Initiating a Practice Followed by Others

عن حذيفة رضي الله عنه قال سأل رجل على عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم فأمسك القوم ثم إن رجلا أعطاه فأعطى القوم فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه و سلم من سن خيرا فاستن به كان له أجره ومثل أجور من تبعه غير منقص من أجورهم شيئا ومن سن شرا فاستن به كان عليه وزره ومثل أوزار من تبعه غير منتقص من أوزارهم شيئا رواه أحمد والحاكم وقال صحيح الإسناد ورواه ابن ماجه من حديث أبي هريرة (الترغيب والترهيب 1/114)

Hadhrat Huzaifah (Radhiyallahu Anhu) reports that once a person was begging in the time of Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam), however the people desisted from giving him anything. Thereafter one person had given him some assistance and thereafter the people also began to assist him. Upon this, Rasulullah (Sallallahu Alaihi Wasallam) said: “The one who initiates a good practice and others follow him, he will receive his reward and a reward similar to those who follow him, without their reward being decreased in the least. And whoever initiates an evil practice and others follow him, he will receive his sin and a sin similar to those who follow him, without their sins being decreased in the least.”