Hadith 9 — Commands and Prohibitions: The Path of Submission

[Arabic,إِنَّ الْحَمْدَ لِلَّهِ، نَحْمَدُهُ وَنَسْتَعِينُهُ وَنَسْتَغْفِرُهُ، وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ مِنْ شُرُورِ أَنْفُسِنَا وَسَيِّئَاتِ أَعْمَالِنَا، مَنْ يَهْدِهِ اللَّهُ فَلَا مُضِلَّ لَهُ، وَمَنْ يُضْلِلْ فَلَا هَادِيَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَحْدَهُ لَا شَرِيكَ لَهُ، وَأَشْهَدُ أَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا عَبْدُهُ وَرَسُولُهُ. ]

Indeed, all praise is for Allah. We praise Him, seek His help, and His forgiveness. We seek refuge with Allah from the evil within ourselves and from the consequences of our wrong actions. Whomsoever Allah guides, none can misguide; whomsoever He leaves astray, none can guide. I bear witness there is no deity worthy of worship but Allah alone without partner, and Muhammad ﷺ is His servant and Messenger.

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Part One: Divine Commands and Prohibitions

Brothers,

Today's khutbah is based on the 9th hadith in Imam Nawawi's 40 Hadith:

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"On the authority of Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, 'What I have forbidden for you, avoid. What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can. For verily, it was only the excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed those who came before you.'"]

This profound hadith was narrated by the great companion Abu Hurayrah, who was known for his exceptional memory and dedication to preserving the words of the Prophet ﷺ. He narrated more hadith than any other companion, and this particular narration appears in both Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim—the two most authentic collections of hadith.

The context of this hadith is crucial. The Prophet ﷺ was teaching his companions the proper attitude toward divine law. He was establishing a framework that would protect the ummah from the mistakes that destroyed previous nations. This is not just advice—it is a prescription for survival, success, and salvation.

Let us reflect deeply on each portion of this beautiful guidance.

Part 1: Absolute Avoidance of What is Forbidden

The Prophet ﷺ begins with the prohibitions: "What I have forbidden for you—avoid."

Notice the language. He did not say "try to avoid" or "avoid when convenient." He said avoid—completely, absolutely, without exception.

[Quran,59:7,"As for gains granted by Allah to His Messenger from the people of ˹other˺ lands, they are for Allah and the Messenger, his close relatives, orphans, the poor, and ˹needy˺ travellers so that wealth may not merely circulate among your rich. Whatever the Messenger gives you, take it. And whatever he forbids you from, leave it. And fear Allah. Surely Allah is severe in punishment."]

This verse establishes the authority of the Prophet ﷺ in declaring what is halal and what is haram. When he forbids something, it carries the weight of divine legislation.

The prohibitions in Islam are clear: riba (interest), zina (fornication), consuming intoxicants, backbiting, slander, music that leads to haram, immodesty, shirk, innovation in religion, and every form of disobedience to Allah.

We don't look for loopholes. We don't justify our desires. We don't say "but everyone else is doing it" or "it's just a small sin." We avoid it completely—seeking the pleasure of Allah and fearing His punishment.

[Hadith,Tirmidhi,"Leave that which makes you doubt for that which does not make you doubt."]

This principle of taqwa (God-consciousness) means that when we are uncertain whether something is haram, we avoid it out of caution. We protect our religion by staying far from the boundaries of sin.

When we avoid haram for the sake of Allah, we are rewarded as if we performed a good deed—because leaving sin is an act of worship. The nafs (lower self) desires sin, and to restrain it requires struggle. That struggle is jihad, and Allah rewards it.

Part 2: Striving with What We Are Able

The Prophet ﷺ then said: "What I have ordered you [to do], do as much of it as you can."

Notice the contrast. With prohibitions, there is no flexibility—avoid completely. But with obligations, there is mercy—do what you are able.

This shows the wisdom and mercy of our religion. Islam is not perfectionism—it is submission to the best of your ability.

[Quran,64:16,"So be mindful of Allah to the best of your ability, hear and obey, and spend in charity—that will be best for you. And whoever is saved from the selfishness of their own souls, it is they who are ˹truly˺ successful."]

