A Comprehensive Directive in Islam

روي أنه قال رجل من الصحابة لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: يا رسول الله قل لي في الإسلام قولا لا أسأل عنه أحدا بعدك. قال: قل آمنت بالله فاستقم.

قال: يا رسول الله ما أكثر ما تخاف علي؟ فأخذ رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم بلسان نفسه ثم قال: هذا.

It is narrated that one of the companions of the Prophet (pbuh) once asked the Prophet: ‘Prophet of God, give me a comprehensive directive of Islam, after which I need not ask any one else about it’. The Prophet replied: ‘Say: I believe in the One God and then remain steadfast on it¹‘. He said:

‘Prophet of God, what is it that poses the greatest potential danger for me?’ In response, the Prophet (pbuh) touched his tongue and said: ‘This’.

General Notes:

1. All religious as well as moral goodness is based on and is an extension of the belief in the One God, Who possesses all those attributes, which are explained in the Qur’an. Thus, true belief in the One God will naturally affect all aspects of a person’s life positively.

Notes on the Text of the Narrative:

This narrative or a part of it, with minor variations, has been reported in Muslim (narrative no. 38), Ibn Majah (narrative no. 3972), Tirmidhi (narrative no. 2410), Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (narrative no. 15454, 15455, 15456, 15457, 19450), Darmiy (narrative no. 2710, 2711), Ibn Hiban (narrative no. 942, 5698, 5699, 5700, 5702), Nasaiy’s Sunan Al-Kubra (narrative no. 11489) Ibn Abi Shaybah (narrative no. 26501). Except where otherwise specified, the preferred text is the one reported in Muslim, narrative no. 38.

In some narratives, as for instance in Ibn Majah narrative no. 3972 the words “قل لي في الإسلام قولا” (i.e., ‘give me a comprehensive directive of Islam’), have been replaced with “حدثني بأمر أعتصم به” (i.e. ‘tell me about a matter of significance, which I should always abide by’).

Some narrators have reported the word “غيرك” (i.e. besides you) in place of “بعدك” (i.e. after you).

In some narratives, as for instance in Ibn Majah narrative no. 3972, the Prophet’s response has been reported as “قل ربي الله ثم استقم” (i.e. ‘Say: ‘My Lord is the One God’ and then remain steadfast on it’).

In some of the narratives, as for instance, Ahmad Ibn Hanbal narrative no. 15455, the words “ما أكثر ما تخاف علي؟” (i.e. ‘what is it that poses the greatest potential danger for me’) have been replaced by the words “فأي شيء أتقي؟” (i.e., ‘What is it that I should be most careful about’).

The last part of the dialogue is reported in Ibn Majah, narrative no. 3972.

(This write-up is prepared by the Hadith Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi)