The Prophet (ﷺ) sent an army unit (for some campaign) and appointed a man from the Ansar as its commander and ordered them (the soldiers) to obey him. (During the campaign) he became angry with them and said, "Didn't the Prophet (ﷺ) order you to obey me?" They said, "Yes." He said, "I order you to collect wood and make a fire and then throw yourselves into it." So they collected wood and made a fire, but when they were about to throw themselves into, it they started looking at each other, and some of them said, "We followed the Prophet (ﷺ) to escape from the fire. How should we enter it now?" So while they were in that state, the fire extinguished and their commander's anger abated. The event was mentioned to the Prophet (ﷺ) and he said, "If they had entered it (the fire) they would never have come out of it, for obedience is required only in what is good." (See Hadith No. 629. Vol. 5)
Hadith Commentary from Sahih al-Bukhari
This narration from Sahih al-Bukhari 7145 in the Book of Judgments (Ahkaam) establishes a fundamental principle in Islamic leadership and obedience. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) clearly delineated that obedience to leaders is conditional upon their commands aligning with divine law and moral goodness.
Scholarly Analysis
Classical scholars explain that this hadith establishes the principle: "There is no obedience to the creation in disobedience to the Creator." The Ansari commander's authority was legitimate, but his command to enter the fire constituted clear disobedience to Allah, thus rendering it null and void.
The soldiers' hesitation demonstrates proper Islamic reasoning - they recognized the contradiction between following the Prophet to escape Hellfire and being commanded to enter earthly fire. Their collective wisdom in pausing reflects the Islamic principle of consulting and reflecting when faced with questionable commands.
Legal Implications
This hadith forms the basis for Islamic political theory regarding lawful rebellion and civil disobedience. Scholars like Imam Nawawi and Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani derived from this that Muslims must not obey any command that involves sin, even if it comes from legitimate authority.
The Prophet's final statement "obedience is required only in what is good" (al-ta'ah fi'l-ma'roof) has become a foundational legal maxim in Islamic jurisprudence, applied to all relationships of authority - between ruler and ruled, employer and employee, parent and child.
Contemporary Relevance
This teaching remains crucial in modern contexts where Muslims must navigate obedience to various authorities. It provides the ethical framework for resisting unlawful orders while maintaining proper respect for leadership structures when they command goodness.