107. Conduct of Sitting on Pathways

عن أبي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم قال إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْجُلُوسَ في الطُّرُقَاتِ قالوا يا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ما لنا بُدٌّ من مَجَالِسِنَا نَتَحَدَّثُ فيها قال رسول اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فإذا أَبَيْتُمْ إلا الْمَجْلِسَ فَأَعْطُوا الطَّرِيقَ حَقَّهُ قالوا وما حَقُّهُ قال غَضُّ الْبَصَرِ وَكَفُّ الْأَذَى وَرَدُّ السَّلَامِ وَالْأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْيُ عن الْمُنْكَرِ

Abu Sa‘id al-Khudri (rta) reported that the Prophet (sws) said: “Refrain from sitting on pathways.” The companions said: “We have no option but to sit on pathways because we sit and chat with one another.” God’s Messenger (sws) said: “If you have no option, then fulfill your obligation towards the pathways.” The companions asked: “What is this obligation?” He replied: “Guarding the gaze, removing harmful [things], responding to salam, urging people to virtue and stopping them from vice.”[1]

[1]. Ibid., vol. 3, 1675, (no. 2121).