Hadith Text & Reference

Narrated 'Ali (Allah be pleased with him): "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 Allah. Obedience is in matters which are good and universally recognized.'"

Source: Sunan Abi Dawud 2625 | Book: Jihad (Kitab Al-Jihad)

Commentary on the Incident

This hadith establishes a fundamental principle in Islamic governance and military conduct: obedience to leaders is conditional upon their commands being in accordance with Divine Law. The commander's order to jump into fire constituted clear disobedience to Allah, as it involved self-destruction - a major sin in Islam.

The group that refused demonstrated proper understanding of Islamic principles, recognizing that escaping from the metaphorical fire of disbelief does not justify entering actual fire through disobedience.

Legal Ruling on Obedience

The Prophet's statement "There is no obedience in matters involving disobedience to Allah" establishes that all forms of obedience to created beings are subordinate to obedience to the Creator. This principle applies to military commanders, political leaders, parents, and all authority figures.

"Obedience is in matters which are good and universally recognized (ma'ruf)" indicates that legitimate commands must align with both Islamic teachings and commonly accepted moral standards that do not contradict Shariah.

Scholarly Interpretation

Classical scholars emphasize that this hadith demonstrates the invalidity of blind obedience. Imam Nawawi comments that this incident serves as a decisive proof against obeying anyone in matters of sin, regardless of their authority.

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani explains that the phrase "they would have remained into it" indicates both the eternal consequences in the Hereafter for suicide and the immediate physical consequence of death in this world.

This ruling forms the basis for the Islamic legal maxim: "There is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to the Creator."