93/42. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 7198 — Good and Bad Advisors
The courtiers and advisers of the Imam
الْبِطَانَةُ الدُّخَلاَءُ
Hadith About Good and Bad Advisors
Sahih Bukhari : 7198
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 7198
حَدَّثَنَا أَصْبَغُ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَا بَعَثَ اللَّهُ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ وَلاَ اسْتَخْلَفَ مِنْ خَلِيفَةٍ، إِلاَّ كَانَتْ لَهُ بِطَانَتَانِ، بِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ، وَبِطَانَةٌ تَأْمُرُهُ بِالشَّرِّ وَتَحُضُّهُ عَلَيْهِ، فَالْمَعْصُومُ مَنْ عَصَمَ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى ". وَقَالَ سُلَيْمَانُ عَنْ يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ شِهَابٍ بِهَذَا، وَعَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي عَتِيقٍ وَمُوسَى عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ مِثْلَهُ، وَقَالَ شُعَيْبٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَوْلَهُ. وَقَالَ الأَوْزَاعِيُّ وَمُعَاوِيَةُ بْنُ سَلاَّمٍ حَدَّثَنِي الزُّهْرِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم. وَقَالَ ابْنُ أَبِي حُسَيْنٍ وَسَعِيدُ بْنُ زِيَادٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ قَوْلَهُ. وَقَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي جَعْفَرٍ حَدَّثَنِي صَفْوَانُ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي أَيُّوبَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri Narrated from:
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Allah never sends a prophet or gives the Caliphate to a Caliph but that he (the prophet or the Caliph) has two groups of advisors: A group advising him to do good and exhorts him to do it, and the other group advising him to do evil and exhorts him to do it. But the protected person (against such evil advisors) is the one protected by Allah.' "
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 7198In-book reference : Book 93, Hadith 59USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 306
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 7198
This hadith about advisors gives a direct lesson about leadership. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said that whenever Allah sends a prophet or appoints a caliph, that leader has two groups of advisors. One group calls him to what is good and urges him toward it. The other group calls him to evil and pushes him toward it. The protected person is the one whom Allah protects. The hadith does not name any specific ruler or event in the main statement. Its teaching is broad: people around a leader can shape decisions. Good advice helps, while evil advice can harm. A leader needs Allah's protection and must be careful about whose counsel he follows.
What we learn from this hadith
- Leaders may face both good and bad advice.
- Good advisors call toward right action.
- Bad advisors can push a leader toward evil.
- Protection from harmful influence is from Allah.
