Islam > Hadiths > Seerah and history > My example and your example is that of a person who lit a fire, and grasshoppers and moths…
Authentic hadithUpdated on 24 September 2026 at 12:34 AM
📖 1 min readعن جابر بن عبد الله وأبو هريرة رضي الله عنهم مرفوعاً: «مثلي ومثلُكم كمثل رجلٍ أَوْقَدَ نارًا فجعل الجنادِبُ والفَرَاشُ يَقَعْنَ فيها، وهو يَذُبُّهُنَّ عنها، وأنا آخذٌ بحُجَزِكُم عن النار، وأنتم تَفَلَّتُون من يَدَيَّ».
The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) explains that his role in his nation is like that of a man in the wilderness who has lit a fire, and then the grasshoppers and moths begin to fall into it. This is the case with most small insects when they see a fire, as they are attracted to the light of the fire, until they get burned in it. The Messenger (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) states that his role is to push people away from the fire (of hell), just as this man is trying to push the insects away from the fire that he lit up. However, people are persistently trying to fall into the fire by disobeying him and not following his Sunnah.
Categories : Prophet's Biography · Muhammadan Qualities · Moral Attributes · Prophet's Mercy · Seerah and History