
That is, the word «نصيحت» is derived from «نصحه العسل», when honey is separated from the wax, or «نصيحت» means to sew with a needle, by which different pieces of cloth are joined together and made one. In the same way, by "nasihah" (goodwill), mutual unity among Muslims is intended. (All praise is due to Allah that the Book of Faith was completed today, at the end of Dhu al-Hijjah 1386 AH, on a Sunday. — Raz)

Relevance Between the Chapter and the Hadith:
The relevance between the chapter and the hadith is that Sayyiduna Jarir radi Allahu anhu advised the Muslims and prayed for their well-being and forgiveness; from here, the connection between the chapter and its translation becomes evident.
Ibn Battal rahimahullah mentions the second relevance in the following manner:
«ان مقصود البخاري الرد علي من زعم ان الاسلام التوحيد، ولا يدخل فيه الاعمال وهم القدرية» [المتواري ص59]
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s objective here is to refute those who claim that Islam is merely the name of monotheism (tawhid), i.e., that it has no connection with actions, and (the proponents of such false beliefs) are the Qadariyyah.
In the mentioned hadith, allegiance (bay‘ah) is pledged upon Islam, and the advice is given to show goodwill to every Muslim, and indeed, this hadith applies to both the general and the specific.
Imam Kirmani rahimahullah says:
«هذا حديث عظيم الشأن و عليه مدار الاسلام» [شرح كرماني، ج1، ص217]
“This hadith is of great significance, and upon it rests the foundation of Islam.”
From this as well, the relevance between the chapter and the hadith is understood.

Benefit:
The noble statement of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is:
«الا ان من قبلكم من اهل الكتاب افترقوا علي ثنتين و سبعين ملة وان هذه الملة ستفترق على ثلاث و سعبين ثنتان و سبعون فى النار و واحدة فى الجنة وهى الجماعة» [سنن ابي داؤد كتاب السنه رقم الحديث4097]
“Beware! Those who were before you from the People of the Book (the Jews and Christians) were divided into seventy-two sects, and this Ummah will soon be divided into seventy-three sects; seventy-two will be in Hell and one will be in Paradise, and that is the group (which follows the Qur’an and Hadith).”
↰ From the above hadith, it is clear that there will be many sects in the Ummah and countless differences will arise among them. But it should be remembered that all these sects will not come into existence as a result of the teachings of the Qur’an and authentic hadith, but rather they will arise due to deviation from the teachings of the Qur’an and hadith.

Removal of Misconception:
SA A clear misconception, which is common and shared among both non-Muslims and Muslims, is that all these sects that have emerged in Islam are originally due to the hadith, because the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself said that seventy-three sects would be formed. EA This is a great misconception, that sects and differences arose because of the hadith, but if one reflects on the words of the hadith, it becomes clear that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam did not say to create sects, rather he only foretold that they would be formed; he did not command their formation...
To understand this, consider an example: In a classroom, a teacher is equally engaged in teaching all his students, but there is a student named Zaid, whom the teacher warns that he will fail in the exams, and when the exams are held, he actually fails. So tell me, did the teacher make him fail? The answer is negative; the teacher only warned him, not caused him to fail. In exactly the same way, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam warned his Ummah, not that he caused them to be divided into sects.

Hadith Commentary:
Sincerity towards Allah and His Messenger is that one should honor them, never turn away from their obedience throughout one’s life, propagate the Book of Allah, spread the Prophetic hadith, and disseminate them. One must never accept the statement of any spiritual guide, mujtahid, imam, or religious scholar if it contradicts Allah and His Messenger.

When the speech of Mustafa (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is present, do not look at anyone else’s words or actions. When the original is present, what value does imitation have? What place is there for doubt and error here?

Al-Mughira (radi Allahu anhu) was the governor of Kufa on behalf of Amir Muawiya (radi Allahu anhu). At the time of his passing, he appointed Jarir bin Abdullah (radi Allahu anhu) as his deputy. Therefore, Jarir (radi Allahu anhu) delivered this sermon upon his death and advised the people not to cause any mischief or disorder until another governor arrived, but rather to wait patiently for him. Mischief and disorder were in the nature of the people of Kufa, so he warned them accordingly.