[Quran,2:286,"Allah does not burden a soul beyond that it can bear. For it is whatever ˹good˺ it has earned, and against it whatever ˹evil˺ it has committed. Our Lord! Do not punish us if we forget or make a mistake. Our Lord! Do not place a burden on us like the one you placed on those before us. Our Lord! Do not burden us with what we cannot bear. Pardon us, forgive us, and have mercy on us. You are our ˹only˺ Guardian. So grant us victory over the disbelieving people."]

Some examples:

• If you cannot stand in prayer due to illness or injury—pray sitting
• If you cannot sit—pray lying down
• If you cannot fast due to sickness—delay until you are well, or feed the poor
• If you cannot afford zakah—it is not required of you
• If you cannot perform Hajj due to lack of means—it is not obligatory

But this mercy must not be abused. We should not say "I can't" when we can. We should not seek shortcuts when we are capable of doing more. We should not use this principle as an excuse for laziness.

[Quote,Ibn Rajab,,"The believer does not look for excuses to disobey—he looks for every door to obey."]

The difference between prohibitions and obligations teaches us about the nature of sin versus worship. Sin harms us immediately and leads to greater harm. Therefore, it must be cut off completely. But worship is built gradually, according to our capacity, so that we grow in strength and devotion over time.

Part 3: The Fatal Mistake of Previous Nations

Now we come to the warning: "Verily, it was only excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed those before you."

The Prophet ﷺ is teaching us a historical lesson. He is pointing to the pattern that led to the destruction of previous communities—particularly the Children of Israel.

What destroyed them was not ignorance. It was not poverty. It was not external enemies. What destroyed them was their attitude toward divine commandments: excessive, argumentative questioning and open disagreement with their prophets.

There is a critical difference between two types of questions:

Sincere questions for understanding: When a believer asks to learn, to understand how to obey, to clarify what Allah wants from him—this is praiseworthy. The Companions asked many questions to the Prophet ﷺ seeking knowledge.

Argumentative questions to delay or avoid obedience: When someone asks not to learn but to argue, not to obey but to find loopholes, not to submit but to challenge—this is the disease that destroyed previous nations.

Look at the famous story in Surah al-Baqarah:

[Quran,2:67-71,"And ˹remember˺ when Moses said to his people, 'Allah commands you to sacrifice a cow.' They replied, 'Are you mocking us?' Moses responded, 'I seek refuge in Allah from acting foolishly!' They said, 'Call upon your Lord to clarify for us what type ˹of cow˺ it should be!' He replied, 'Allah says, 'The cow should neither be old nor young but in between. So do as you are commanded!' They said, 'Call upon your Lord to specify for us its colour.' He replied, 'Allah says, 'It should be a bright yellow cow—pleasant to see.'' Again they said, 'Call upon your Lord so that He may make clear to us which cow, for all cows look the same to us. Then, Allah willing, we will be ˹rightly˺ guided.' He replied, 'Allah says, 'It should have been used neither to till the land nor water the fields; wholesome and without blemish.'' They said, 'Now you have come with the truth.' Yet they still slaughtered it hesitantly!"]

The initial command was simple: sacrifice a cow. Any cow would have sufficed. But instead of obeying immediately, they began asking:

• What kind of cow?
• What age?
• What color?
• What has it been used for?

Each question made the command more difficult, more specific, more burdensome—until finding such a cow became nearly impossible. And even after all that, they "slaughtered it hesitantly"—showing their hearts were never truly submitted.

This is what happens when we approach Allah's commands with resistance instead of submission. We make things difficult upon ourselves.

[Hadith,Bukhari,"Leave me as I leave you. Verily, those who came before you were destroyed due to their excessive questioning and disagreeing with their prophets. So when I forbid you from something, avoid it. And when I command you with something, do as much of it as you can."]

The Prophet ﷺ explicitly warned us not to burden him with too many questions, lest Allah reveal more obligations that would be difficult for us.

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Part Two: Trusting Allah's Wisdom and Our Path Forward

Brothers,

Part 4: Understanding Without Questioning Allah's Wisdom

When we don't understand why something is commanded or forbidden, what should we do?

First, we must recognize that Allah's wisdom is infinite and ours is limited. Allah says:

[Quran,2:216,"Fighting has been made obligatory upon you ˹believers˺, though you dislike it. Perhaps you dislike something which is good for you and like something which is bad for you. Allah knows and you do not know."]

