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.
ahmad:27265Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. al-Ḥuṣayn > Jaddatī Tuḥaddith

If a slave is appointed over you and he conducts your affairs according to the Book of Allah, you should listen to him and obeey (his orders). (Using translation from Muslim 1838a)  

أحمد:٢٧٢٦٥حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْحُصَيْنِ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَدَّتِي تُحَدِّثُ

أَنَّهَا سَمِعَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَخْطُبُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ يَقُولُ لَوْ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ يَقُودُكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللهِ ﷻ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
muslim:1838aMuḥammad b. al-Muthanná > Muḥammad b. Jaʿfar > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. Ḥuṣayn > Jaddatī Tuḥaddith

If a slave is appointed over you and he conducts your affairs according to the Book of Allah, you should listen to him and obeey (his orders).  

مسلم:١٨٣٨aحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَدَّتِي تُحَدِّثُ

أَنَّهَا سَمِعَتِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَخْطُبُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ وَهُوَ يَقُولُ وَلَوِ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ يَقُودُكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا  

nasai:4192Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Aʿlá > Khālid > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. Ḥuṣayn > Jaddatī

"I heard my grandmother say: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say, during the Farewell Pilgrimage: If an Ethiopian slave is appointed over you who rules according to the Book of Allah, then listen to him and obey."'  

النسائي:٤١٩٢أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَدَّتِي تَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ وَلَوِ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ يَقُودُكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا  

ibnmajah:2861Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Wakīʿ b. al-Jarrāḥ > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. al-Ḥuṣayn > Jaddatih Um al-Ḥuṣayn

“Even if the one appointed over you is a mutilated Ethiopian slave whose nose and ears have been cut off, listen to him and obey, so long as he leads you according to the Book of Allah.”  

ابن ماجة:٢٨٦١حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعُ بْنُ الْجَرَّاحِ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْحُصَيْنِ عَنْ جَدَّتِهِ أُمِّ الْحُصَيْنِ قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ إِنْ أُمِّرَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ مُجَدَّعٌ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا مَا قَادَكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللَّهِ  

ahmad:16646Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. Ḥuṣayn b. ʿUrwah > Jaddatī

"I heard my grandmother say: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say, during the Farewell Pilgrimage: If an Ethiopian slave is appointed over you who rules according to the Book of Allah, then listen to him and obey."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4192)   

أحمد:١٦٦٤٦حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حُصَيْنِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي جَدَّتِي قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ وَلَوْ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ يَقُودُكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللهِ ﷻ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا  

ahmad:16649Wakīʿ > Isrāʾīl > Abū Isḥāq > Yaḥyá b. al-Ḥuṣayn from his mother

[Machine] I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ delivering a sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage, saying, "O people! Fear Allah and listen and obey, even if a slave from Abyssinia is appointed as your leader, as long as he establishes the Book of Allah among you."  

أحمد:١٦٦٤٩حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الحُصَيْنِ عَنْ أُمِّهِ قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَخْطُبُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ يَقُولُ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنْ أُمِّرَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ مُجَدَّعٌ مَا أَقَامَ فِيكُمْ كِتَابَ اللهِ ﷻ  

ahmad:23231Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. Ḥuṣayn b. ʿUrwah > Jaddatī

“Even if the one appointed over you is a mutilated Ethiopian slave whose nose and ears have been cut off, listen to him and obey, so long as he leads you according to the Book of Allah.” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 2861)   

أحمد:٢٣٢٣١حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَاهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ حُصَيْنِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي جَدَّتِي قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ لَوْ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ يَقُودُكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللهِ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا  

ahmad:23234Wakīʿ > Isrāʾīl > Abū Isḥāq > Yaḥyá b. al-Ḥuṣayn from his mother

[Machine] I heard the Prophet ﷺ deliver a sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage, saying, "O people, fear Allah and listen and obey. Even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed as your leader and his head is like a raisin, he should be obeyed as long as he upholds the Book of Allah among you."  

أحمد:٢٣٢٣٤حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْحُصَيْنِ عَنْ أُمِّهِ قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ يَخْطُبُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ يَقُولُ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنْ أُمِّرَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ مُجَدَّعٌ مَا أَقَامَ فِيكُمْ كِتَابَ اللهِ  

ahmad:27262Wakīʿ > Isrāʾīl > Abū Isḥāq > Yaḥyá b. al-Ḥuṣayn from his mother

[Machine] I heard the Prophet ﷺ giving a sermon at Arafat during the Farewell Pilgrimage, saying, "O people, fear Allah and listen and obey, even if an Abyssinian slave is appointed as your leader, for indeed whoever among you lives [after me] will see much strife. So hold fast to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me. Adhere to it and cling to it tightly. And beware of newly invented matters [in religion], for every innovation is misguidance."  

أحمد:٢٧٢٦٢حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ عَنْ إِسْرَائِيلَ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ الْحُصَيْنِ عَنْ أُمِّهِ قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ بِعَرَفَاتٍ يَخْطُبُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ يَقُولُ يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا اللهَ وَاسْمَعُوا وَأَطِيعُوا وَإِنْ أُمِّرَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ مُجَدَّعٌ مَا أَقَامَ فِيكُمْ كِتَابَ اللهِ ﷻ  

ahmad:27263Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. al-Ḥuṣayn b. ʿUrwah > Jaddatī

"I heard my grandmother say: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say, during the Farewell Pilgrimage: If an Ethiopian slave is appointed over you who rules according to the Book of Allah, then listen to him and obey."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4192)   

أحمد:٢٧٢٦٣حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ الْحُصَيْنِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنِي جَدَّتِي قَالَتْ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ وَلَوْ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ يَقُودُكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللهِ ﷻ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا  

nasai-kubra:7767Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-Aʿlá > Khālid > Ibn al-Ḥārith > Shuʿbah > Yaḥyá b. Ḥuṣayn > Jaddatī

"I heard my grandmother say: 'I heard the Messenger of Allah say, during the Farewell Pilgrimage: If an Ethiopian slave is appointed over you who rules according to the Book of Allah, then listen to him and obey."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 4192)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٧٧٦٧أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْأَعْلَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ هُوَ ابْنُ الْحَارِثِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ حُصَيْنٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ جَدَّتِي تَقُولُ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ فِي حَجَّةِ الْوَدَاعِ «وَلَوِ اسْتُعْمِلَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ حَبَشِيٌّ يَقُودُكُمْ بِكِتَابِ اللهِ فَاسْمَعُوا لَهُ وَأَطِيعُوا»