Jabir, May God be pleased with him, said : The Apostle of God, peace and blessings of God be on him, said:

"My state and yours is like that a man who made a fire, then moths and such insects started to rush into it, and he tried hard to scare them away from it, but still they fell into it. I pull you by your waists back from fire, but you break free from my hold to fall into it." [Transmitted by Muslim]

Highlights of The Tradition:

• God has chosen his Apostle Muhammad, peace and blessings of God be upon him, to rescue men from the pitfalls of idolatry and sin. He was a mercy as the following verse from the Qur'an describes him: "We sent thee not, but as a mercy for all creatures."
• The above tradition illustrates the Prophet's exceeding compassion for his Ummah, his sustained endeavour to ensure its salvation and safety.
• The point of comparison in the tradition is that moths and insects fly right into fire rejoicing at its light, ignorant of the death awaiting them. Nor do they learn from the fate of those preceding them to their doom. In the same way disbelievers and the sinful are pig-headed in striding towards hell-fire heedless of warnings and admonitions. They are neither awakened by the Apostle's warnings of the retribution they may face, not do they learn from seeing their kin and neighbours pass away.
• As he explains in his simile, the Messenger, peace be upon him, is as pitying at humans' great danger as one who sees a man about to stumble down to a steep abyss, runs and holds him with both hands round the waist to make sure that he does not break free and fall headlong.
• Another point concerning the simile, fire is usually set for a beneficial purpose, but moths are ignorant of its benefits, such as the light and warmth it may give. This potentially good thing has been the cause of their perdition. Likewise, such worldly blessings as money, children and chattel were created to help man live a good and righteous life; but those same good things can lead the sinful to their doom. The moral is, a boon can be a curse for some people.
• Most animals know by instinct where there is danger and keep away from it. The disbelieving and misguided, however, are so blind-minded that they have no any vision left to sense the certain danger that they are making for. Hence, they well deserve the picture descriptive of them in the Holy Qur'an: "Many are the jinns and men We have made for hell: They have hearts wherewith they understand not, eyes wherewith they see not, And ears wherewith they hear not. They are like cattle, -nay more Misguided: for they Are heedless (of warning)." (Qur'an 7:179)

Points to Remember:

1- Holding to the religion of Islam ensures a happy life and a protection from distress and misery. This is the purport of the following verse from the Qur'an: "O ye who believe! Give your response to God and His Apostle, when he calleth you to that which will give you life" (Qur'an 8:24)

2- Giving precedence to desires leads to blindness of the heart eventually to hell.

3- The Messenger, peace and blessings of God be upon him, is eager to guide his Ummah, and has pity for it. Islamic missionary workers should follow his lead in that. By doing so, they would be complying woth the following verse from the Holy Qur'an: "Now hath come unto you an Apostle from amongst yourselves: it grieves him that ye should perish: Ardently anxious is he over you: to the believers is he kind and Merciful" (Qur'an 9:128)