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 ."
Accepting Information Given by a Truthful Person
Sahih al-Bukhari 7257
Hadith Text
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."
Scholarly Commentary
This hadith establishes the fundamental Islamic principle that obedience to created beings is conditional upon their commands conforming to the Divine Law. The commander's order to enter the fire constituted a clear violation of Islamic teachings, as self-immolation is strictly prohibited. The Prophet's statement "If they had entered it, they would have remained in it till the Day of Resurrection" indicates that such an act would constitute major disbelief (kufr), as it demonstrates a willingness to obey a human being in direct opposition to Allah's commandments.
The declaration "No obedience for evil deeds" establishes that Muslims are not required to obey any command that involves disobedience to Allah, regardless of the authority of the person giving the order. This principle applies to all levels of authority - parental, governmental, or military. The qualification "obedience is required only in what is good" clarifies that legitimate obedience is restricted to matters that are Islamically permissible and beneficial.
This teaching protects the Muslim community from blind following (taqlid) and emphasizes the individual's responsibility to evaluate commands against Islamic standards. It demonstrates that preservation of faith and avoidance of major sins takes precedence over worldly obedience to any authority.