Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
abudawud:2625ʿAmr b. Marzūq > Shuʿbah > Zubayd > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Sulamī > ʿAlī

‘Ali (Allaah be pleased with him) said “The Messenger of Allah ﷺ sent an army and appointed a man as a commander for them and he commanded them to listen to him and obey. He kindled fire and ordered them to jump into it. A group refused to enter into it and said “We escaped from the fire; a group intended to enter into it. When the Prophet ﷺ was informed about it, he said “Had they entered into it, they would have remained into it. There is no obedience in matters involving disobedience to Allaah. Obedience is in matters which are good and universally recognized.  

أبو داود:٢٦٢٥حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ؓ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ جَيْشًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَيُطِيعُوا فَأَجَّجَ نَارًا وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَقْتَحِمُوا فِيهَا فَأَبَى قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ وَأَرَادَ قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا فَبَلَغَ ذَلِكَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا أَوْ دَخَلُوا فِيهَا لَمْ يَزَالُوا فِيهَا وَقَالَ لاَ طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Bayhaqī
bukhari:7257Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Ghundar > Shuʿbah > Zubayd > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > ʿAlī

The Prophet ﷺ , sent an army and appointed some man their commander The man made a fire and then said (to the soldiers), "Enter it." Some of them intended to enter it while some others said, 'We have run away from it (i.e., embraced Islam to save ourselves from the 'fire')." They mentioned that to the Prophet, and he said about people who had intended to enter the fire. ''If they had entered it, they would have remained In it till the Day of Resurrection.'' Then he said to others, "No obedience for evil deeds, obedience is required only in what is good ."  

البخاري:٧٢٥٧حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ؓ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بَعَثَ جَيْشًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً فَأَوْقَدَ نَارًا وَقَالَ ادْخُلُوهَا فَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا مِنْهَا فَذَكَرُوا لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِلَّذِينَ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا لَمْ يَزَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَقَالَ لِلآخَرِينَ لاَ طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةٍ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ  

muslim:1840aMuḥammad b. al-Muthanná And Ibn Bashhār And al-Lafẓ Ibn al-Muthanná > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Zubayd > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman

Enter it. Some people made up their minds to enter it (the fire), (carrying out the order of their commander), but the others said: We fled from the fire (that's why we have come into the fold of Islam). The matter was reported to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ. He said to those who Contemplated entering (the fire at the order of their commander): If you had entered it, you would have remained there until the Day of Judgment. He commanded the act of the latter group and said: There is no submission in matters involving God's disobedience or displeasure. Submission is obligatory only in what is good (and reasonable).  

مسلم:١٨٤٠aحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَابْنُ بَشَّارٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لاِبْنِ الْمُثَنَّى قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ

عَنْ عَلِيٍّ أَنَّعليه وسلم بَعَثَ جَيْشًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً فَأَوْقَدَ نَارًا وَقَالَ ادْخُلُوهَا فَأَرَادَ نَاسٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَقَالَ الآخَرُونَ إِنَّا قَدْ فَرَرْنَا مِنْهَا فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِلَّذِينَ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا لَوْ دَخَلْتُمُوهَا لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَقَالَ لِلآخَرِينَ قَوْلاً حَسَنًا وَقَالَ لاَ طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ  

nasai:4205Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná And Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Muḥammad > Shuʿbah > Zubayd al-Iyāmī > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > ʿAlī

the Messenger of Allah sent an army and appointed a man in charge of them. He lit a fire and said: "Enter it." Some people wanted to enter it, and other said: "We are trying to keep away from it." They mentioned that to the Messenger of Allah, and he said to those who had wanted to enter if: "If you had entered it you would have stayed there until the Day of Resurrection." And he spoke good words to the others. And he said: "There is no obedience if it involves disobedience toward Allah. Rather obedience is only (required) in that which is good."  

النسائي:٤٢٠٥أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ الإِيَامِيِّ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ جَيْشًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلاً فَأَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَقَالَ ادْخُلُوهَا فَأَرَادَ نَاسٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَقَالَ الآخَرُونَ إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا مِنْهَا فَذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِلَّذِينَ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا لَوْ دَخَلْتُمُوهَا لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَقَالَ لِلآخَرِينَ خَيْرًا وَقَالَ أَبُو مُوسَى فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَوْلاً حَسَنًا وَقَالَ لاَ طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ  

ahmad:724Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Zubayd al-Iyāmī > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > ʿAlī

Enter it. Some people wanted to enter it, but others said: This is what we wanted to flee from. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said to those who had wanted to enter it: “If you had entered it you would have remained in it until the Day of Resurrection.” He said some kind words to the others, then he said: ʿThere is no obedience in that which involves disobedience towards Allah; obedience is only with regard to that which is right and proper.ʿ  

