Hadith Text
عَنْ أَبِي سُفْيَانَ صَخْرِ بْنِ حَرْبٍ رضي الله عنه فِي حَدِيثِهِ الطَّوِيلِ فِي قِصَّةِ هِرَقْلَ، قَالَ هِرَقْلُ: فَمَاذَا يَأْمُرُكُمْ ـ يَعْنِي النَّبِيَّ ﷺ ـ؟ قَالَ أَبُو سُفْيَانَ: قُلْتُ: يَقُولُ:
«اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَاتْرُكُوا مَا يَقُولُ آبَاؤُكُمْ، وَيَأْمُرُنَا بِالصَّلَاةِ، وَالصِّدْقِ، وَالْعَفَافِ، وَالصِّلَةِ».
مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Full Translation
On the authority of Abu Sufyan Ṣakhr ibn Ḥarb (may Allah be pleased with him), in his long narration in the story of Heraclius, Heraclius said: “What does he command you — meaning the Prophet ﷺ?” Abu Sufyan said: “I said: He says:
‘Worship Allah alone and do not associate anything with Him, leave what your fathers say, and he commands us to pray, to be truthful, to be chaste, and to maintain ties.’”
Agreed upon.
Meanings of Key Words
- اعْبُدُوا اللَّهَ وَحْدَهُ — worship Allah alone; the foundation of the message is pure tawḥīd.
- وَلَا تُشْرِكُوا بِهِ شَيْئًا — do not associate anything with Him; worship is not shared with idols, people, customs, or desires.
- وَاتْرُكُوا مَا يَقُولُ آبَاؤُكُمْ — leave what your fathers say; inherited tradition is not a proof when it opposes revelation.
- الصَّلَاة — prayer; the daily return of the servant to Allah.
- الصِّدْق — truthfulness; the heart and speech matching reality.
- الْعَفَاف — chastity, self-restraint, purity; guarding oneself from what is forbidden and degrading.
- الصِّلَة — maintaining ties; especially family ties, but also the wider bonds of mercy and social responsibility.
Hadith Lessons
This hadith is powerful because it is a summary from the outside. Abu Sufyan is not speaking as a believer here; he is describing what the Prophet ﷺ commands, and even in that setting the message appears clean and unmistakable. The Prophet ﷺ begins with worship of Allah alone, and then the practical shape of that worship appears in daily life: prayer, truthfulness, chastity, and maintaining ties. That means Islam is not only a belief system. It is a way of living that reaches the private and the public life together.
Life Example: Truth Is Not Only About Speech
When the Prophet ﷺ commands truthfulness, he is not only talking about avoiding lies in conversation. He is describing a person whose inner life is not split. In practical life, this means not pretending to be what you are not, not building a false image, not making promises you do not intend to keep. A truthful person becomes easier to trust in marriage, work, and friendship because his words do not constantly need repair.
Life Example: Chastity in a World of Temptation
Al-ʿafāf is especially important because temptation does not usually announce itself as evil. It often arrives as entertainment, attention, flirtation, or private compromise. The hadith shows that the Prophet ﷺ does not just forbid obvious sin. He commands a life of guardedness and self-respect. A chaste person knows how to say no to what weakens the soul, even when the world calls it freedom.
Life Example: Maintaining Ties
Ṣila is one of the most human commands in the hadith. Some people can pray and still be cruel at home. Some can speak well in public and still sever family ties in private. The Prophet ﷺ gathers all of this into one message: worship must show itself in relationships. If a person prays but is harsh with parents, cold with relatives, or absent in responsibility, something is missing in the way he is living the command.
Life Example: Leaving Custom When It Opposes Truth
The phrase “leave what your fathers say” is not a rejection of heritage in itself. It is a rejection of inherited authority when it blocks truth. That is very relevant today. A person may continue a habit, a family assumption, or a social rule simply because “this is how we do it.” But the Prophet ﷺ teaches that revelation comes first. If custom clashes with Allah’s command, custom has to step aside.
Why This Hadith Fits the Chapter
This hadith is a beautiful bridge between belief and behavior. It tells us that the Prophet’s message is not only an idea to assent to. It is a set of commands that reshape worship, speech, self-control, and family life. The chapter on truthfulness is fitting because truthfulness is one of the most visible signs that a person has actually entered the religion deeply. A person who lies, betrays, or lives by image instead of reality is not walking in the same direction as this hadith.
Three Questions to Close With
- Do I treat worship as something private only, or do I see that it must shape truthfulness, chastity, and family ties too?
- Are there inherited habits in my life that I keep only because “my family does it,” even though they clash with what is right?
- If someone watched my daily life, would they see that my prayer, honesty, purity, and relationships are all connected by the same faith?