The Hadith
Al-Irbad ibn Sariyah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported:
The Messenger of Allah gave us an admonition that caused the hearts to tremble and the eyes to shed tears.
We said: “O Messenger of Allah, it is as though this is a farewell admonition, so advise us.”
He said:
“I advise you to fear Allah and to listen and obey, even if a slave becomes your leader.
Whoever among you lives after me will see much disagreement.
So hold firmly to my Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs after me.
Hold onto it firmly with your molar teeth.
And beware of newly introduced matters, for every newly introduced matter is an innovation, and every innovation is misguidance.”
Reference
Reported by Abu Dawud and at-Tirmidhi, who said it is a hasan sahih hadith.
Explanation (From Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan)
In this hadith the companion al-Irbad ibn Sariyah described a powerful admonition given by the Prophet that deeply affected the companions.
Because of the seriousness of the reminder, the companions thought it resembled a farewell admonition, so they asked the Prophet to give them advice.
The Prophet first advised them to fear Allah (taqwa), which includes obeying His commands and avoiding what He has forbidden.
He then instructed them to listen and obey their leaders, even if the leader is a slave.
This shows the importance of maintaining unity and avoiding rebellion that would lead to disorder among Muslims.
The Prophet then informed them that those who live after him would see many disagreements.
Because of this, he commanded them to hold firmly to his Sunnah and the Sunnah of the rightly guided caliphs.
The expression:
“Hold onto it with your molar teeth”
emphasizes holding firmly to the Sunnah and not abandoning it.
The Prophet also warned against newly introduced matters in the religion, explaining that innovations are misguidance.
This hadith teaches the importance of following the Sunnah, maintaining unity, and avoiding religious innovations.
References
The Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith: Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan. Dar Makkah International.
Verified on 2026-10-21 against: The Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith (Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan), Hadith 28.