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.

Related Quranic Verses

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You are the best community that has ever been raised for mankind; you enjoin the doing of what is right and forbid what is wrong, and you believe in God.

(3: 110)

Why do not their devouts and their rabbis forbid them to make sinful assertions and to devour the fruits of unlawful gain? Evil indeed is that which they contrive.

(5: 63)

Those of the Children of Israel who disbelieved were cursed by David and Jesus, son of Mary. That was because they rebelled and persisted in their transgression. (78) They would never restrain one another from wrongdoing. Vile indeed were the things they did.

(5: 78-79)

The believers, men, and women are friends to one another: They enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong; they attend to their prayers, and pay their zakat, and obey God and His Messenger. It is on these that God will have mercy. Surely, God is almighty, wise.

(9: 71)