The Book of Faith (Imam) - Chapter One

 

كِتَابُ الإِيمَانِ

بَابُ سُؤَالِ جِبْرِيلَ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ وَالْإِسْلَامِ وَالْإِحْسَانِ

 

عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ لله: أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ كَانَ يَوْمًا بَارِزًا[1] لِلنَّاسِ إِذْ أَتَاهُ رَجُلٌ يَمْشِي[2]، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، مَا الْإِيمَانُ؟ قَالَ: الْإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ، وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَكُتُبِهِ، وَرُسُلِهِ، وَلِقَائِهِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَعْثِ الْآخِرِ[3]. قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا الْإِسْلَامُ؟ قَالَ: الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكَ بِهِ شَيْئًا، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ[4]، وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ[5]. قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، مَا الْإِحْسَانُ؟ قَالَ: الْإِحْسَانُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ[6] اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ. قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، مَتَى السَّاعَةُ؟ قَالَ: مَا الْمَسْؤُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِلِ، وَلَكِنْ سَأُحَدِّثُكَ عَنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا: إِذَا وَلَدَتِ الْمَرْأَةُ (رَبَّتَهَا)[7] وَفِي رِوَايَةِ: رَبَّها[8]- فَذَاكَ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا، وَإِذَا كَانَ الْحُفَاةُ الْعُرَاةُ رُؤُوسَ النَّاسِ- وَفِي رِوَايَةِ: إِذَا تَطَاوَلَ رُعاةُ الإِبِلِ البُهُم فِي البُنْيَانِ. وَفِي رِوَايَةٍ (مُعَلَّقَةِ): رِعَاءُ الْبَهْمِ- فَذَاكَ مِنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا، فِي خَمْسٍ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلَّا اللَّهُ: إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ وَيُنَزِّلُ الْغَيْثَ وَيَعْلَمُ مَا فِي الْأَرْحَامِ. ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ الرَّجُلُ، فَقَالَ: رُدُّوا عَلَيَّ. فَأَخَذُوا لِيَرُدُّوا فَلَمْ يَرَوْا شَيْئًا، فَقَالَ: هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ جَاءَ لِيُعَلِّمَ النَّاسَ دِينَهُمْ[9]. وَفِي رِوَايَةِ: لَا تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَتَطَاوَلَ النَّاسُ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ. (وَفِي حَدِيثِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ مَا قَالَ: قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: مَفَاتِيحُ الْغَيْبِ خَمْسٌ ثُمَّ قَرَأَ: ﴿إِنَّ اللَّهَ عِندَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ).

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[1] وَلِمُسْلِم فِي رِوَايَةٍ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ: سَلُونِي، فَهَابُوهُ أَنْ يَسْأَلُوهُ.

[2] وَلِمُسْلِمٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عُمَرُ الله: إِذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ، شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثَّيَابِ، شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشعَرِ، لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ، حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ، فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إِلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ.

[3] وَلِمُسْلِمٍ فِي رِوَايَةِ: وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ كُلِّهِ، قَالَ: صَدَقْتَ. وَفِي حَدِيثِ عُمَرَ: وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ.

[4] وَلِمُسْلِم الْمَكْتُوبَةَ.

[5] وَلِمُسْلِمٍ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عُمَرُ رضي الله عنه: وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنِ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا. قَالَ: صَدَقْتَ. قَالَ: فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ؛ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ.

[6] وَلِمُسْلِم فِي رِوَايَةٍ: تَخْشَى.

[7] أَمَّا مُسْلِمٌ فَرَوَاهَا مِنْ حَدِيثِ عُمَرَ رضي الله عنه.

[8] وَلِمُسْلِمٍ فِي رِوَايَةِ: بَعْلَهَا. يَعْنِي السَّرَارِي.

[9] وَلِمُسلِم مِنْ حَدِيثٍ يَحْيَى بْنِ يَعْمَرَ قَالَ: كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ قَالَ فِي الْقَدَرِ بِالْبَصْرَةِ مَعْبَدُ الْجُهَنِيُّ، فَانْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَحُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحِمْيَرِيُّ حَاجَّيْنِ أَوْ مُعْتَمِرَيْنِ، فَقُلْنَا: لَوْ لَقِينَا أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَسَأَلْنَاهُ عَمَّا يَقُولُ هَؤُلَاءِ فِي الْقَدَرِ فَوُفِّقَ لَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَابِ لا دَاخِلًا الْمَسْجِدَ، فَاكْتَنَفْتُهُ أَنَا وَصَاحِبِي، أَحَدُنَا عَنْ يَمِينِهِ، وَالْآخَرُ عَنْ شِمَالِهِ، فَظَنَنْتُ أَنَّ صَاحِبِي سَيَكِلُ الْكَلَامَ إِلَيَّ فَقُلْتُ: أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَّهُ قَدْ ظَهَرَ قِبْلَنَا نَاسٌ يَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ وَيَتَقَفَّرُونَ الْعِلْمَ وَذَكَرَ مِنْ شَأْنِهِمْ، وَأَنَّهُمْ يَزْعُمُونَ أَنْ لَا قَدَرَ، وَأَنَّ الْأَمْرَ أَنْفَ! قَالَ: فَإِذَا لَقِيتَ أُولَئِكَ فَأَخْبِرْهُمْ أَنِّي بَرِيءٌ مِنْهُمْ، وَأَنَّهُمْ بُرَاء مِنِّي، وَالَّذِي يَحْلِفُ بِهِ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ: لَوْ أَنَّ لِأَحَدِهِمْ مِثْلَ أَحَدٍ ذَهَبًا فَأَنْفَقَهُ مَا قَبِلَ اللهُ مِنْهُ حَتَّى يُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَابِ قَالَ: بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ ذَاتَ يوم...

