Al-Arba’īn an-Nawawīyah Ḥadīth [28]

عَنْ أَبِي نَجِيحٍ الْعِرْبَاضِ بْنِ سَارِيَةَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: وَعَظَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَوْعِظَةً وَجِلَتْ مِنْهَا الْقُلُوبُ، وَذَرَفَتْ مِنْهَا الْعُيُونُ، فَقُلْنَا: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! كَأَنَّهَا مَوْعِظَةُ مُوَدِّعٍ فَأَوْصِنَا، قَالَ: أُوصِيكُمْ بِتَقْوَى اللَّهِ، وَالسَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ وَإِنْ تَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَبْدٌ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْ يَعِشْ مِنْكُمْ فَسَيَرَى اخْتِلَافًا كَثِيرًا، فَعَلَيْكُمْ بِسُنَّتِي وَسُنَّةِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ الْمَهْدِيينَ، عَضُّوا عَلَيْهَا بِالنَّوَاجِذِ، وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمُحْدَثَاتِ الْأُمُورِ؛ فَإِنَّ كُلَّ مُحْدَثَةٍ بِدْعَةٌ، وَكُلَّ بِدْعَةٍ ضَلاَلَةٌ. رَوَاهُ أَبُو دَاوُدَ وَاَلتِّرْمِذِيُّ، وَقَالَ: حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ

28 – It is reported on the authority of Abī Najīḥ al-’Irbāḍ bin Sāriyah (may Allāh be pleased with him) who said:

The Messenger of Allāh (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) gave us a sermon by which our hearts were filled with fear and tears came to our eyes. So, we said: ‘O Messenger of Allāh! It is as though this is a farewell sermon, so counsel us.’ He (peace and blessings of Allāh be upon him) said: “I counsel you to have taqwā (fear) of Allāh, and to listen and obey [your leader], even if a slave were to become your amīr. Verily, he among you who lives long will see great controversy, so you must keep to my Sunnah and to the Sunnah of the Khulafā’ ar-Rāshidīn (the rightly guided caliphs), those who guide to the right way. Cling to it stubbornly [literally: with your molar teeth]. And beware of newly invented matters [in the religion], and verily every bid’ah (innovation) is misguidance.” [Reported by Abū Dāwūd and Tirmidhī, and he said it is a ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ ḥadīth]