Hadith 7283

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ ، عَنْ بُرَيْدٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ أَتَى قَوْمًا ، فَقَالَ : يَا قَوْمِ ، إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ الْجَيْشَ بِعَيْنَيَّ ، وَإِنِّي أَنَا النَّذِيرُ الْعُرْيَانُ ، فَالنَّجَاءَ فَأَطَاعَهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ ، فَأَدْلَجُوا ، فَانْطَلَقُوا عَلَى مَهَلِهِمْ ، فَنَجَوْا وَكَذَّبَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ ، فَأَصْبَحُوا مَكَانَهُمْ ، فَصَبَّحَهُمُ الْجَيْشُ ، فَأَهْلَكَهُمْ وَاجْتَاحَهُمْ فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي ، فَاتَّبَعَ مَا جِئْتُ بِهِ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ عَصَانِي وَكَذَّبَ بِمَا جِئْتُ بِهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ " .
Narrated Abu Musa: The Prophet said, "My example and the example of what I have been sent with is that of a man who came to some people and said, 'O people! I have seen the enemy's army with my own eyes, and I am the naked warner; so protect yourselves!' Then a group of his people obeyed him and fled at night proceeding stealthily till they were safe, while another group of them disbelieved him and stayed at their places till morning when the army came upon them, and killed and ruined them completely So this is the example of that person who obeys me and follows what I have brought (the Qur'an and the Sunna), and the example of the one who disobeys me and disbelieves the truth I have brought."
Hadith Reference صحيح البخاري / كتاب الاعتصام بالكتاب والسنة / 7283
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح البخاريّ كلّها صحيحة
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
It was customary in Arabia that when the enemy drew near and someone spotted them, he would fear that the army might reach his people before he could. Therefore, he would strip naked and run quickly, shouting as he went.
Some say that he would take off his clothes, attach them to a stick like a flag, and run while shouting.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 7283
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
1.
The meaning of "uryaan" is: naked.
Among the Arabs, it was customary that when a person saw an enemy and wanted to warn his people about it, he would take off his clothes, wave them above his head, and shout loudly to inform his people, so that people from afar would realize that the situation was dangerous.
Some say that he would take off his clothes, attach them to a stick like a flag, and run while shouting.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) explained to his followers and those who disobeyed him through an example.
In reality, those who are obedient to you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) are the ones who follow and emulate your (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) Sunnahs.
2.
Similarly, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) has also warned people through another example: that my example is like the one who kindled a fire, so moths gathered around it and were ready to leap into the fire, while he tried to keep them away from the fire, but they overpowered him.
I am grabbing you by your waists, pulling you away from Hellfire, but you people are falling into it.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Riqaq, Hadith: 6483)
In any case, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had such love and compassion for his Ummah that even a mother does not have such love and compassion for her suckling child.
...
sallallahu alayhi wa sallam
...
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 7283
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
This became a proverb in Arabia. What happened was that at some time, enemy armies invaded a country. One of the people of that country encountered these armies; they captured him and stripped off his clothes. In this state, naked and bare, he managed to escape and went to his countrymen to inform them: "Quickly make your preparations, the enemy has arrived." His countrymen believed him, since he was running naked and bare, and it was not his habit to go about unclothed.

The relevance to the chapter is as follows: The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) warned them against sins and disobedience to Allah, and informed them that Allah's punishment is prepared for the sinners. Therefore, repent from sins and protect yourselves. Whoever accepted his words, embraced Islam, repented from shirk, disbelief, and sin, was saved. But whoever did not accept, as soon as morning came—that is, as soon as he died—he was destroyed and seized by the punishment of Allah.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 6482
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Among the Arabs, it was customary that a person who warned people of an enemy would remove his clothes and become naked, and would whirl the clothes over his head, then announce that the enemy was about to attack.

(2)
The meaning of the hadith is that I am clearly warning you; be concerned about saving yourselves from Hellfire. The explanation of this hadith is found in another narration: Hazrat Buraidah radi Allahu anhu says that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam once went out and called out three times, saying:
“My example and yours is like a people who feared that an enemy might suddenly attack them. They sent a man to keep watch. One day, he saw that the enemy was preparing to attack them, so he immediately ran from there to inform his people of the enemy’s preparations, lest the enemy attack and destroy them. Thus, he removed his clothes, ran from there, and began to announce: O people! Take heed for yourselves, make arrangements to save yourselves.”
(Musnad Ahmad: 248/5)

(3)
In any case, those who heed the warning of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam and refrain from sins will be saved from Hellfire, while those who do not refrain from sins will become fuel for Hellfire.
Wa Allahu al-musta‘an.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 6482
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
(1)
Al-nadheer al-‘uryan:
A warner who warns while naked and unclothed.
In the era of Jahiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance), it was a custom and tradition that if a person wanted to alert his people from afar about some danger, he would remove his clothes and signal with those clothes that there was danger and that they should prepare themselves. This was considered proof of his truthfulness. Since the statement of a Messenger is definitive and certain, in which there is no possibility of falsehood, he has been likened to al-nadheer al-‘uryan.

(2)
Al-najaa’:
That is, “Iṭlubū al-najaa’” (seek salvation):
Adopt the way of salvation and deliverance,
seek your path to salvation.

(3)
Adlajū:
They set out at dusk,
and continued slowly throughout the night.
‘Ala mahlihim or mahlatihim:
They kept moving and escaped the reach of the enemy.

(4)
Ṣabbahahum al-jaysh:
The army attacked them early in the morning while they were asleep.
The meaning is that the enemy attacked suddenly and did not give them a chance to confront or prepare.

(5)
Fajtāḥahum:
He uprooted them from their very foundation,
that is, he utterly destroyed them,
none of them survived.

Benefits and Issues:
The Messenger, like the vanguard or the guardian and protector of the people, possesses a passion for the salvation of his Ummah and for protecting them from dangers, and he informs them of all those matters that could be a cause of harm or destruction for them. Therefore, the Ummah can only remain safe from dangers and losses if it adheres to the guidance and teachings of its Messenger; otherwise, it cannot escape ruin and destruction. Nowadays, we are witnessing this reality with our own eyes, but the faculty of taking heed and learning lessons has been distorted, and thus we do not awaken from the slumber of heedlessness.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 5954
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Hadith Authentication:
[صحيح بخاري 7283],
[صحيح مسلم 5954]

Jurisprudence of the Hadith:
➊ Obedience to the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is obligatory.
➋ The solitary report (khabar wahid) narrated by a truthful narrator is authoritative evidence.
➌ It is permissible to present examples for the propagation of religion, provided that such examples do not contradict any religious ruling.
➍ Those who do not act upon the Qur’an and Hadith will be ruined and destroyed in the heavenly court and the Hereafter, and (by the command of Allah) will remain in punishment.
Source: Adwa al-Masabih fi Tahqiq Mishkat al-Masabih, Page: 148