Once the Prophet (ﷺ) ascended the pulpit and it was the last gathering in which he took part. He was covering his shoulder with a big cloak and binding his head with an oily bandage. He glorified and praised Allah and said, "O people! Come to me." So the people came and gathered around him and he then said, "Amma ba'du." "From now onward the Ansar will decrease and other people will increase. So anybody who becomes a ruler of the followers of Muhammad and has the power to harm or benefit people then he should accept the good from the benevolent amongst them (Ansar) and overlook the faults of their wrong-doers."
Exposition of the Hadith
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 927 presents the final public address of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), delivered from the pulpit during Friday Prayer. The physical description - his shoulder covered with a cloak and head bound with an oily bandage - indicates he was in a state of illness, making these final instructions particularly weighty and significant.
Historical Context & Significance
The phrase "Amma ba'du" marks the transition from praise of Allah to the core message, following the prophetic tradition of sermons. The prophecy regarding the Ansar's decreasing numbers and others increasing reflects the imminent expansion of Islam beyond Medina.
This was a pivotal moment in Islamic history as the Muslim community was transitioning from a Medinan-based community to a global civilization. The Prophet (ﷺ) was preparing the community for this demographic shift with divine foresight.
Governance Principles
The instruction to future rulers to "accept the good from the benevolent amongst them (Ansar) and overlook the faults of their wrong-doers" establishes crucial principles of Islamic governance: recognizing the historical contributions of early Muslims, practicing justice tempered with mercy, and maintaining social harmony during transitional periods.
This demonstrates the Prophet's wisdom in ensuring the Ansar's dignity would be preserved despite their diminishing numerical presence, while also guiding rulers to exercise discernment between individual merit and collective responsibility.
Legal & Ethical Implications
Scholars derive from this hadith the importance of considering historical context in governance, the obligation to honor early contributors to Islam, and the principle that leadership requires balancing justice with compassion.
The emphasis on the ruler's power to "harm or benefit people" underscores the grave responsibility of leadership in Islam and the need for wisdom in exercising authority.