I recently read this hadith which is related by Bukhari but I don't understand its meaning, it goes something like; 'A time will come when the best property of a Muslim will be sheep which he will take to a mountain so as too flee with his religion from afflictions' Can you please try and explain it's meaning to me?
Praise be to Allah.
Commentary on the hadith.
This hadith was narrated by Al-Bukhari in a number of places in his Sahih, such as (7088) Kitab al-Fitan, where he narrated that Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “Soon there will come a time when the best wealth a Muslim will have will be sheep which he will take to the mountaintops and places where rain falls, fleeing for the sake of his religious commitment from tribulation.” And Muslim narrated a similar hadith in his Sahih (1888), also from Abu Sa’eed al-Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him), which says that a man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “Which of the people is best?” He said, “A man who strives in jihad for the sake of Allah with his wealth and his self.” He asked, “Then who?” He said, “A believer in a mountain pass who worships Allah and leaves the people alone.”
The word sha’af [in the second hadith] means a mountaintop. The word shi’b [in the first hadith] means a gap or pass between two mountains. Al- Nawawi said in Sharh Sahih Muslim (13/34): “This does not mean the mountain pass itself, rather what is referred to is being alone and isolating oneself. A mountain pass is mentioned as a metaphor because it is usually devoid of people.”
The hadith indicates that it is preferable to isolate oneself from people and not mix with them in cases where a Muslim fears for his religious commitment because of widespread tribulation, where if he mixes with people he cannot be sure that his religious commitment will be safe and that he will not apostatize or deviate from the truth, or fall into shirk or abandon the basic principles and pillars of Islam, and so on.
Al-Hafiz ibn Hajar said in al-Fath (13/42): This report indicates that isolation is preferable in the case of one who fears for his religious commitment.”
Al-Sindi said in his footnotes on An-Nasa’i (8/124): “This shows that it is permissible to isolate oneself, indeed it is preferable at times of tribulation.”
In the second hadith quoted above the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) mentioned the believer who isolates himself second in virtue only to the mujahid who fights for the sake of Allah. Al-Hafiz said in al-Fath (6/6): “The believer who isolates himself is second in virtue only to the mujahid because the one who mixes with people cannot guarantee that he will not commit sin, and these sins may be greater in number than the hasanat (rewards for good deeds) that he gains as a result of mixing with people. But being isolated is regarded as preferable only in cases where there is tribulation.”
As for isolating oneself at times other than times of tribulation when a Muslim fears for his religious commitment, the scholars differed in their views in this case. The majority said that mixing with people is preferable to withdrawing from them, and they quoted several texts as evidence for that, including the following:
1. That this was the way of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and the Prophets before him (peace be upon them), and the majority of the Sahabah (may Allah be pleased with them). (Sharh Muslim by al-Nawawi, 13/34).
2. The report narrated by At-Tirmidhi (5207) and Ibn Majah (4032), which says that the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said: “The believer who mixes with people and patiently bears their annoyance will have a greater reward than the believer who does not mix with people and patiently bear their annoyance.” (Classed as sahih by al-Albani in Sahih At-Tirmidhi, 2035).
Al-Sindi said in his footnote on Ibn Majah (2/493): “This hadith indicates that the one who is patient and mixes with people is better than the one who isolates himself.”
As-San’aani said in Subul-us-Salam (4/416): “This indicates that mixing with people whereby one enjoins what is good and forbids what is evil and deals with them in a good manner is better than keeping away from them and not putting up with mixing with them.”
3. The report narrated by At-Tirmidhi (1574) from Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: “One of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) came upon a mountain pass where there was a small spring of fresh water, which delighted him because it was so good. He said, ‘What if I were to withdraw from the people and settle in this mountain pass? But I will not do it until I seek the permission of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him).’ So he mentioned it to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), who said: ‘Do not do that, for if any one of you remains striving for the sake of Allah, it is better than praying in His House for seventy years. Do you not want Allah to forgive you and admit you to Paradise? Fight in Allah's cause. He who fights in Allah's cause as long as the time between two milkings of a she-camel will be assured of Paradise.’” (It was classed as hasan by al-Albani in Sahih At-Tirmidhi, 1348).
The benefits that the Muslim gains by mixing with people for legitimate shar’i purposes, include establishing the rituals of Islam, increasing the number of the Muslims, spreading all kinds of goodness among them by helping and aiding them etc., attending Jumu’ah (Friday) prayers and prayers in congregation, attending funerals, visiting the sick, attending dhikr circles, etc. (Fath-ul-Bari, 13/43); Sharh Muslim by An-Nawawi, 13/34).
And Allah is the Source of strength. And Allah knows best. May Allah bless our Prophet Muhammad and all his family and companions, and grant them peace.
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