It is said that Amir Muawiya (radi Allahu anhu) appointed Ziyad as the governor of Kufa after al-Mughira (radi Allahu anhu), who was previously the governor of Basra.

Imam al-Bukhari (rahimahullah) concluded the Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman) with this hadith, in which there is an indication that, like Jarir (radi Allahu anhu), whatever I have written here is solely intended for the welfare and benefit of the Muslims, and by no means out of enmity or prejudice, as some people have thought and still think today. Along with this, the Imam (may Allah sanctify his secret) also indicated here that I have always acted with patience and forbearance, preferring forgiveness. Therefore, Muslims who come after me should continue to pray for my forgiveness until the Day of Judgment. May Allah forgive him. Ameen.

The author of Idah al-Bukhari has beautifully stated: “The Imam is telling us that in the previous chapters we have made references to the Murji’ah, the Khawarij, and at times even to some of Ahl al-Sunnah, but our intention is sincerity. Unnecessary provocation is not our aim, nor do we seek fame, but rather, we have done this out of a spirit of goodwill. Wherever a sect went astray or a person’s opinion did not seem correct to us, we have, with the intention of reward, clearly stated the correct matter.” (Idah al-Bukhari, p. 428)

Imam Qastallani (rahimahullah) says:
“And ‘nasiha’ (sincerity) is from ‘nashtu al-‘asal’ when you purify honey from wax, or from ‘nash’ which is sewing with a needle, by which different pieces of cloth are joined together and made into one.” In the same way, from the meaning of ‘nasiha’ as goodwill, mutual unity among Muslims is sought.

(All praise is due to Allah that the Book of Faith was completed today, at the end of Dhu al-Hijjah 1386 AH, on a Sunday.
—Raaz)

Hadith Commentary:
1.
Hazrat Mughirah bin Shu'bah radi Allahu anhu was the governor of Kufa on behalf of Hazrat Mu'awiyah radi Allahu anhu. When Mughirah was near death, he called Hazrat Jarir radi Allahu anhu and advised him to maintain control over the situation, because generally, the common people fall into disorder upon the death of a ruler, especially in the land of Kufa, which was a hotbed of tribulations.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/184)

2.
The obligation of goodwill (nasiha) towards a Muslim is based on predominance, but in reality, goodwill should also be shown to non-Muslims: they should be invited to Islam, and when they seek advice, they should be guided correctly. However, the matter of allegiance (bay'ah) is reserved only for the people of Islam.
(Fath al-Bari: 1/184)

3.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah, by placing this hadith at the end of the Book of Faith (Kitab al-Iman), has indicated that he has shown goodwill to the people in the compilation and arrangement of this book. He has collected only those ahadith that fully meet the standards of the hadith scholars (muhaddithin), so that acting upon them may be facilitated.

Lexical Explanation:
The literal meaning of «النَّصَيْحَة» is to be pure. In the Qur'an, «تَوْبَةً نَّصُوْحًا» also carries this meaning: "pure repentance." It is mentioned in al-Nihayah that nasiha (advice/sincerity) is such a comprehensive word that it includes all matters of goodness. Religion is also called nasiha for this reason: all religious actions depend on sincerity and being free from impurity.

