36/13. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 3981 — Hadith About Fitnah and False Callers
Isolating oneself
Hadith About Fitnah: Avoiding Callers to Hell
Sunan Ibn Majah : 3981
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 3981
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ الْمُقَدَّمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَامِرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ الْخَزَّازُ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ هِلاَلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ قُرْطٍ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ بْنِ الْيَمَانِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " تَكُونُ فِتَنٌ عَلَى أَبْوَابِهَا دُعَاةٌ إِلَى النَّارِ فَأَنْ تَمُوتَ وَأَنْتَ عَاضٌّ عَلَى جِذْلِ شَجَرَةٍ خَيْرٌ لَكَ مِنْ أَنْ تَتْبَعَ أَحَدًا مِنْهُمْ " .
Hudhaifah bin Al-Yaman Narrated from:
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “There will be tribulations at the gates of which will be callers (calling people) to Hell. Dying when you are biting onto the stump of a tree will be better for you than following anyone of them.”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 3981In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 56English translation : Vol. 5, Book 36, Hadith 3981
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 3981
This Hadith about fitnah gives a serious warning about times of tribulation. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said there will be trials, and at the gates of those trials will be people calling others to Hell. The message is simple: when a path clearly leads to ruin, a believer should not follow it, even if the pressure is strong. The phrase about dying while biting onto the stump of a tree shows how dangerous those callers are. The Hadith teaches caution, patience, and distance from harmful leadership during religious trials. It does not describe every trial in detail, so the safest lesson from the text is to avoid anyone calling toward evil.
What we learn from this hadith
- Trials can include people who invite others toward serious harm.
- A believer should not follow callers who lead away from safety and faith.
- Staying away from corrupt influence may be better than joining a dangerous path.