We may not see the wisdom in a ruling. We may not feel the benefit of a command or the harm in a prohibition. But Allah knows, and we do not know.

This is where trust in Allah—tawakkul—meets submission—Islam. We say, as the believers say:

[Quran,2:285,"The Messenger ˹firmly˺ believes in what has been revealed to him from his Lord, and so do the believers. They ˹all˺ believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, and His messengers. ˹They proclaim,˺ 'We make no distinction between any of His messengers.' And they say, 'We hear and obey. ˹We seek˺ Your forgiveness, our Lord! And to You ˹alone˺ is the final return.'"]

"We hear and we obey"—Sami'na wa ata'na. This is the motto of the true believer.

Contrast this with the Children of Israel, who when given commands said:

[Quran,2:93,"And ˹remember˺ when We took your covenant and raised the Mount above you ˹saying˺, 'Hold firmly to what We have given you and obey.' They replied, 'We hear and disobey.' And their hearts were filled with ˹the love of˺ the calf because of their disbelief. Say, ˹O Prophet,˺ 'How evil is that which your ˹so-called˺ belief prompts you to do, if you ˹actually˺ believe ˹in the Torah˺!'"]

"We hear and disobey"—Sami'na wa 'asayna. This is the statement of the rebellious.

The question is: which statement represents our hearts?

When we don't understand a ruling, we should:

1. Seek knowledge from trustworthy scholars
2. Study the evidences with a sincere heart
3. Make du'a for understanding
4. Obey while we seek understanding—not delay obedience until we understand

Understanding is encouraged. But obedience is required—whether we understand or not.

Part 5: The Prison Context—Following Rules Even When Difficult

Brothers, this lesson has particular relevance in our environment here. You live in a place with many rules—some you agree with, some you don't. Some make sense to you, some seem arbitrary or unfair.

Islam teaches us that when a rule does not contradict the Shari'ah, we obey it—even if we don't like it, even if it's difficult, even if we don't understand the wisdom behind it.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Bukhari & Muslim,"The best of your leaders are those whom you love and who love you, who pray for you and you pray for them. And the worst of your leaders are those whom you hate and who hate you, whom you curse and who curse you. Whoever among you sees something wrong, let him change it with his hand; if he cannot, then with his tongue; if he cannot, then with his heart, and that is the weakest of faith."]

When authority does not command sin, we obey. This is part of maintaining order in society, and it is part of our test as believers.

You don't have the freedom you once had. You cannot choose when to wake, when to eat, where to go. But what you can choose is your attitude—whether you submit to what you cannot change with patience and dignity, or rebel against it with bitterness and anger.

Submission to Allah includes submission to the circumstances He has decreed for you—including this confinement. And how you carry yourself here, how you respond to rules you may dislike, is a reflection of your submission to Allah.

If you can maintain obedience to Allah's commands in this difficult place, if you can avoid His prohibitions despite the pressures around you, then you are among those who truly "do as much as you can."

Part 6: The Attitude of the True Believer

What, then, is the correct approach to divine law?

1. Hear and obey without hesitation.

When you learn that something is commanded, your first response should be action—not debate. When you learn that something is forbidden, your first response should be to stop—not to question.

2. Ask to understand—not to debate.

The Companions asked many questions, but their questions came from a place of wanting to do right, not wanting to find ways around the law. They asked:

• "How should I perform wudu?"
• "When are the prayer times?"
• "How much zakah do I owe?"

They did not ask:

• "Why do I have to pray?"
• "Is zakah really necessary?"
• "Can't I just pray one time a day instead of five?"

3. Trust Allah's wisdom even when you don't understand.

Some rulings have obvious wisdom—don't drink alcohol because it intoxicates and leads to foolishness. But other rulings have hidden wisdom that may not be apparent to us. In both cases, we obey.

4. Act on what you know.

[Quote,Hasan al-Basri,,"Knowledge without action is a proof against you—not for you."]

It is not enough to know what is right. We must do it. And the knowledge that doesn't lead to action is actually a burden on the Day of Judgment, because we will be asked: "You knew—why didn't you act?"

Part 7: In Our Time—Obedience vs. Argumentation

This hadith applies directly to our time and our generation. Today, too many Muslims approach the religion with the same attitude that destroyed the previous nations.

