Mishkat al-Masabih

Mishkat al-Masabih 148

Arabic hadith text

وَعَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ أَتَى قَوْمًا فَقَالَ يَا قَوْمِ إِنِّي رَأَيْتُ الْجَيْشَ بِعَيْنِي وَإِنِّي أَنَا النَّذِيرُ الْعُرْيَانُ فَالنَّجَاءَ النَّجَاءَ فَأَطَاعَهُ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ فَأَدْلَجُوا فَانْطَلَقُوا عَلَى مَهْلِهِمْ فَنَجَوْا وَكَذَّبَتْ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ فَأَصْبَحُوا مَكَانَهُمْ فَصَبَّحَهُمُ الْجَيْشُ فَأَهْلَكَهُمْ وَاجْتَاحَهُمْ فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ أَطَاعَنِي فَاتَّبَعَ مَا جِئْتُ بِهِ وَمثل من عَصَانِي وَكذب بِمَا جِئْتُ بِهِ مِنَ الْحَقِّ»

Translation

Abu Musa reported that the Messenger of God said: ‘My likeness and the message with which God sent me are like a man who came to a people and said, “My people, I saw the army with my own eyes. I am the unclothed warner—escape, escape!” A group of his people obeyed him, set out during the night, departed at their own pace, and escaped. Another group disbelieved him and stayed where they were. At dawn the army fell upon them, destroyed them, and wiped them out. This is the likeness of those who obey me and follow what I have brought, and of those who disobey me and deny the truth I have brought.’