Hadith #94

Arabic Text

English Translation

Al-Ḥārith al-Ashʿarī narrated that the Prophet ﷺ of Allah ﷺ said: 'Allah عز وجل commanded Yaḥyā ibn Zakariyyā with five things — to act upon them and to command the Children of Israel to act upon them. He was about to delay, so ʿĪsā said to him: "You have been commanded with five things to act upon and to command the Children of Israel to act upon. Either you convey them or I will." Yaḥyā said: "O my brother, I fear that if you precede me, I will be punished or the earth will swallow me." So Yaḥyā gathered the Children of Israel in Bayt al-Maqdis until the mosque was full and people sat on the balconies. He praised Allah and said: "Allah عز وجل has commanded me with five things to act upon and to command you to act upon. The first is to worship Allah and associate nothing with Him. The likeness of that is a man who bought a slave with his own pure wealth — gold or silver — and the slave worked and paid his earnings to someone other than his master. Which of you would be pleased that his slave be like that? Allah عز وجل created you and provides for you, so worship Him and associate nothing with Him. He commands you to pray, for Allah عز وجل directs His face toward the face of His servant as long as the servant does not turn away. So when you pray, do not turn. He commands you to fast, for the likeness of that is a man carrying a pouch of musk among a group, all of whom smell its fragrance — and the breath of the fasting person is more pleasant to Allah than the scent of musk. He commands you to give charity, for the likeness of that is a man captured by the enemy, who tied his hands to his neck and brought him forward to be beheaded. He said: "Will you allow me to ransom myself from you?" So he ransomed himself from them, little by little, until he freed himself. He commands you to remember Allah often, for the likeness of that is a man pursued by the enemy in hot pursuit. He came to a fortified fortress and took shelter in it. The servant is most fortified from Shayṭān when he is in the remembrance of Allah عز وجل."' the Messenger of Allah ﷺ then said: 'And I command you with five things that Allah has commanded me: the jamāʿah (community), listening, obeying, hijrah, and jihād in the way of Allah. Whoever separates from the jamāʿah by a handspan has removed the bond of Islam from his neck until he returns. And whoever calls with the call of Jāhiliyyah, he is from the embers of Jahannam.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, even if he fasts and prays?' He said: 'Even if he fasts and prays and claims he is a Muslim. So call the Muslims by what Allah named them: Muslims, believers, servants of Allah عز وجل.'