Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah

Sahih al-Bukhari 7319

Hadith Text

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Hour will not be established till my followers copy the deeds of the previous nations and follow them very closely, span by span, and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch)." It was said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! Do you mean by those (nations) the Persians and the Byzantines?" The Prophet said, "Who can it be other than they?"

Commentary on the Hadith

This profound hadith serves as a grave warning against blind imitation of non-Muslim civilizations. The phrase "span by span, cubit by cubit" indicates meticulous and complete imitation in both minor and major matters.

The specification of Persians and Byzantines refers to the dominant civilizations of that era, representing worldly power and cultural influence. In our times, this applies to imitating Western and Eastern civilizations in their religious, social, and moral practices contrary to Islamic teachings.

The scholars explain that this imitation occurs in matters of disbelief, innovation in religion, moral corruption, and worldly customs that contradict Islamic principles. This prophecy has manifestly occurred as Muslims have abandoned distinctive Islamic practices in favor of foreign traditions.

The hadith emphasizes the importance of maintaining Islamic identity and adhering to the Qur'an and Sunnah as the primary sources of guidance, warning that such imitation is among the minor signs of the Hour.

Scholarly Insights

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani comments that this imitation refers to following non-Muslims in their specific characteristics and blameworthy practices, not in beneficial worldly matters that don't contradict Shariah.

Al-Qurtubi explains that the measure "span and cubit" indicates the completeness of imitation, leaving nothing of their ways except that Muslims adopt it.

This hadith serves as a perpetual reminder for Muslims to critically evaluate foreign influences and measure all practices against the standard of Qur'an and authentic Sunnah.