Understanding the Hadith:
In one hadith, the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said three times: "Religion is sincere advice (nasiha)." The Companions radi Allahu anhum asked, "For whom is this sincere advice?" He sallallahu alayhi wa sallam replied: "For Allah, for His Book, for His Messenger, for the leaders of the Muslims, and for the common Muslims." [مسلم : كتاب الايمان: باب بيان ان الدين النصيحة : 55، ابوداود : 4944، حميدى : 837]
Sincere advice for Allah is to adopt the path of tawhid (monotheism) and to avoid shirk (associating partners with Allah). Sincere advice for His Book is to have faith in it, to act upon its commands, and to avoid its prohibitions. Sincere advice for His Messenger is to have faith in him, to act upon his teachings, and to convey them to as many people as possible. Sincere advice for the rulers is to obey them in all matters of goodness and not to rebel against them without a valid Shari'ah excuse. And sincere advice for the common Muslims is to love them, to strive for their reform and well-being, and to try to remove every kind of harm and loss from them.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
In the Arabic language, patching torn clothes with a needle is called "naseehah" (advice), and likewise, when wax is separated from honey, the word "naseehah" is also used at that time.
In the Shari'ah, to sincerely inform a person of his faults is called "naseehah" (advice), but the condition is that his faults should not be exposed publicly.
If there is no sincerity in goodwill, it can be described as deception.
In the Noble Qur'an, there is mention of "tawbah nasooh" (sincere repentance) ().
Its meaning is also that due to sins, a person's religion becomes torn apart, and through repentance, it can be mended and corrected.
2.
In some narrations, at the time of the pledge (bay'ah) of Jarir radi Allahu anhu, the declaration of the two testimonies (shahadatayn) and obedience (sam'u wa ta'ah) is also mentioned.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Buyu', Hadith: 2157)
In some narrations, it is mentioned that at the time of taking the pledge, the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam instructed with these words: "I will act upon these matters to the best of my ability."
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Ahkam, Hadith: 7204)
Other rulings of the religion are included within obedience (sam'u wa ta'ah).
(Fath al-Bari: 1/183)

Hadith Commentary:

In both ahadith, the conditions of allegiance (bay‘ah) regarding the establishment of prayer and other matters are mentioned; this is why they have been brought here.

Hadith Commentary:
In both of these ahadith, the mention of goodwill (khayrkhwahi) towards every Muslim at the time of pledge (bay‘ah) is found. In one hadith, the entire religion of Islam has been described as goodwill. People asked:
O Messenger of Allah! For whom should goodwill be shown? The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“Have goodwill for Allah, for His Book, for His Messenger, for the rulers, and for the common people.” (Sahih Muslim, Al-Iman, Hadith: 196(55))

Goodwill for Allah the Exalted is to have faith and conviction in Him, not to associate anyone with Him, to accept His commands, and to avoid disobeying Him.
Goodwill for the Book of Allah is to honor it wholeheartedly and to act upon the commands stated within it.
Goodwill for the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is to accept the Shari‘ah he brought as revealed from Allah, and to leave nothing lacking in his honor and reverence.
Goodwill for the rulers is to cooperate with them in matters of the Shari‘ah and not to rebel against them.
Goodwill for the common people is to guide them and to refrain from causing them harm.

Hadith Commentary:
This hadith has also appeared in the Book of Faith.
Here, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has deduced from it that when every Muslim is commanded to have goodwill towards others, then if a resident of a town sells the goods of an outsider without taking a fee and does so out of goodwill, he will be rewarded, not sinful.
Now, the interpretation of the hadith in which its prohibition has been mentioned is that the prohibition applies when one does so for a fee.
And if the intention is to harm the townspeople and benefit oneself, then it is obvious that this is impermissible, for "Actions are only by intentions." But if one does so purely out of goodwill, then it is permissible.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
From this hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established that it is necessary for a Muslim to have goodwill (sincere advice) towards another Muslim.
The requirement of this goodwill is that he should conduct buying and selling for him without taking any wage.
In this, there will be sincerity and assistance for him, which the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam has commanded.
(2)
A Bedouin came to Talhah ibn Ubaydullah radi Allahu anhu with milk so that he could sell it.
He said:
Go to the market and look for your buyer.
After that, come to me so that I may give you beneficial advice in this matter.
(Sunan Abi Dawud, Al-Buyu', Hadith: 3441)
From this narration as well, it is evident that selling someone else's goods as an act of goodwill is permissible.
(Fath al-Bari: 4/468)

Hadith Commentary:
It is understood that, in order to become a religious brother, along with the acceptance of faith (iman) and Islam, it is also necessary to establish prayer (salah) and, upon possessing the minimum amount (nisab), to pay the obligatory alms (zakat).

