Musnad Ahmad — Hadith #45472

Waki` narrated to us, Al-A'mash narrated to us, on the authority of Saad bin Ubaidah, on the authority of Abu Abd al-Rahman al-Sulami, on the authority of Ali, may God be pleased with him, who said that the Prophet was sent May God’s prayers and peace be upon him, he sent a group over them and commanded a man from the Ansar over them, commanding them to listen to him and obey him. He said: So they angered him about something, so he said, “Gather firewood for me.” So they gathered firewood. Then he said, “Light a fire,” and they kindled a fire for him. He said, “Didn’t the Messenger of God command you?” May God’s prayers and peace be upon him, that you should listen to me and obey me. They said, “Yes.” He said, “Then enter it.” He said, and they looked at each other and said, “It is only We fled to the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, because of the fire, and they were like that when his anger subsided and the fire was extinguished. He said, when they came to the Prophet May God’s prayers and peace be upon him. They mentioned that to him, and he said: If they had entered it, they would not have left it. Rather, obedience is in what is right.