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I came across a hadith from Bukhari.. and i wanted to know how to reconcile between acting on the end part of this hadith and betwen the many other ahadeeth about muslim unity and sticking to the Jamaat and not leaving the Jamaat (not even by a little bit). The Hadith is: Narrated by Abu-Sa'id al-Khud'ri (radi'allahu anhu) that somebody asked, "O Messenger of Allah! Who is the best among the people?" Allah's Messenger sal'allahu alaihi wa sallam, replied, "A believer who strives his utmost in Allahs' cause with his life and property." They asked, "Who is next?" He (sal'allahu alaihi wa sallam) replied, "A believer who stays in one of the mountain valleys worshipping Allah and leaving the people secure from his mischief." Reported by Bukhari. There are some believers who might want to avoid causing harm to the muslims and feel that it is better if they move away from the fitnah or anything that can irritate them and cause them to 'lash-out' or use 'foul language' or express 'bad manners', etc. Avoiding people would ensure that they can't be unpleasant to anyone (especially any other believer). But this may mean that they move away from the single united jamaat of the muslims... and loosing out on seeking knowledge (which is required before acts of worship can be performed)... and possibly other issues, so should he still move to somewhere where he can worship Allah and where he can leave the people 'secure from his mischief'? How would we reconcile between this hadith and the many others about sticking to the single united body of the muslim (the Jamaah)?

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Know that the best situation for the believer is to mix with the people and bear their harms patiently.  Such a person is better than the believer who does not mix with the people or bear their harms. However, in some cases staying away from the people is better than mixing with them.  For example, when a man fears fitnah for himself, like when someone lives in a land where the people require him to deviate from his religion or invite to religious deviance.  Or he may see such a great amount of disobedience there and fear that he himself my give in to some illicit behavior or other bad things.  In such a case, staying away from the people is better for him. For this reason people have been ordered to make hijrah from the lands of polytheism to the lands of Islaam, and from the lands of disobedience to the lands of obedience. Similarly is the case when the people in a certain time have changed (for the worse).  About such a case, it is authentically reported from the Prophet (sallallaahu 'alayhe wa sallam) that he said, "There is about to be a time when the best property a man can own will be some sheep that he watches over in the mountain passes and pastures, fleeing from fitan (trials) to keep his religion intact." So this is the way to understand the issue categorically - Staying away from the people is better when there is evil and fitnah in mixing with them.  Otherwise, the base ruling is that it is better to mix with the people, ordering them with good, forbidding them from evil, calling them to the truth, and teaching the people the Sunnah.  This is better. However, if he is unable to patient when fitnah has become plentiful, then staying away is better, even if he was to worship Allaah by himself at a mountain top or in the crevice of a valley somewhere.