10 Instructions from the Holy Prophet (sa)
In a Hadith of Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, it is mentioned that Hazrat Mu‘az (ra) related, “The Holy Prophet (sa) gave me 10 instructions, saying, ‘The first is to not associate any partners with Allah, even if you are killed or thrown into the fire. Secondly, to not disobey one’s parents, even if they deprive you of your share in the inheritance.’” One should not disobey their parents, no matter what happens, even if one received nothing from them. “‘The third advice is to not miss any obligatory prayer knowingly, for one who abandons an obligatory prayer on purpose deprives himself from the support and protection of God Almighty.’ The Holy Prophet (sa) then said, ‘Never consume alcohol, for this is the root of every indecency.’ He then stated, ‘Abstain from sin and disobedience, because sin draws the displeasure of God Almighty.’ He then said, ‘When facing the enemy in battle, you must not flee. If you are confronted by the enemy, then you should not run away out of fear, even if the people are killed.’ He then stated, ‘If the people are afflicted with an epidemic such as the plague, they should remain wherever they are.’”
If they reside in an area where there is an outbreak of the plague, then the Holy Prophet (sa) has instructed that one should remain where they are.
“The Holy Prophet (sa) further stated, ‘Spend on your family according to your means, fulfil their rights and do not show any negligence in their moral training, (even if one has to show a little strictness in their moral training then one should do so to ensure for a good upbringing), instil the fear of God in them.’”
These were the ten things the Holy Prophet (sa) advised him about.
(Musnad Ahmad bin Hanbal, Musnad Mu‘az (ra) bin Jabal, Vol. 7, p. 366, Hadith 22425, Alam ul-Kutub, Beirut, 1998)