that he heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, "From among my followers there will be some people who will consider illegal sexual intercourse, the wearing of silk, the drinking of alcoholic drinks and the use of musical instruments, as lawful. And there will be some people who will stay near the side of a mountain and in the evening their shepherd will come to them with their sheep and ask them for something, but they will say to him, 'Return to us tomorrow.' Allah will destroy them during the night and will let the mountain fall on them, and He will transform the rest of them into monkeys and pigs and they will remain so till the Day of Resurrection."
Hadith Commentary: Sahih al-Bukhari 5590
This profound narration from the Book of Drinks in Sahih al-Bukhari serves as a grave warning about religious innovation and moral corruption that will emerge within the Muslim community.
The Four Major Prohibitions
The Prophet (ﷺ) identifies four specific prohibitions that will be wrongly legalized: illicit sexual relations, men wearing pure silk, consuming intoxicants, and using musical instruments for entertainment.
These represent fundamental boundaries in Islamic law that protect faith, morality, and social order. Their deliberate violation indicates a severe departure from divine guidance.
Scholarly Interpretation of the Mountain Dwellers
The people described near the mountain represent ascetics who outwardly appear pious but lack true compassion and religious sincerity. Their refusal to help the needy shepherd despite their apparent devotion exposes their spiritual bankruptcy.
Allah's punishment of destroying them and transforming others into animals symbolizes the spiritual degradation that occurs when hearts become harder than stone, losing their human capacity for faith and mercy.
Lessons for the Ummah
This hadith teaches that outward acts of worship without inward sincerity and adherence to Shariah are worthless. It warns against selective adherence to Islamic law and emphasizes the danger of reinterpreting clear prohibitions based on personal desires.
The preservation of faith requires both correct belief and practice, maintaining the boundaries set by Allah without addition or subtraction until the Day of Judgment.