أحمد:٧٢٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ الْإِيَامِيِّ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ جَيْشًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلًا فَأَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَقَالَ ادْخُلُوهَا فَأَرَادَ نَاسٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا مِنْهَا فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِلَّذِينَ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا لَوْ دَخَلْتُمُوهَا لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ وَقَالَ لِلْآخَرِينَ قَوْلًا حَسَنًا وَقَالَ لَا طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ  

ذِكْرُ نَفْيِ إِيجَابِ الطَّاعَةِ لِلْمَرْءِ إِذَا دَعَا إِلَى مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا

ibnhibban:4567al-Ḥasan b. Sufyān > Ḥabbān > ʿAbdullāh > Ibn al-Mubārak > Shuʿbah > Zubayd > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Sulamī > ʿAlī b. Abū Ṭālib

Enter it. Some people wanted to enter it, but others said: This is what we wanted to flee from. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said to those who had wanted to enter it: “If you had entered it you would have remained in it until the Day of Resurrection.” He said some kind words to the others, then he said: ʿThere is no obedience in that which involves disobedience towards Allah; obedience is only with regard to that which is right and proper.ʿ (Using translation from Aḥmad 724)  

ابن حبّان:٤٥٦٧أَخْبَرَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ سُفْيَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حَبَّانُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ هُوَ ابْنُ الْمُبَارَكِ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ قَالَ

بَعَثَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ جَيْشًا وَأَمَرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلًا فَأَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَقَالَ ادْخُلُوهَا فَأَرَادَ نَاسٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ إِنَّا فَرَرْنَا مِنْهَا فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لِلَّذِينَ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا «لَوْ دَخَلْتُمُوهَا لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ» أَوْ قَالَ «أَبَدًا» وَقَالَ لِلْآخَرِينَ «خَيْرًا» وَقَالَ «أَحْسَنْتُمْ لَا طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ»  

nasai-kubra:8668Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná And Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Muḥammad > Shuʿbah > Zubayd al-Iyāmī > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman > ʿAlī

Enter it. Some people wanted to enter it, but others said: This is what we wanted to flee from. That was mentioned to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he said to those who had wanted to enter it: “If you had entered it you would have remained in it until the Day of Resurrection.” He said some kind words to the others, then he said: ʿThere is no obedience in that which involves disobedience towards Allah; obedience is only with regard to that which is right and proper.ʿ (Using translation from Aḥmad 724)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٦٦٨أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ الْإِيَامِيِّ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ جَيْشًا وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلًا فَأَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَقَالَ لَهُمُ «ادْخُلُوهَا فَأَرَادَ نَاسٌ أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا» وَقَالَ الْآخِرُونَ إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا مِنْهَا فَذُكِرَ ذَلِكَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ أَرَادُوا أَنْ يَدْخُلُوهَا «لَوْ دَخَلْتُمُوهَا لَمْ تَزَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ» وَقَالَ لِلْآخِرِينَ خَيْرًا وَقَالَ ابْنُ الْمُثَنَّى فِي حَدِيثِهِ قَوْلًا حَسَنًا وَقَالَ «لَا طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ»  

bayhaqi:16609Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. al-Ḥasan b. Fūrak > ʿAbdullāh b. Jaʿfar al-Aṣbahānī > Yūnus b. Ḥabīb > Abū Dāwud > Shuʿbah > Zubayd > Saʿd b. ʿUbaydah > Abū ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Sulamī > ʿAlī ؓ

[Machine] That the Prophet ﷺ sent out a military expedition and appointed a man in charge of them, commanding them to obey him. He kindled a fire for them and commanded them to enter it, so some people thought they should do it, while others said they had fled from the fire and refused. Then they came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and they told him about it. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “If they had entered it, they would have remained in it until the Day of Resurrection, for there is no obedience in disobedience to Allah. Obedience is only in what is good.”  

البيهقي:١٦٦٠٩أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ بْنِ فُورَكٍ أَنْبَأَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ الْأَصْبَهَانِيُّ ثَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ حَبِيبٍ أَنْبَأَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ ثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ زُبَيْدٍ عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ عُبَيْدَةَ عَنْ أَبِي عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ السُّلَمِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ؓ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بَعَثَ سَرِيَّةً وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ رَجُلًا وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يُطِيعُوهُ فَأَجَّجَ لَهُمْ نَارًا وَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَقْتَحِمُوا فَهَمَّ قَوْمٌ أَنْ يَفْعَلُوا وَقَالَ آخَرُونَ إِنَّمَا فَرَرْنَا مِنَ النَّارِ فَأَبَوْا ثُمَّ قَدِمُوا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرُوا لَهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَوْ دَخَلُوهَا لَمْ يَزَالُوا فِيهَا إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ لَا طَاعَةَ فِي مَعْصِيَةِ اللهِ إِنَّمَا الطَّاعَةُ فِي الْمَعْرُوفِ  

أَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ وَمُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ مِنْ حَدِيثِ غُنْدَرٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