Hadith 2 · 21 fragments
The Hadith of Gabriel: islam, iman, ihsan
The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi, hadith No.2
The fragments are a technical division for precise citation, not a canonical numbering of parts of the hadith. The wording inside each fragment is unchanged.
Arabic edition text
عَنْ عُمَرَ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ أَيْضًا قَالَ:
Narrator
Also on the authority of `Umar (ra) who said: While we were one day sitting with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) there appeared before us a man dressed in extremely white clothes and with very black hair.
Word by word
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.
Matn
No traces of journeying were visible on him, and none of us knew him.
Word by word
حَتَّى جَلَسَ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم .
Matn
He sat down close by the Prophet (ﷺ) rested his knees against the knees of the Prophet (ﷺ) and placed his palms over his thighs, and said: "O Muhammad!
Word by word
فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ، وَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ.
Matn
Inform me about Islam.
Word by word
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.
Matn
" The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) replied: "Islam is that you should testify that there is no deity worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger (ﷺ), that you should perform salah (ritual prayer), pay the zakah, fast during Ramadan, and perform Hajj (pilgrimage) to the House (the Ka`bah at Makkah), if you can find a way to it (or find the means for making the journey to it).
Word by word
قَالَ: صَدَقْت .
Matn
" He said: "You have spoken the truth.
Word by word
فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ!
Matn
" We were astonished at his thus questioning him (ﷺ) and then telling him that he was right, but he went on to say, "Inform me about Iman (faith).
Word by word
قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ.
Matn
" He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you believe in Allah and His angels and His Books and His Messengers and in the Last Day, and in fate (qadar), both in its good and in its evil aspects.
Word by word
قَالَ: أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاَللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ.
Matn
" He said, "You have spoken the truth.
Word by word
قَالَ: صَدَقْت.
Matn
" Then he (the man) said, "Inform me about Ihsan.
Word by word
قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِحْسَانِ.
Matn
" He (the Prophet) answered, "It is that you should serve Allah as though you could see Him, for though you cannot see Him yet He sees you.
Word by word
قَالَ: أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّك تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاك.
Matn
" He said, "Inform me about the Hour.
Word by word
قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ السَّاعَةِ.
Matn
" He (the Prophet) said, "About that the one questioned knows no more than the questioner.
Word by word
قَالَ: مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنْ السَّائِلِ.
Matn
" So he said, "Well, inform me about its signs.
Word by word
قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَاتِهَا؟
Matn
" He said, "They are that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and that you will see the barefooted ones, the naked, the destitute, the herdsmen of the sheep (competing with each other) in raising lofty buildings.
Word by word
قَالَ: أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا، وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ.
Matn
" Thereupon the man went off.
Word by word
ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ، فَلَبِثْتُ مَلِيًّا، ثُمَّ قَالَ: يَا عُمَرُ أَتَدْرِي مَنْ السَّائِلُ؟. قُلْتُ: اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ.
Matn
I waited a while, and then he (the Prophet) said, "O `Umar, do you know who that questioner was?
Word by word
قَالَ: فَإِنَّهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ .
Matn
" I replied, "Allah and His Messenger know better.
Word by word
[رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ]
Matn
" He said, "That was Jibril.
Word by word
Matn
He came to teach you your religion.
Matn
" [Muslim]
Lesson
The religion has three levels: practice (islam), the faith of the heart (iman), and excellence (ihsan) — to live as though you see Allah. This is the concise frame of the whole creed.
Text within an-Nawawi's collection: the Arabic source edition and the Ukrainian translation by the “Nur” project (by meaning).