“The best lifestyle is that of a man who holds onto the reins of his horse for the sake of Allah, riding on its back. Every time he hears a commotion he rushes towards it, seeking death wherever he thinks he can find it; and a man who tends sheep at the top of one of these peaks, or in the bottom of one of these valleys, establishing the prayer, paying the charity, and worshipping his Lord until the inevitable (death) comes to him and there is nothing between him and the people except good.”  

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ خَيْرُ مَعَايِشِ النَّاسِ لَهُمْ رَجُلٌ مُمْسِكٌ بِعِنَانِ فَرَسِهِ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَيَطِيرُ عَلَى مَتْنِهِ كُلَّمَا سَمِعَ هَيْعَةً أَوْ فَزْعَةً طَارَ عَلَيْهِ إِلَيْهَا يَبْتَغِي الْمَوْتَ أَوِ الْقَتْلَ مَظَانَّهُ وَرَجُلٌ فِي غُنَيْمَةٍ فِي رَأْسِ شَعَفَةٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الشِّعَافِ أَوْ بَطْنِ وَادٍ مِنْ هَذِهِ الأَوْدِيَةِ يُقِيمُ الصَّلاَةَ وَيُؤْتِي الزَّكَاةَ وَيَعْبُدُ رَبَّهُ حَتَّى يَأْتِيَهُ الْيَقِينُ لَيْسَ مِنَ النَّاسِ إِلاَّ فِي خَيْرٍ  

“Which of the people is best?” He said: “A man who strives in Jihad in the cause of Allah with himself and his wealth.” He said: “Then who?” He said: “A man in a mountain pass who worships Allah and leaves the people from his evil.”  

أَنَّ رَجُلاً أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَفْضَلُ قَالَ رَجُلٌ مُجَاهِدٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ بِنَفْسِهِ وَمَالِهِ قَالَ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ثُمَّ امْرُؤٌ فِي شِعْبٍ مِنَ الشِّعَابِ يَعْبُدُ اللَّهَ ﷻ وَيَدَعُ النَّاسَ مِنْ شَرِّهِ  

“There will be callers at the gates of Hell; whoever responds to them they throw them into it.” I said: “O Messenger of Allah, describe them to us.” He said: “They will be from our people, speaking our language.” I said: “What do you command me to do, if I live to see that?” He said: “Adhere to the main body of the Muslims and their leader. If there is no such body and no leader, then withdraw from all their groups, even if you bite onto the trunk of a tree until death finds you in that state.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَكُونُ دُعَاةٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِ جَهَنَّمَ مَنْ أَجَابَهُمْ إِلَيْهَا قَذَفُوهُ فِيهَا قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صِفْهُمْ لَنَا قَالَ هُمْ قَوْمٌ مِنْ جِلْدَتِنَا يَتَكَلَّمُونَ بِأَلْسِنَتِنَا قُلْتُ فَمَا تَأْمُرُنِي إِنْ أَدْرَكَنِي ذَلِكَ قَالَ فَالْزَمْ جَمَاعَةَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ وَإِمَامَهُمْ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ لَهُمْ جَمَاعَةٌ وَلاَ إِمَامٌ فَاعْتَزِلْ تِلْكَ الْفِرَقَ كُلَّهَا وَلَوْ أَنْ تَعَضَّ بِأَصْلِ شَجَرَةٍ حَتَّى يُدْرِكَكَ الْمَوْتُ وَأَنْتَ كَذَلِكَ  

“Soon the best wealth of a Muslim will be sheep which he follows in the mountain peaks and places where rainfall is to be found, fleeing for the sake of his religion from tribulations.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُوشِكُ أَنْ يَكُونَ خَيْرَ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِ غَنَمٌ يَتْبَعُ بِهَا شَعَفَ الْجِبَالِ وَمَوَاقِعَ الْقَطْرِ يَفِرُّ بِدِينِهِ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ  

“There will be tribulations at the gates of which will be callers (calling people) to Hell. Dying when you are biting onto the stump of a tree will be better for you than following anyone of them.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ تَكُونُ فِتَنٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِهَا دُعَاةٌ إِلَى النَّارِ فَأَنْ تَمُوتَ وَأَنْتَ عَاضٌّ عَلَى جِذْلِ شَجَرَةٍ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَتْبَعَ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ  

“The believer should not be stung from the same hole twice.”  

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لاَ يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ  

‘The believer should not be stung from the same hole twice.’”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لاَ يُلْدَغُ الْمُؤْمِنُ مِنْ جُحْرٍ مَرَّتَيْنِ