“Do I not have the right that you should listen to me and obey?” They said: “Yes.” He said: “And if I command you to do something, will you not do it?” They said: “Of course.” He said: “Then I command you to jump into this fire.” Some people got up and got ready to jump, and when he saw that they were about to jump, he said: “Restrain yourselves, for I was joking with you.” When we came to Al-Madinah, they mentioned that to the Prophet ﷺ, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Whoever among you commands you to do something that involves disobedience to Allah, do not obey him.”  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنَ مُجَزِّزٍ عَلَى بَعْثٍ وَأَنَا فِيهِمْ فَلَمَّا انْتَهَى إِلَى رَأْسِ غَزَاتِهِ أَوْ كَانَ بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ اسْتَأْذَنَتْهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنَ الْجَيْشِ فَأَذِنَ لَهُمْ وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ حُذَافَةَ بْنِ قَيْسٍ السَّهْمِيَّ فَكُنْتُ فِيمَنْ غَزَا مَعَهُ فَلَمَّا كَانَ بِبَعْضِ الطَّرِيقِ أَوْقَدَ الْقَوْمُ نَارًا لِيَصْطَلُوا أَوْ لِيَصْنَعُوا عَلَيْهَا صَنِيعًا فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ وَكَانَتْ فِيهِ دُعَابَةٌ أَلَيْسَ لِي عَلَيْكُمُ السَّمْعُ وَالطَّاعَةُ قَالُوا بَلَى قَالَ فَمَا أَنَا بِآمِرِكُمْ بِشَىْءٍ إِلاَّ صَنَعْتُمُوهُ قَالُوا نَعَمْ قَالَ فَإِنِّي أَعْزِمُ عَلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ تَوَاثَبْتُمْ فِي هَذِهِ النَّارِ فَقَامَ نَاسٌ فَتَحَجَّزُوا فَلَمَّا ظَنَّ أَنَّهُمْ وَاثِبُونَ قَالَ أَمْسِكُوا عَلَى أَنْفُسِكُمْ فَإِنَّمَا كُنْتُ أَمْزَحُ مَعَكُمْ فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا ذَكَرُوا ذَلِكَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَنْ أَمَرَكُمْ مِنْهُمْ بِمَعْصِيَةِ اللَّهِ فَلاَ تُطِيعُوهُ  

“The Muslim is obliged to obey (the ruler) whether he likes it or not, unless he is commanded to commit an act of disobedience. If he is commanded to commit a sin then he should neither listen nor obey.”  

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ عَلَى الْمَرْءِ الْمُسْلِمِ الطَّاعَةُ فِيمَا أَحَبَّ أَوْ كَرِهَ إِلاَّ أَنْ يُؤْمَرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَمَنْ أُمِرَ بِمَعْصِيَةٍ فَلاَ سَمْعَ وَلاَ طَاعَةَ  

“Among those in charge of you, after I am gone, will be men who extinguish the Sunnah and follow innovation. They will delay the prayer from its proper time.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, if I live to see them, what should I do?” He said: “You ask me, O Ibn ‘Abd, what you should do? There is no obedience to one who disobeys Allah.”  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ سَيَلِي أُمُورَكُمْ بَعْدِي رِجَالٌ يُطْفِئُونَ السُّنَّةَ وَيَعْمَلُونَ بِالْبِدْعَةِ وَيُؤَخِّرُونَ الصَّلاَةَ عَنْ مَوَاقِيتِهَا فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنْ أَدْرَكْتُهُمْ كَيْفَ أَفْعَلُ قَالَ تَسْأَلُنِي يَا ابْنَ أُمِّ عَبْدٍ كَيْفَ تَفْعَلُ لاَ طَاعَةَ لِمَنْ عَصَى اللَّهَ