67/82. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5188 — Everyone Is Responsible
"Ward off from yourself and your families a Fire whose fuel is men and stones..."
Hadith Everyone Is a Guardian and Responsible
Sahih Bukhari : 5188
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5188
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَيُّوبَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " كُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ، فَالإِمَامُ رَاعٍ وَهْوَ مَسْئُولٌ وَالرَّجُلُ رَاعٍ عَلَى أَهْلِهِ وَهْوَ مَسْئُولٌ وَالْمَرْأَةُ رَاعِيَةٌ عَلَى بَيْتِ زَوْجِهَا وَهْىَ مَسْئُولَةٌ، وَالْعَبْدُ رَاعٍ عَلَى مَالِ سَيِّدِهِ وَهُوَ مَسْئُولٌ، أَلاَ فَكُلُّكُمْ رَاعٍ وَكُلُّكُمْ مَسْئُولٌ ".
`Abdullah bin `Umar Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Everyone of you is a guardian and everyone of you is responsible (for his wards). A ruler is a guardian and is responsible (for his subjects); a man is a guardian of his family and responsible (for them); a wife is a guardian of her husband's house and she is responsible (for it), a slave is a guardian of his master's property and is responsible (for that). Beware! All of you are guardians and are responsible (for your wards).
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5188In-book reference : Book 67, Hadith 122USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 62, Hadith 116
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5188
This famous hadith about responsibility says that every person is a guardian and every person is responsible. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم gives examples. A ruler is a guardian and is responsible. A man is a guardian over his family and is responsible. A wife is a guardian over her husband’s house and is responsible. A slave is a guardian over his master’s property and is responsible. Then the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم repeats the main point: all of you are guardians and all of you are responsible. The hadith is direct and easy to apply. It teaches that responsibility is not only for leaders. It belongs to anyone who has been trusted with people, a home, property, or duties.
What we learn from this hadith
- Everyone has some form of responsibility.
- Leadership includes being answerable for those under one’s care.
- Family and household duties are also treated as a trust.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم repeated the point to make the lesson clear.
