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]
Also narrated on the authority of Umar RA. He said : We were sitting with the Prophetﷺ one day when a man appeared with extremely white clothes and extremely black hair. There were no traces of travel upon him and none of us recognised him. He sat close to the Prophetﷺ with their knees touching. He placed his palms upon his thighs, and said “O Muhammad. Inform me about Islam” so the Prophetﷺ said, “Islam is to testify that there is no God except Allāh, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allāh, and to establish the salah and to pay the zakah and to fast in Ramadan and to do Hajj of the house (of Allāhﷻ) if one can find a way to it.” So he (the man) said “You have spoken the truth”. We were amazed, he asked him a question and then substantiated it. He said “Then inform me regarding Iman” heﷺ said, “That you believe in Allāh and His angels, and His books and His messengers and the day of judgement and predestiny, it’s good and it’s bad”. He (the man) said “You have spoken the truth”. He (the man) said “Then inform me regarding Ihsan” the Prophetﷺ said “That you worship Allāh as though you see him, and if you cannot see him then verily He sees you”. He said, “So inform me about the hour” the Prophetﷺ said “The person being asked is not more knowing than the questioner”. He said, “Then inform me about its signs.” He said “The slave girl will give birth to her master, and that you will see barefooted naked poor shepherds competing in building tall structures.”. Thereafter he left, so I waited a while. Thereafter heﷺ said “O Umar, do you know who the questioner is?”. I said “Allāh and His messenger know best”. He said, “It is Jibreel. He came to you so that he may teach you your religion.”. Narrated by Muslim.
Notes
This is an important ḥadīth which encompasses all of the sciences of sharī’ah, as well as the tenets of actions both inward and outward. It is said that this ḥadīth is the mother of the sunnah just as Sūrah al-Fātiha is the mother of the Book.
إذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ
when a man appeared
Even though the appearance was that of a man, it was actually Jibrā`īl , who is an angel, who came in the form of a man.
شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ، شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعْرِ
with extremely white clothes and extremely black hair
This ḥadīth shows that it is important to wear good clothes and appearance when entering upon ulama and people of virtue, as Jibrā`īl came as a teacher for mankind, not only in his sayings, but in his appearance as well.
لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ، وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ
There were no traces of travel upon him and none of us recognised him.
The companions of the Prophetﷺ could usually easily distinguish between a traveller and a resident of Madīnah. However the man did not seem to be a traveller, through his appearance, yet no one recognised him. He was not someone known to be from Madīnah, and was therefore a stranger.
حَتَّى جَلَسَ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم . فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ، وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ
He sat close to the Prophetﷺ with their knees touching. He placed his palms upon his thighs.
And he placed his hands upon his thighs. The wording in Muslim is vague, however it is narrated in Nasā`ī that he placed his hands upon the knees of the Prophetﷺ. Others have mentioned that he placed his thighs upon his own thighs, and this is the best way to sit out of respect for the teacher.
وَقَالَ: يَا مُحَمَّدُ
He said, O Muhammad
He did not say “O messenger of Allāh”, as some of the companions may have thought that he is an Arab. The bedouins would often call the Prophetﷺ by his name, as in this case, whereas the people of Madīnah would refer to the Prophetﷺas the prophet or messenger of Allāhﷻ.
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.
Inform me about Islam” so the Prophetﷺ said, “Islam is to testify that there is no God except Allāh, and that Muhammad is the messenger of Allāh, and to establish the salah and to pay the zakah and to fast in Ramadan and to do Hajj of the house (of Allāh) if one can find a way to it.”
There are many discussions regarding Islām and Imān. From this ḥadīth it is understood that Islām and Imān are different, both literally and in sharī’ah. It is important to note that both words are often used interchangeably.
The Prophetﷺ explained Islām to be actions which are outer and apparent[1], encompassing both sayings and deeds, the first of which is to testify that there is no God except Allāhﷻ, and that Muḥammad is the messenger of Allāhﷻ. This is an action of the tongue. As for the rest they are actions which are done with the limbs, but these can be further subdivided into actions of the body, like establishing Ṣalāh and fasting in Ramaḍān, and actions through wealth such as the fulfillment of Zakāh. As for Ḥajj it encompasses both actions of the body and actions through wealth.
One of the ḥadīth which shows thats Islām means actions which are outer and apparent is:
الْمُسْلِمُ مَنْ سَلِمَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ مِنْ لِسَانِهِ وَيَدِهِ
meaning A Muslim is the one who avoids harming Muslims with his tongue and hands[2]. The word “Muslim”, as used in the ḥadīth is derived from the root word “Islām”.
قَالَ: صَدَقْت . فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ!
So he (the man) said “You have spoken the truth”. We were amazed, he asked him a question and then substantiated it.
The reason they were amazed is because the questioner is not known to have met the Prophetﷺ, nor had they heard of him before. Another reason for the amazement was because he asked a question, seemingly to only know the answers by verifying it.
قَالَ: فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ. قَالَ: أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاَللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ.قَالَ: صَدَقْت.
He said “Then inform me regarding Iman” heﷺ said, “That you believe in Allāh and His angels, and His books and His messengers and the day of judgement and predestiny, it’s good and it’s bad”. He (the man) said “You have spoken the truth”.
The Prophetﷺ described Imān to be related to our beliefs.
Belief in the Prophetﷺ necessitates belief in all that which he ﷺ was informed regarding such as angels, prophets, books, resurrection, predestiny as well as belief in other things which our Prophetﷺ was informed about such as the qualities of Allāhﷻ, the description of the Day of Judgement, the scales, bridge and descriptions of Heaven and Hell.
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 “.
[1] See Ibn Rajab, “Jāmi’ al-’Ulūm wa al-Ḥikam”, 76.
[2] Saḥīḥ al-Bukhāri 10
