The people used to ask the Messenger of Allah about the good but I used to ask him about the evil lest I should be overtaken by them. So I said, “O Messenger of Allah We were living in ignorance and evil, then Allah brought to us this good (i.e., Islam); will there be any evil after this good?” He said, “Yes.”
Better to die alone than co-operate with corruption
كَانَ النَّاسُ يَسْأَلُونَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ -صلى الله عليه وسلم- عَنِ الْخَيْرِ وَكُنْتُ أَسْأَلُهُ عَنِ الشَّرِّ مَخَافَةَ أَنْ يُدْرِكَنِى فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كُنَّا فِى جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَشَرٍّ فَجَاءَنَا اللَّهُ بِهَذَا الْخَيْرِ فَهَلْ بَعْدَ هَذَا الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ قَالَ فَهَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الشَّرِّ مِنْ خَيْرٍ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَفِيهِ دَخَنٌ فَقُلْتُ وَمَا دَخَنُهُ؟ قَالَ قَوْمٌ يَهْدُونَ بِغَيْرِ هَدْيِى تَعْرِفُ مِنْهُمْ وَتُنْكِرُ قُلْتُ هَلْ بَعْدَ ذَلِكَ الْخَيْرِ مِنْ شَرٍّ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ دُعَاةٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ جَهَنَّمَ مَنْ أَجَابَهُمْ إِلَيْهَا قَذَفُوهُ فِيهَا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صِفْهُمْ لَنَا قَالَ هُمْ مِنْ جِلْدَتِنَا وَيَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِنَا قُلْتُ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِى إِنْ أَدْرَكَنِى ذَلِكَ؟ قَالَ تَلْزَمُ جَمَاعَةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِمَامَهُمْ قُلْتُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ جَمَاعَةٌ وَلاَ إِمَامٌ؟ قَالَ فَاعْتَزِلْ تِلْكَ الْفِرَقَ كُلَّهَا وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعَضَّ بِأَصْلِ شَجَرَةٍ حَتَّى يُدْرِكَكَ الْمَوْتُ وَأَنْتَ كَذَلِكَ
The people used to ask the Messenger of Allah about the good but I used to ask him about the evil lest I should be overtaken by them. So I said, “O Messenger of Allah We were living in ignorance and evil, then Allah brought to us this good (i.e., Islam); will there be any evil after this good?” He said, “Yes.”
I said, ‘Will there be any good after that evil?” He replied, “Yes, but it will be tainted (not pure.)” I asked, “What will be its taint?” He replied, “(There will be) some people who will guide others not according to my tradition? You will approve of some of their deeds and disapprove of some others.”
I asked, “Will there be any evil after that good?” He replied, “Yes, (there will be) some people calling at the gates of the (Hell) Fire, and whoever will respond to their call, will be thrown by them into the (Hell) Fire.” I said, “O Messenger of Allah! Will you describe them to us?” He said, “They will be from our own people and will speak our language.”
I said, “What do you order me to do if such a state should take place in my life?” He said, “Stick to the group of Muslims and their Imam (ruler).” I said, “If there is neither a group of Muslims nor an Imam (ruler)?” He said “Then turn away from all those sects even if you were to bite (eat) the roots of a tree till death overtakes you while you are in that state.”
(Bukhari/ Muslim)
Commentary
a. The narration clearly indicates that it is imperative that the Muslims to stick closely to the Muslim community and to their Imam, if the Khilafah and Khalifah is present.
b. There is also an explicit order in the hadith to avoid all the corruption, with the use of the metaphor that one should “bite on the roots of a tree” emphasising the importance of not aiding or participating in the evil.
c. This hadith has been misinterpreted by some to suggest that in today’s situation of turmoil everyone should isolate themselves from the reality and not work to change it with the various movements and people who are calling for the re-establishment of Islam. They have taken the order to “turn away from all those sects” to mean to sit down from the work to establish Islam, whereas it is clear from the narration that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was ordering the avoidance of the groups he mentioned previously with the description that they were “some groups calling at the gates of the (Hell) fire”. He صلى الله عليه وسلم did not order to stay away or not work for the establishment of the deen, nor did he صلى الله عليه وسلم order to stay away from the Muslims overall, but rather to keep away from those groups calling to sin, and the meaning of that is to hold tight to the deen and away from the propaganda and call of evil.