Islam > Hadiths > Dawah and hisbah > By the One in Whose Hand my soul is! Either you command good and forbid evil, or Allah wil…
Good hadithUpdated on 24 September 2026 at 12:34 AM
📖 1 min readعن حذيفة بن اليمان رضي الله عنهما عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أنه قال: «وَالَّذِي نَفسِي بِيَدِه، لَتَأْمُرُنَّ بِالمَعرُوف، وَلَتَنهَوُنَّ عَنِ المُنْكَر؛ أَو لَيُوشِكَنَّ الله أَن يَبْعَثَ عَلَيكُم عِقَاباً مِنْه، ثُمَّ تَدعُونَه فَلاَ يُسْتَجَابُ لَكُم».
The Prophet's saying "By the One in Whose Hand my soul is" is an oath in which the Prophet swears by Allah. The souls are in Allah's Hand, Exalted and Glorified. He guides or misguides them, and He causes them to live or die, if He wills. Allah says: {And [by] the soul and He Who proportioned it. And inspired it [with discernment of] its wickedness and its righteousness.} [Sūrat Ash-Shams: 7-8]
So the souls are in Allah's hand alone. That is why the Prophet swore by it. He would also swear by his own soul: "By the One in Whose hand the soul of Muhammad is." That is because the soul of Muhammad (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) is the best of souls. Therefore, he would swear by it.
The Prophet then mentioned the thing on which he took the oath: to command good and forbid evil, which is a religious duty that is to be fulfilled. Otherwise, Allah will send a common punishment and not answer our prayers.
Categories : Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil · Ruling of Enjoining Good and Forbidding Evil · Da‘wah and Hisbah