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
This heading holds particular significance compared to the previous one, because the previous heading only mentioned the obligation of zakat, whereas in this one it is stated that by adhering to the payment of zakat, the pledge of Islam is completed, and whoever does not pay it, it is as if he invalidates his pledge.
This means that the matter upon which the pledge is taken is even greater than an obligation (wajib).
It is not necessary to pledge for every obligation, but it is necessary for every pledged matter to be obligatory (wajib).
(2)
This is also established from the noble verse () that whoever repents from disbelief, performs prayer (salah), and pledges to pay zakat is the one entitled to the brotherhood of the believers, and whoever does not honor this pledge will be absolutely deprived of this brotherhood.
And Allah knows best.

Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues:
The religion of Islam obligates a person to perform deeds according to his capacity and ability. The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿لَا يُكَلِّفُ اللَّـهُ نَفْسًا إِلَّا وُسْعَهَا﴾ “Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity,”
therefore, when Jarir (radi Allahu anhu) spoke of general hearing and obedience, the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), out of perfect compassion, interjected and instructed him to say: “And say: as much as I am able, I will listen and act.”

Explanation:
1:
Among financial and physical acts of worship, salah (prayer) and zakah (almsgiving) are the most fundamental.
Also, after the testimony and acknowledgment of "la ilaha illallah Muhammadur Rasulullah" (There is no deity except Allah, Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah), these two (zakah and salah) are the most important among the pillars of Islam; that is why they have been mentioned with particular emphasis.
From this hadith, it is understood that goodwill (naseehah) is for both the general and the specific (i.e., for all people).
It is narrated in Tabarani that Jarir radi Allahu anhu ordered his servant to buy a horse for three hundred dirhams.
The servant brought the horse along with its owner.
Jarir radi Allahu anhu said, "Your horse is worth more than three hundred dirhams.
Will you sell it for four hundred?" The owner agreed.
Then he said, "It is worth even more than that. Will you sell it for five hundred dirhams?"
So the owner agreed.
In this way, he kept increasing the price until he bought it for eight hundred dirhams.
When this matter was mentioned to him, he replied:
"I pledged allegiance to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam to show goodwill to every Muslim."

Urdu marginal note:
"According to your ability"—May we be sacrificed for your compassion and mercy, for you yourself have shown the path of ease.

(1) The connection between the translation of the chapter heading and the blessed hadith is absolutely clear: pledging allegiance to every legitimate (shar‘i) leader with the spirit of goodwill is legislated, as is expressing trust in the legitimate leader. Therefore, fulfilling this pledge to the best of one’s ability is obligatory upon a person. However, no one is held responsible for fulfilling a pledge beyond their capacity, as Allah the Exalted has said: ﴿Allah does not burden a soul beyond its capacity﴾ (al-Baqarah: 286/2).

(2) Due to the generality of the word “Muslim,” it is obligatory to offer goodwill and advice to every leader, whether minor or major, poor or wealthy, learned or ignorant, man or woman, black or white, master or servant, teacher or student, Arab or non-Arab, and to relatives and kin as well.

(3) It is thus understood that it is absolutely impermissible and unlawful for any Muslim to deceive, adulterate, act dishonestly or betray, harbor malice, hatred, envy, or animosity towards another Muslim, to backbite or slander, or to even contemplate causing any kind of harm to him. In fact, such actions are contrary to the demands of faith. Another statement of the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is: [لا يؤْمِنُ أحَدُكم حتى يُحِبَّ لأخيه ما يُحِبُّ لنفْسِه ] “None of you truly believes until he loves for his brother what he loves for himself.” (Sahih al-Bukhari, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith: 13; Sahih Muslim, Kitab al-Iman, Hadith: 45)

(4) In order to make this world and the Hereafter beneficial and valuable, and to spend the eternal and everlasting life in peace and comfort, it is necessary that a person remains a well-wisher to all people, never letting go of this advice and goodwill at any time, but rather making it a safeguard for his life until death. May Allah grant us all success.

The meaning of goodwill (khayr khwahi) is that I will do good to another Muslim and benefit him, even if it results in harm to myself.