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 short hadith gives us a complete roadmap to understanding our relationship with divine law—how we must obey, how we must submit, and how we must avoid the pitfalls of previous nations.

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

Part 1: Obedience to Prohibitions

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

[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 is a direct, clear instruction. When the Prophet ﷺ or the Qur'an forbids something—it is not a suggestion. It is haram. It must be left completely—whether it is riba (interest), zina, backbiting, drugs, alcohol, immodesty, music, or bid'ah.

We don't look for loopholes. We don't justify our desires. We avoid it—seeking the pleasure of Allah.

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

When we avoid haram for the sake of Allah, we are rewarded as if we did a good deed—because leaving sin is an act of worship.

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."

This shows the 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."]

Some examples:

• If you cannot stand in prayer—pray sitting
• If you cannot fast due to sickness—delay or feed the poor
• If you cannot afford zakah—it is not required

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.

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

Part 3: The Danger of Excessive Questioning

The Prophet ﷺ said: "Verily, it was only excessive questioning and their disagreeing with their Prophets that destroyed those before you."

Look at the story of Banu Isra'il:

[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!"]

Instead of obeying, they kept asking:

• What kind of cow?
• What age?
• What color?

Until it became difficult upon themselves.

We learn:

• Don't ask too many questions trying to delay obedience
• Don't complicate religion with "what ifs" and loopholes
• Don't debate just to show you're clever

[Hadith,Abu Dawood,"The worst of matters are those newly invented, and every innovation is misguidance."]

The Prophet ﷺ warned us not to fall into the same pattern as those before us.

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Part Two: The Attitude of the Believer

Brothers,

Part 4: The Attitude of the Believer

What is the correct approach?

1. "Sami'na wa ata'na"—We hear and we obey.

[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.'"]

2. Ask to understand—not to debate. The Sahabah asked questions with sincerity—not arrogance.

3. Avoid over-intellectualizing the deen. Islam is built on clarity—not philosophy.

4. Act on what you know.

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

Part 5: In Our Time—Obedience vs. Argumentation

This hadith applies directly to our time.

Today, too many Muslims ask:

• "Is this really haram?"
• "But is it haram haram?"
• "Is music really that bad?"
• "Is this bid'ah or just cultural?"

But few ask:

• "Is this pleasing to Allah?"
• "Is this what the Prophet ﷺ would want from me?"

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

[Hadith,Bukhari,"If I command you to do something, do of it what you are able."]

So:

• If you can't pray tahajjud—pray 2 rak'ahs before bed
• If you can't fast Mondays and Thursdays—start with one
• If you can't give $100 in sadaqah—give $1
• If you can't do it all—do something!

Do what you can. But do it sincerely, with love for Allah.

Part 6: The Serious Warning

Let us never forget the danger of opposing the Prophet ﷺ.

[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."]

Opposing the Sunnah is not a minor issue. It leads to:

• Fitnah (confusion)
• Deviation
• Division
• Destruction

That's why the Prophet ﷺ said: "I leave you upon clear guidance... its night is like its day. No one strays from it but he is destroyed."

Part 7: The Religion is Complete—Our Job is to Submit

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

Islam does not need to be updated. Islam does not need to be watered down. Islam does not need modern edits.

Our job is not to negotiate Islam—it is to live it.

So if something is forbidden—don't touch it. If something is commanded—do your best. And stop looking for the minimum—start chasing what brings you closer to Jannah.

[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."]

O Allah—make us among those who hear and obey.

O Allah—grant us the strength to avoid what You have forbidden, and do what You have commanded.

O Allah—do not make us of those who argue with the Messenger, or who reject the Sunnah.

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 his path.

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.

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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. ]