Muslim narrated a Hadeeth concerning the conquest of Egypt and it states that if the Egyptians are quarrelling over placing a brick, get out of it. The narrator of this Hadeeth left Egypt when he saw this incident. What is the wisdom behind this? Should anyone having financial resources leave Egypt? Is there any other Hadeeth which cancels this one?

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad is His slave and Messenger.

The Hadeeth in question is authentic and it reads as follows: It was narrated on the authority of Abu Tharr that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said: "You will soon conquer Egypt where Al-Qiraat (acre) is frequently used. So, when you conquer it, treat its inhabitants well for there lies upon you responsibility because of blood ties or relationship (with them). If you (i.e. Abu Tharr) find two men disputing over the place of a brick, you should get out of it." Abu Tharr said, "I have seen Abdur-Rahmaan ibn Shurahbeel ibn Hasanah and his brother Rabee‘ah disputing over the place of a brick, and I left it." [Muslim and Ahmad]

The order to leave Egypt in the Hadeeth is not general; rather, it is specific to Abu Tharr who was the sole addressee. This is supported by two matters:

First: it is not conceivable that Allaah The Almighty orders Muslims to perform Jihaad (armed struggle) in His cause to disseminate His religion, make His word reign supreme, save people from misguidance to guidance, and take them out of darkness to light, and then orders them entirely to leave this country in which they spent every precious item they had to conquer it and where they raised the standard of Islam. This contradicts the objectives of Islam and is not approved by the Sharee‘ah (Islamic law).

Second: Scholars say that the address directed to a specific person does not include others. It means that this is a specific address and its formula does not extend to others. However, if there is a text or analogy indicating that the addressee and other people are included and there is no difference between them, the specific address encompasses other people.

So, it is apparent – Allaah knows best – that the order to leave Egypt is exclusive to Abu Tharr and that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, instructed him to leave it as he saw the signs of tribulation following specific wisdom that Allaah The Almighty disclosed to His Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam. This was also an introduction to what the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said about Abu Tharr that he would die in an isolated area of land.

The exclusivity of this ruling is also supported by the fact that the first sentence of the Hadeeth commanding kindness to the people of Egypt was expressed in the plural form, which means that everyone is commanded to show kindness to the people of Egypt. Whereas the order to leave Egypt came in the singular form, which means that it is an individual obligation.

Allaah Knows best.