Merits of voluntary good action

عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ رضي الله عنه، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ: «مَثَلُ القَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّه وَالوَاقِعِ فِيهَا، كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ؛ فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلاهَا، وَبَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا، فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ في أَسْفَلِهَا إِذَا اسْتَقَوْا مِنَ المَاءِ مَرُّوا عَلَى مَنْ فَوْقَهُمْ، فَقَالُوا: لَو أَنَّا خَرَقْنَا في نَصِيبِنَا خَرْقًا وَلَمْ نُؤْذِ مَنْ فَوْقَنَا، فَإِنْ يَتْرُكُوهُمْ وَمَا أَرَادُوا هَلَكُوا جَمِيعًا، وَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلى أَيْدِيهِمْ نَجَوْا، وَنَجَوْا جَمِيعًا»

تحميل الملف الصوتي

Al-numān ibn Bashīr narrated that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

The one who respects God’s boundaries and the one who trespasses through them are like some people who drew lots to take up their places in a ship. Some were on the upper deck and others on the lower deck. When those who were on the lower deck needed to bring some water, they would pass across those above them. Some of them said: “Let us make a hole in our part so that we do not disturb those above us”. If those above had let them do that, they would have all perished, but if they stopped them, they would all be safe.

Summary of Meaning

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When God’s boundaries are respected, and what is lawful is enjoined while wrongdoing is censured, all people will be safe. Otherwise, they will all suffer: the sinful because of what they commit, and the ones who remain silent because they abandon their duty of censuring evil and enjoining right.