Arabic Text
عن أبي أمامة صُدَيِّ بن عجلان الباهلي رضي الله عنه قال:
سمعت رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يخطب في حجة الوداع، فقال:
«اتَّقُوا اللهَ، وَصَلُّوا خَمْسَكُمْ، وَصُومُوا شَهْرَكُمْ، وَأدُّوا زَكَاةَ أَمْوَالِكُمْ، وَأطِيعُوا أُمَرَاءَكُمْ، تَدْخُلُوا جَنَّةَ رَبِّكُمْ».
رواه الترمذي وقال: حديث حسن صحيح.
Translation
Abu Umamah Sudayy ibn Ajlan al-Bahili, may Allah be pleased with him, said:
I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, deliver a sermon during the Farewell Pilgrimage. He said:
“Fear Allah, pray your five prayers, fast your month, give the zakah of your wealth, obey your leaders, and you will enter the garden of your Lord.”
1. Connection to the Chapter
This hadith belongs under التقوى because it gathers the essential acts that preserve taqwa in daily life. The Prophet ﷺ begins with fear of Allah, then immediately names the major obligations that give taqwa its shape: prayer, fasting, zakah, and obedience in what is right. Taqwa here is not abstract emotion; it is the discipline of living by the obligations of Islam.
The hadith also shows that the path to Paradise is not hidden or complicated. It is built on the foundations of Islam lived with sincerity and guardfulness. That is why Imam al-Nawawi places it in this chapter: taqwa is the force that makes the pillars alive.
2. Key Words Meaning
اتقوا الله — fear Allah, guard yourselves against His displeasure, and live with awareness of Him.
صلوا خمسكم — pray your five prayers; preserve the daily connection with Allah.
صوموا شهركم — fast your month; fulfill the obligation of Ramadan.
أدوا زكاة أموالكم — give the zakah of your wealth; purify your property by obeying Allah’s right in it.
أطيعوا أمراءكم — obey your leaders; remain orderly and cooperative in what is right and lawful.
جنة ربكم — the garden of your Lord; Paradise is the promised outcome of taqwa and obedience.
3. Hadith Lessons
The first lesson is that taqwa is not separate from the pillars of Islam. It is expressed through them. Fear of Allah becomes visible in prayer, fasting, zakah, and obedience to rightful authority. A person cannot claim taqwa while neglecting the core duties that Islam made binding.
The second lesson is that the Prophet ﷺ ties practical religion to the promise of Paradise. This teaches balance: Islam is not merely about spiritual feeling, nor is it only about legal performance. It is the union of inward reverence and outward submission.
The third lesson is that obedience to leaders is part of order and taqwa when it remains within the obedience of Allah. Islam does not encourage chaos. It encourages discipline, structure, and social stability, provided that no command of creation overrides the command of the Creator.
The fourth lesson is that the road to Paradise is guarded by habits, not slogans. Prayer at its time, fasting as commanded, zakah with sincerity, and lawful obedience are the daily signs of a heart that fears Allah.
4. Special Reflections
This hadith speaks strongly to modern Muslims who often want the destination without the discipline. People may love the idea of Paradise, but the Prophet ﷺ reminds us that Paradise is approached through obedience. The path is not built on good intentions alone; it is built on concrete, repeated acts of submission.
It also corrects a modern tendency to separate religion into private spirituality and public life. The hadith unites them. Prayer and fasting are private acts of worship, zakah is social and financial, and obedience to leaders preserves public order. Taqwa reaches all of them.
The mention of أطيعوا أمراءكم should be read carefully: it is obedience in what is right, not obedience in disobedience. Islam does not ask the servant to surrender his conscience to sin. It asks him to maintain order, avoid rebellion, and remain within the lawful structure of obedience.
5. Three Questions to Close With
- Do I live taqwa only as a feeling, or does it show in my prayer, fasting, zakah, and conduct?
- Am I seeking Paradise through obedience, or only through hope and good wishes?
- In the responsibilities Allah placed on me, am I treating them as the path to Jannah or as burdens to delay?