God’s messenger did a certain thing and gave permission for it to be done, but some people abstained from it. When God’s messenger heard of that, he delivered a sermon, and after extolling God he said, “What is the matter with people who abstain from a thing which I do? By God, I am the one of them who knows most about God and fears Him most.”
Three people came to the Prophet’s wives and asked how the Prophet conducted his worship. When they were told about it they seemed to consider it little and said, “What a difference there is between us and the Prophet whose former and latter sins have been forgiven him by God!” One of them said, “As for me, I will always pray during the night.” Another said, “I will fast during the daytime and not break my fast.” The other said, “I will have nothing to do with women and will never marry.” Then the Prophet came to them and said, “Are you the people who said such and such? By God, I am the one of you who fears and reverences God most, yet I fast and I break my fast; I pray and I sleep; and I marry women. He who is displeased with my sunna has nothing to do with me.”
God’s Prophet came to Medina when they were fecundating the palm trees. He asked, “What are you doing?” and they replied, “We have been accustomed to do it.” He said, “Perhaps if you did not do it it would be better so they gave it up, but the crop was diminished. They mentioned that to him and he said, “I am only a human being. When I issue any command to you regarding your religion, accept it; but when I issue any command to you based on my own opinion, I am merely a human being.”
عَن جَابر بن عبد الله يَقُول جَاءَتْ مَلَائِكَةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَهُوَ نَائِم فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَة وَالْقلب يقظان فَقَالُوا إِنَّ لِصَاحِبِكُمْ هَذَا مَثَلًا فَاضْرِبُوا لَهُ مثلا فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَةٌ وَالْقَلْبَ يَقْظَانُ فَقَالُوا مَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ بَنَى دَارًا وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا مَأْدُبَةً وَبَعَثَ دَاعِيًا فَمَنْ أَجَابَ الدَّاعِيَ دَخَلَ الدَّارَ وَأَكَلَ مِنَ الْمَأْدُبَةِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبِ الدَّاعِيَ لَمْ يَدْخُلِ الدَّارَ وَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ مِنَ الْمَأْدُبَةِ فَقَالُوا أَوِّلُوهَا لَهُ يفقهها فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَة وَالْقلب يقظان فَقَالُوا فالدار الْجنَّة والداعي مُحَمَّد صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فَمن أطَاع مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فقد أطَاع الله وَمن عصى مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فقد عصى الله وَمُحَمّد صلى الله عَلَيْهِ وَسلم فرق بَين النَّاس. رَوَاهُ البُخَارِيّ
Narrated Jabir said:
Angels came to the Prophet when he was asleep; and they said, “A comparison can be drawn with this friend of yours, so draw one.” One of them said, “He is asleep;” but another replied, “The eye sleeps while the heart is awake.” Then they said, “He may be likened to a man who built a house, prepared a feast in it, and sent one to issue invitations. Whoever responds to the one who invites him will enter the house and eat of the feast, but whoever does not respond will not enter the house or eat of the feast.” They said, “If you interpret it to him, he will understand it whereupon one said, “He is a sleep”, and another replied, “The eye sleeps while the heart is awake.” Then they said, “The house is paradise, the one who issues the invitation is Muhammad, he who obeys Muhammad has obeyed God, and he who disobeys Muhammad has disobeyed God. Muhammad is one who separates between people.”
