92/20. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 7110 — Loyalty Without Joining Fitnah
“This son of mine is a chief, and Allah may make peace between two groups of Muslims through him.”
Hadith About Avoiding Fitnah While Keeping Loyalty
Sahih Bukhari : 7110
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 7110
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ قَالَ عَمْرٌو أَخْبَرَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، أَنَّ حَرْمَلَةَ، مَوْلَى أُسَامَةَ أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ عَمْرٌو وَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ حَرْمَلَةَ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي أُسَامَةُ إِلَى عَلِيٍّ وَقَالَ إِنَّهُ سَيَسْأَلُكَ الآنَ فَيَقُولُ مَا خَلَّفَ صَاحِبَكَ فَقُلْ لَهُ يَقُولُ لَكَ لَوْ كُنْتَ فِي شِدْقِ الأَسَدِ لأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ أَكُونَ مَعَكَ فِيهِ، وَلَكِنَّ هَذَا أَمْرٌ لَمْ أَرَهُ، فَلَمْ يُعْطِنِي شَيْئًا، فَذَهَبْتُ إِلَى حَسَنٍ وَحُسَيْنٍ وَابْنِ جَعْفَرٍ فَأَوْقَرُوا لِي رَاحِلَتِي.
Harmala Narrated from:
Usama (bin Zaid) sent me to `Ali (at Kufa) and said, "`Ali will ask you, 'What has prevented your companion from joining me?' You then should say to him, 'If you (`Ali) were in the mouth of a lion, I would like to be with you, but in this matter I won't take any part.' " Harmala added: "`Ali didn't give me anything (when I conveyed the message to him) so I went to Hasan, Hussain and Ibn Ja`far and they loaded my camels with much (wealth).
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 7110In-book reference : Book 92, Hadith 57USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 88, Hadith 226
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 7110
This hadith about avoiding fitnah shows a careful balance between love for a person and refusing to join a matter one does not agree with. Usama bin Zaid sent Harmala to Ali with a clear message. He expressed deep personal loyalty, saying that if Ali were in the mouth of a lion, he would want to be with him. Yet he also said that in this matter he would not take part. The core teaching is that loyalty does not always mean joining every conflict. The hadith also shows that people may respect others deeply while still keeping away from a situation they do not see as right.
What we learn from this hadith
- Love and respect for someone can remain even when one avoids a conflict.
- A believer may stay away from a matter he does not see as right.
- Loyalty should not push a person into every dispute.
- Clear speech can help explain one’s position without denying respect.
