Hadith 2989

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لِأَبِي كُرَيْبٍ ، قَالَ يَحْيَى ، وَإِسْحَاقُ : أَخْبَرَنَا ، وقَالَ الْآخَرُونَ : حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ ، عَنْ شَقِيقٍ ، عَنْ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ ، قَالَ : قِيلَ لَهُ : أَلَا تَدْخُلُ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ فَتُكَلِّمَهُ ، فَقَالَ : أَتَرَوْنَ أَنِّي لَا أُكَلِّمُهُ إِلَّا أُسْمِعُكُمْ ، وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ كَلَّمْتُهُ فِيمَا بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَهُ ، مَا دُونَ أَنْ أَفْتَتِحَ أَمْرًا لَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكُونَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ فَتَحَهُ ، وَلَا أَقُولُ لِأَحَدٍ يَكُونُ عَلَيَّ أَمِيرًا ، إِنَّهُ خَيْرُ النَّاسِ بَعْدَ مَا سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، يَقُولُ : " يُؤْتَى بِالرَّجُلِ يَوْمَ الْقِيَامَةِ ، فَيُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ ، فَتَنْدَلِقُ أَقْتَابُ بَطْنِهِ ، فَيَدُورُ بِهَا كَمَا يَدُورُ الْحِمَارُ بِالرَّحَى ، فَيَجْتَمِعُ إِلَيْهِ أَهْلُ النَّارِ ، فَيَقُولُونَ يَا فُلَانُ : مَا لَكَ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ تَأْمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ ؟ ، فَيَقُولُ : بَلَى ، قَدْ كُنْتُ آمُرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَلَا آتِيهِ وَأَنْهَى عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ وَآتِيهِ " ،
Shaqiq reported that it was said to Usama bin Zaid: Why don't you visit 'Uthman and talk to him? Thereupon he said: Do you think that I have not talked to him but that I have made you hear? By Allah. I have talked to him (about things) concerning me and him and I did not like to divulge those things about which I had to take the initiative and I do not say to my ruler: "You are the best among people," after I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and thrown in Hell-Fire and his intestines will pour forth in Hell and he will go round along with them, as an ass goes round the mill-stone. The denizens of Hell would gather round him and say: 0, so and so, what has happened to you? Were you not enjoining us to do what was reputable and forbid us to do what was disreputable? He will say: Of course, it is so; I used to enjoin (upon people) to do what was reputable but did not practise that myself. I had been forbidding people to do what was disreputable, but practised it myself.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الزهد والرقائق / 2989
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
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حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ ، عَنْ الْأَعْمَشِ ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ ، قَالَ : كُنَّا عِنْدَ أُسَامَةَ بْنِ زَيْدٍ ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ : مَا يَمْنَعُكَ أَنْ تَدْخُلَ عَلَى عُثْمَانَ فَتُكَلِّمَهُ فِيمَا يَصْنَعُ وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ بِمِثْلِهِ .
Abu Wa'il reported: I was in the company of Usama bin Zaid that a person said: What prevents you to visit 'Uthman and talk to him for what he does? The rest of the hadith is the same.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الزهد والرقائق / 2989
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
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Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
1.
People said to Usamah bin Zayd (radi Allahu anhu):
"Will you speak to Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) regarding Walid bin Uqbah, so that the rumors may be put to rest?" He replied:
"I speak to him in private rather than openly, because speaking openly would ignite the fire of discord (fitnah), and I would become the one to initiate it. Just as I enjoin good and forbid evil to the people, in the same way I clarify good matters to my rulers as well.
If I were to abandon enjoining good (amr bil-ma'ruf), then my example would be like that person mentioned in the hadith."
2.
His intent was that to speak against the rulers openly is disrespectful.
Let it not be assumed from this
that I do not speak to them at all, because adopting such an approach is contrary to enjoining good (amr bil-ma'ruf).
In view of the severe warning mentioned in the hadith, our preachers and scholars should reflect who do not act according to their knowledge and sermons.
"They advise others, but disgrace themselves."
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3267
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
The intention of Usamah bin Zayd radi Allahu anhuma was that you people should not think of me as someone who is lax or negligent in advising Uthman radi Allahu anhu towards good, nor that I praise Uthman radi Allahu anhu out of flattery simply because he is the ruler.

Some have said that the meaning is: I am not one to praise even a person who is made ruler over just two people, because rulership is a matter of great accountability.

A ruler must establish justice and fairness and make full arrangements for the welfare of his subjects, so for a ruler, it is fortunate enough if he is not seized and held accountable due to his rulership, let alone that he should attain goodness and reward.

By narrating this hadith about the man of Hellfire, Usamah radi Allahu anhu explained to the people that you should not assume about me that I am negligent in sincerely advising Uthman radi Allahu anhu. Should I make my condition on the Day of Judgment like that of the person who will be wandering around like a donkey carrying his intestines? That is, if I tell you people to forbid evil when you see it, and to advise anyone who does wrong so that he refrains from such deeds, but I myself do not do so, rather I remain silent upon seeing evil deeds, then my condition will be just like that person.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 7098
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:

When Walid bin Uqbah, the maternal brother of Uthman radi Allahu anhu, drank alcohol, Uthman radi Allahu anhu remained silent regarding carrying out the prescribed punishment (hadd) until the investigation was complete.
During this delay, doubts and suspicions arose among the people.
The conspiratorial group greatly exploited this matter, so much so that someone said to Usamah radi Allahu anhu that there was much talk among the people regarding Walid bin Uqbah’s consumption of alcohol.
He was asked why he did not speak to Uthman radi Allahu anhu about this matter. He replied:
“Do not think of me as someone who is negligent or compromising in saying what is good to Uthman radi Allahu anhu, nor am I a flatterer who would unjustly praise him because he is the ruler. I have spoken to him with wisdom, respect, and confidentiality. I do not wish to speak to him publicly, which would further inflame the fire of discord (fitnah), and above all, I do not want to become the one who stirs up fitnah.
Nor do I wish to become like the person mentioned in the hadith who neglected enjoining good (amr bil ma’ruf).”


Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah has written that Usamah bin Zayd radi Allahu anhu alluded to praiseworthy forbearance (rawadari) and blameworthy compromise (mudahanat).
The principle of good forbearance is that no aspect of the religion is harmed by it, while compromise (mudahanat) is to conceal an evil matter and support falsehood.
(Fath al-Bari: 13/67)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 7098
Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim bin Basheer
Benefit:
In this hadith, the condemnation of the person is mentioned who used to command others to do good, but did not act upon it himself. Allah, the Exalted, rebuked such people, saying: ﴿O you who have believed, why do you say what you do not do?﴾ ()
Source: Musnad al-Humaydi: Commentary by Muhammad Ibrahim bin Bashir, Page: 557