The ruling on one who does not act on what he advises
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What is the ruling regarding the advisor in general, and the teacher in particular, who urges his students to do some acts of obedience, such as the regular voluntary prayers, which he himself does not perform, and forbids his students from doing some sins which he himself commits? Does this fall under the hadith that was reported on this matter? Please inform us, may Allah guide you.
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
It is obligatory for the servant to rectify himself first, then strive to rectify others,Here there are two obligations: It is an obligation for the self and an obligation for others.
So the sensible person begins first with himself, then tries to rectify others. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has condemned those who enjoin righteousness upon people while forgetting themselves, and He said: [Surat al-Baqarah: 44] But despite that, it is obligatory for this person to enjoin what is right even if he does not do it, and likewise it is obligatory for him to forbid what is wrong even if he does it. Because if he leaves off enjoining what is right while he does not do it, he has neglected two obligations, and if he leaves off forbidding what is wrong while he does it, he has neglected two obligations as well. So if he neglects one of the obligations, the other becomes obligatory upon him. And if a person were to enjoin only what he does and forbid only what he has left off, much of enjoining good and forbidding evil would be lost.
And I give an example of this with a man who forbids backbiting,And backbiting is: which is mentioning your brother with what he dislikes, but he backbites people,Do we say: Do you not forbid backbiting because you backbite people? If we said this, most people would not forbid backbiting. Who is free from backbiting except whom Allah wills?Therefore, we say: Enjoin what is right even if you do not do it, but that will be an argument against you on the Day of Resurrection. And forbid what is wrong even if you do it, but this will be an argument against you on the Day of Resurrection.
As for the authentic hadith that the questioner referred to, it is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and his belly will burst open—Meaning: his intestines, may Allah protect us from that— and he will go around them as a donkey goes around the millstone,The people of the Fire will gather around him and say: saying: O so-and-so! What is the matter with you? Were you not one who used to enjoin good upon us and forbid us from evil?So he says: I used to enjoin good upon you and not do it, and I used to forbid you from evil and do it) .
Praise be to Allah, Lord of the worlds, and may Allah send prayers and blessings upon our Prophet Muhammad, and upon his family and his Companions, and those who follow them with excellence until the Day of Judgment.
It is obligatory for the servant to rectify himself first, then strive to rectify others,Here there are two obligations: It is an obligation for the self and an obligation for others.
So the sensible person begins first with himself, then tries to rectify others. And Allah (Mighty and Majestic) has condemned those who enjoin righteousness upon people while forgetting themselves, and He said:
Do you order righteousness of the people and forget yourselves while you recite the Scripture? Then will you not reason?
أَتَأْمُرُونَ النَّاسَ بِالْبِرِّ وَتَنْسَوْنَ أَنْفُسَكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَتْلُونَ الْكِتَابَ أَفَلا تَعْقِلُونَAnd I give an example of this with a man who forbids backbiting,And backbiting is: which is mentioning your brother with what he dislikes, but he backbites people,Do we say: Do you not forbid backbiting because you backbite people? If we said this, most people would not forbid backbiting. Who is free from backbiting except whom Allah wills?Therefore, we say: Enjoin what is right even if you do not do it, but that will be an argument against you on the Day of Resurrection. And forbid what is wrong even if you do it, but this will be an argument against you on the Day of Resurrection.
As for the authentic hadith that the questioner referred to, it is the saying of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): (A man will be brought on the Day of Resurrection and his belly will burst open—Meaning: his intestines, may Allah protect us from that— and he will go around them as a donkey goes around the millstone,The people of the Fire will gather around him and say: saying: O so-and-so! What is the matter with you? Were you not one who used to enjoin good upon us and forbid us from evil?So he says: I used to enjoin good upon you and not do it, and I used to forbid you from evil and do it) .