Islam, Iman, Ihsan - An Nawawi 2 [Hadith of Jibrīl]
Nawawī’s Arbaýīn
A Collection of Forty Traditions of the Prophet ﷺ
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Islam, Iman, Ihsan - Hadith 2
عَنْ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَيْضًا قَالَ: بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ، إذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ، شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ، لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ. حَتَّى جَلَسَ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم . فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ. فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ، وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إنْ اسْتَطَعْت إلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا. قَالَ: صَدَقْت . فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ! قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ. قَالَ: أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاَللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ. قَالَ: صَدَقْت. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِحْسَانِ. قَالَ: أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّك تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ السَّاعَةِ. قَالَ: مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنْ السَّائِلِ. قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَاتِهَا؟ قَالَ: أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا، وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ. ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ، فَلَبِثْتُ مَلِيًّا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا عُمَرُ أَتَدْرِي مَنْ السَّائِلُ؟. قُلْتُ: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ. قَالَ: فَإِنَّهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ . [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ] .
This hadith is narrated by Úmar رضى الله تعالى عنه and he said:
We were sitting with RasūlAllāh ﷺ one fine day, and a man appeared whose clothes were dazzlingly white and whose hair was intensely black; there was no sign of travel [and thus, weariness] upon him, and no one amongst us knew him. He sat near the Prophet ﷺ [so close] that his knees touched the knees of the Prophet ﷺ and he placed both his palms on the thighs [1] of the Prophet ﷺ and he said:
“O Muĥammad, [2] tell me about Islām [religion]”.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “Islām, is that you bear witness that there is no God except Allāh, and that Muĥammad is the Messenger of Allāh; that you establish prayer [şalāh], and give charity [zakāh]; that you fast in the month of Ramađān, and that you undertake pilgrimage [ĥajj] to the House [of Allāh] if you are able [and have the means] to do so.”
He said: “You tell the truth”.
We were surprised at him [because] he asked a question and [thereafter,] attested that it was the truth.
He asked: “Then, tell me about Īmān [faith]”.
[RasūlAllāh ﷺ] replied: “[Īmān] is that you bear faith in Allāh, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, and in the Final Day [of Reckoning]; and in Destiny – the good and the bad [in it]”.
He said: “You speak the truth”.
He [then] asked: “Then, tell me about Iĥsān [grace]”.
[RasūlAllāh ﷺ] said: “[Iĥsān] is that you worship Allāh táālā as if you see Him; if you cannot do that, then [worship Him and know, that] He sees you.”
He said: “Then, tell me about the [Final] Hour”.
[RasūlAllāh ﷺ] said: “The one who is asked, is no more knowledgeable about it than the one who asks”.
He said: “Then, tell me about the signs [of the Hour]”.
[RasūlAllāh ﷺ] said: “The slave-girl will give birth to her own mistress [3] and you will see [hitherto] barefoot and naked desititutes and shepherds [vie with each other in] erecting tall buildings.”
[Úmar ] said: The person left, and I remained perplexed for a long time. [4]
Thereafter, [RasūlAllāh ﷺ] asked: “O Úmar, do you know who that questioner was?”
I said: “Allāh and His Messenger know better.”
[RasūlAllāh ﷺ] said: “He was Jibrīl. He had come to teach you, your religion.”
Reported by Muslim. [5]
Notes:
[1] Or the visitor placed his hands on his own thighs, sitting in the manner of a student [Nawawī in his commentary on Muslim].
[2] It is forbidden to call upon RasūlAllāh ﷺ by his name. Here, it could be because it is not forbidden for angels or because he appeared as a bedouin Arab [Haytamī].
[3] The word in ĥadīth is rabbah; Imām Nawawī has explained it as sayyidah, and both mean mistress; i.e. the female slave-owner.
[4] In the report of Abū Dāwūd 4695, this was for a period of three days.
[5] Muslim 8.
References:
Nawawī’s Arbaýīn,Collection of Forty Traditions of the Prophet ﷺ, Hadith 2
Muslim 8.
[ English Translation ]
Mawlana Abu Hasan Ridawi,
Ridawi Press.