The Book of Faith (Iman)

Chapter on Gabriel’s Inquiry to the Prophet ﷺ Concerning Faith, Islam, and Ihsan

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him): The Messenger of Allah ﷺ was one day present among the people[1] when a man approached him on foot[2] and asked, “O Messenger of Allah, what is faith (’ÊmÉn)?” The Prophet ﷺ responded, “Faith is to believe in Allah, His angels, His scriptures, His messengers, the meeting with Him, and in the resurrection after death.[3]”

The man then proceeded to ask, “O Messenger of Allah, what is Islam?” The Prophet ﷺ replied, “Islam is to worship Allah, associating nothing with Him, to establish the prescribed prayers[4], to give the obligatory alms (zakat), and to fast during the month of Ramadan.[5]”

The man further inquired, “O Messenger of Allah, what is Ihsan (excellence)?” The Prophet ﷺ answered, “’Ihsan is to worship[6] Allah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, indeed, He sees you.”

The man then posed a final question, “O Messenger of Allah, when will the Hour (the Day of Judgment) come?” The Prophet ﷺ responded, “The one who is being asked about it knows no more than the one asking. However, I will inform you of some of its signs: when a slave gives birth to her master[7], and in another narration, her master’s master[8], that will be one of its signs. And when you witness the barefooted, naked shepherds vying in constructing lofty buildings, that too will be one of its signs.” In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ said: “When the herders of sheep compete in building tall structures, that will be one of its signs.” He ﷺ then added: “There are five things that only Allah knows: Indeed, Allah alone possesses the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and He knows what is within the wombs.”

After these statements, the man departed. The Prophet ﷺ said to his companions, “Bring him back to me.” They searched for him but found no trace of him. The Prophet ﷺ then declared, “That was Gabriel, who came to teach the people their religion.[9]” In another narration, the Prophet ﷺ mentioned, “The Hour will not be established until people vie with one another in constructing tall buildings.” In the hadith of Ibn Umar, the Prophet ﷺ said: “The keys to the unseen are five,” and then recited: “Verily, with Allah alone is the knowledge of the Hour....”

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[1] According to a narration in Muslim: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, “Ask me,” but out of awe, the people refrained from asking him.

[2] In a narration in Muslim, on the authority of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him): “A man appeared before us with exceedingly white clothes and intensely black hair, with no signs of travel upon him, and none of us recognised him. He sat before the Prophet ﷺ, resting his knees against the Prophet's knees, and placing his hands on his thighs.”

[3] Muslim also narrates: “And to believe in predestination (qadar), both its good and its evil.” The man said, “You have spoken the truth.” In the hadith of Umar, it is stated: “And to believe in predestination, both good and evil.”

[4] According to a narration in Muslim: Obligatory.

[5] According to another narration in Muslim: “And to perform the pilgrimage (hajj) if you are able to do so.” The man said, “You have spoken the truth.” Umar then added, “We were amazed at him, asking and then confirming his answers.”

[6] Another narration in Muslim includes: “And to have fear (of Allah).”

[7] Muslim also reports it from the narration of Umar (may Allah be pleased with him).

[8] In a narration from Sahih Muslim “her husband”, which signifies "concubines."

[9] In another narration found in Sahih Muslim, from the hadith of Yahya ibn Ya‘mar, it is stated: “The first individual to raise the issue of predestination (qadar) in Basra was Ma‘bad al-Juhani. Consequently, I, alongside Humayd ibn 'Abd al-Rahman al-Himyari, embarked on a journey, intending to perform either pilgrimage (hajj) or ‘umrah. We agreed, ‘If we encounter any of the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, we shall inquire from them concerning the statements of these people about predestination.’ By divine providence, we came across ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab as he was entering the mosque. My companion and I approached him, positioning ourselves—one to his right and the other to his left. Believing my companion would defer to me, I spoke: ‘O Abu ‘Abd al-Rahman, a group of individuals has emerged among us, who regularly recite the Qur’an and actively seek knowledge, yet they assert that there is no predestination and that the matter is entirely unpredetermined.’ Ibn ‘Umar responded, ‘If you meet those people, inform them that I dissociate myself from them, and they are likewise dissociated from me. By Him in whose Name ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Umar swears, even if one of them were to possess gold equal in volume to Mount Uhud and were to spend it (in charity), Allah would not accept it from him until he believes in predestination.’ He then added: ‘My father, ‘Umar ibn al-Khattab, recounted to me that once, while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ on a certain day...’”