From the lessons of "Al-Targhib wa al-Tarhib," the hadith of Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by the market and the people

The Shaykh : The hadith that follows it, which is his saying: And from Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) passed by the market and the people were on his two sides—on his two flanks—, so he passed by a dead kid with a small ear, and he took it by its ear and then said: . They said: We do not like it to be ours for anything, and what would we do with it? He said: . They said: By Allah, if it were alive, it would be a defect in it because it is small-eared; how much more so when it is dead? So he said (peace and blessings be upon him): .
He explains the unfamiliar term after tracing its source, saying: It was narrated by Muslim; his saying: : meaning: on his two sides. And al-Asakku: with a fathah on the hamzah and a sukun on the sin—also—and a shaddah on the kaf: it is the one with a small ear.

The questioner : Kanafatayhi is a mistake.

The Shaykh: Yes.
Al-Asakku: it is the one with a small ear.
We return to the hadith: He passed by the market and the people were on his two sides: around him, he was walking (peace and blessings be upon him) and the people were around him. Here I want to pause for a moment to remind you of one of the manners of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) that most of the scholars have neglected; most of the scholars have neglected it. Just now, as we were leaving the mosque from the Maghrib prayer, one of them was walking with two people. How does he walk? Like a leader with two men. Can the two men be level with him or go ahead of him? No. Likewise, the scholars of the two hands, except for those whom Allah protects, and they are few. He walks and the students, and more, are behind the shaykh. This was not part of his manner (peace and blessings be upon him), and there are many hadiths describing this, and here is now a hadith from those hadiths.
And the people were on his two sides; meaning: on his two flanks, not behind him. He walks, there is no difference between him and Abu Bakr, there is no difference between him and Abu Hurayrah; they are all walking together with each other. In fact, it is established in some authentic hadiths that he used to say to them when he walked: , ... one, so the people do not see the angels; they see each other. So when the people look at the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) walking, they see the people walking in front of him. What is this great man who lags behind those who honor him, revere him, and respect him?! This is humility, and he has the right to it; because he is the master of the humble.
But this does not go to waste; because the Messenger (peace be upon him) says ...: , Allah raised him where the angels walk behind him. So the great one is the one whom the people walk behind, and among them may be the righteous and the wicked, or the great one whom they walk behind and they are as Allah (Mighty and Majestic) said: ?! This is the great one.
So the greatness of the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) in his walking and his manner manifests in a visible material aspect, and in another aspect behind the material, a hidden one. The visible material aspect is that the Companions walk in front of him, not behind him, and as came in some hadiths: , meaning: they do not walk behind him. And the other great aspect manifests in that the angels walk behind him (peace and blessings be upon him).
Of course, we are content with the first visible aspect, which is what we are obligated to do; and that is not to be arrogant toward our companions and our brothers and those below us in knowledge, character, worship, and righteousness; because Allah (Mighty and Majestic) says: .
It is enough for us, at least, to walk with the people on our two sides, on our two flanks, on our two edges. So whoever contradicts this Sunnah is, without a doubt, not a lover of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him); because the measure of love is following, by the text of the Noble Qur'an: .
If the Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) is in this state with his Companions, and this is his humility with them, and he is protected from the stings of Satan; then what do we say about ourselves, and we are not protected from Satan? This obligates us to hold fast to this Sunnah as if it were an obligation. So it is better for us that the people walk on our two sides than that we walk while we look with our eyes at our shoulders.
This is among what is derived from this hadith: the etiquette of scholars walking with their followers; so perhaps we will do that, if Allah wills, whoever among us is a follower or a one who is followed.
He passed by the market and the people were on his two sides; so he passed by a dead kid with a small ear. You know now; he passed by a kid whose ear is small; it is as if it is an allusion that it has no meat or fat; meaning it has no value. And in addition to its ear being small and small-eared, it is dead. So he took it by its ear, talking to the people and giving them a lesson from real life. Then he said: . So they said: We do not like it to be ours for anything, and what would we do with it? He said: . They said: By Allah, if it were alive, it would be a defect in it because it is small-eared; how much more so when it is dead? So he said (peace and blessings be upon him): .
So take heed, O you who have intellect.