They ask:

• "Is this really haram?"
• "But is it haram haram?"
• "Is music really that bad?"
• "Is hijab really mandatory?"
• "Is this bid'ah or just cultural?"
• "Can't Islam adapt to modern times?"

But few ask:

• "Is this pleasing to Allah?"
• "Is this what the Prophet ﷺ would want from me?"
• "How can I perfect my submission to Allah?"
• "How can I draw closer to my Lord?"

We delay, we argue, we justify, we negotiate—instead of simply obeying.

We want Islam to adapt to our desires, instead of adapting our desires to Islam.

[Quran,5:3,"Today I have perfected your religion for you, completed My favor upon you, and have chosen Islam as your religion."]

The religion is complete. It does not need our editing. It does not need to be updated for modernity. Our job is not to negotiate with Islam—it is to submit to it.

So:

• If you can't pray tahajjud every night—pray it once a week, or twice a month
• If you can't fast Mondays and Thursdays—start with one day
• If you can't give $100 in sadaqah—give $1 with sincerity
• If you can't memorize the entire Qur'an—memorize one page, one verse, one line
• If you can't do it all—do something

Do what you can. But do it sincerely, with love for Allah and hope for His reward.

And avoid completely what He has forbidden—no excuses, no exceptions, no compromises.

Part 8: The Severe Warning

Let us never forget the danger of opposing the Messenger ﷺ or his guidance.

[Quran,24:63,"Do not treat the Messenger's summons to you ˹as lightly˺ as your summons to one another. Allah certainly knows those of you who slip away, hiding behind others. So let those who disobey his orders beware, for an affliction may befall them, or a painful torment may overtake them."]

[Quran,4:14,"And whoever disobeys Allah and His Messenger and transgresses His limits, He will cast them into the Fire, to stay there forever. And they will suffer a humiliating punishment."]

Opposing the Sunnah, rejecting divine commandments, arguing against what Allah has made clear—these are not minor issues. They lead to fitnah, deviation, destruction in this world and punishment in the next.

The Prophet ﷺ said:

[Hadith,Ibn Majah,"I have left you upon clear guidance. Its night is like its day. No one deviates from it after me except that he is destroyed."]

The path is clear. The guidance is complete. Our job is to follow it—not to question it, not to change it, not to water it down for the sake of fitting in with a society that has lost its way.

[Quote,Imam al-Shafi'i,,"If the Sunnah of the Prophet ﷺ is made clear to you, then do not turn to the saying of anyone else."]

When the text is clear, when the command is explicit, when the prohibition is established—there is no room for opinion, no space for personal preference. We submit, we obey, and we trust that Allah knows what is best for us.

May Allah make us among those who hear and obey. May He protect us from the arrogance that destroyed previous nations. May He grant us sincere submission, deep understanding, and the strength to act upon what we know.

O Allah—make us among those who hear and obey, not among those who hear and disobey.

O Allah—grant us the strength to avoid completely what You have forbidden, and to do to the best of our ability what You have commanded.

O Allah—do not make us of those who argue with the Messenger, who reject the Sunnah, or who seek to change Your perfect religion.

O Allah—make us firm upon Your guidance, content with Your religion, and eager for Your pleasure.

O Allah—let us die as Muslims, obedient to Your commands, loving the Prophet ﷺ and following his path in every matter.

O Allah—protect our hearts from pride, our tongues from argumentation, and our deeds from hypocrisy.

O Allah—unite us upon the truth, and do not test us with fitnah after You have guided us.

O Allah—make the Qur'an the spring of our hearts, the light of our chests, the remover of our sadness, and the reliever of our distress.

O Allah—grant us understanding of Your religion, and make us among those who act upon what they know.

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We ask Allah to make us firm upon His straight path, to guide us and not let us go astray, to have mercy on us and forgive us.

Whatever good was said in this khutbah is from Allah alone, and whatever mistakes or errors are from myself and from Shaytan. I ask Allah to forgive me and you for any shortcomings.

I say these words of mine, and I seek forgiveness from Allah for myself and you all. Seek His forgiveness—indeed, He is Most Forgiving, Most Merciful.

[Arabic,أَقُولُ قَوْلِي هَذَا، وَأَسْتَغْفِرُ اللَّهَ لِي وَلَكُمْ، فَاسْتَغْفِرُوهُ إِنَّهُ هُوَ الْغَفُورُ الرَّحِيمُ. ]