Hadith / Musnad Ahmad / 460:3

Musnad Ahmad 460:3

Hadith of Abu ‘Amir al-Ash‘ari (RA)

حديث أبي عامر الأشعري

Hadith 460:3

Abu al-Yaman narrated to us, Shu'ayb informed us, he said: Abdullah ibn Abi Husayn narrated to us, Shahr ibn Hawshab narrated to us, from 'Amir or Abu 'Amir or Abu Malik, that the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, while he was sitting in a gathering with his companions, Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him in a form other than his own, and he (the Prophet) thought he was a man from the Muslims. He greeted him, and he returned the greeting. Then Gabriel placed his hand on the knees of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and said to him: "O Messenger of Allah, what is Islam?" He said: "That you submit your face to Allah, and that you bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and His Messenger, and that you establish prayer, and give Zakat." He said: "If I do that, have I submitted?" He said: "Yes." Then he said: "What is Iman (faith)?" He said: "That you believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, the prophets, death, life after death, Paradise, the Fire, the Reckoning, the Balance, and the Decree, all of it, its good and its evil." He said: "If I do that, have I believed?" He said: "Yes." Then he said: "What is Ihsan (excellence), O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "That you worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you." He said: "If I do that, have I done excellence?" He said: "Yes." And we would hear the response of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, to him, but we would not see the one who was speaking to him, nor would we hear his speech. He said: "So when is the Hour, O Messenger of Allah?" The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said: "Glory be to Allah, five things of the Unseen, no one knows them except Allah, the Mighty and Majestic: {Indeed, Allah [alone] has knowledge of the Hour and sends down the rain and knows what is in the wombs. And no soul perceives what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul perceives in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted} [Luqman: 34]." The questioner said: "O Messenger of Allah, if you wish, shall I tell you of two signs that will occur before it?" He said: "Tell me." He said: "When you see the slave-woman giving birth to her master, and the people of the buildings competing in building, and the poor, barefoot people becoming the heads of the people." He said: "And who are those, O Messenger of Allah?" He said: "The Arabs." He said: Then he turned away, and when we did not see his path anymore, he said: "Glory be to Allah" — three times — "This is Gabriel, who came to teach the people their religion. By the One in Whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, he has never come to me except that I recognized him, except for this time."

حدثنا أبو اليمان، أخبرنا شعيب، قال: حدثنا عبد الله بن أبي حسين، حدثنا شهر بن حوشب، عن عامر أو أبي عامر أو أبي مالك، أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم بينما هو جالس في مجلس فيه أصحابه جاءه جبريل عليه السلام في غير صورته يحسبه رجلا من المسلمين، فسلم عليه، فرد عليه السلام، ثم وضع جبريل يده على ركبتي النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، وقال له: يا رسول الله، ما الإسلام؟ فقال: " أن تسلم وجهك لله، وأن تشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وأن محمدا عبده ورسوله، وتقيم الصلاة، وتؤتي الزكاة " قال: فإذا فعلت ذلك فقد أسلمت؟ قال: " نعم ". ثم قال: ما الإيمان؟ قال: " أن تؤمن بالله واليوم الآخر والملائكة والكتاب والنبيين والموت والحياة بعد الموت والجنة والنار والحساب والميزان والقدر كله خيره وشره ". قال: فإذا فعلت ذلك فقد آمنت؟ قال: " نعم ". ثم قال: ما الإحسان يا رسول الله ؟ قال: " أن تعبد الله كأنك تراه، فإنك إن كنت لا تراه فإنه يراك ". قال: فإذا فعلت ذلك فقد أحسنت؟ قال: " نعم ". ونسمع رجع رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم إليه ، ولا يرى الذي يكلمه ولا يسمع كلامه. قال: فمتى الساعة يا رسول الله؟ فقال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " سبحان الله، خمس من الغيب لا يعلمها إلا الله عز وجل: {إن الله عنده علم الساعة وينزل الغيث ويعلم ما في الأرحام وما تدري نفس ماذا تكسب غدا وما تدري نفس بأي أرض تموت إن الله عليم خبير} [لقمان: 34] " فقال السائل: يا رسول الله، إن شئت حدثتك بعلامتين تكونان قبلها؟ فقال: حدثني. فقال: " إذا رأيت الأمة تلد ربها ويطول أهل البنيان بالبنيان ، وعاد العالة الحفاة رءوس الناس " قال: ومن أولئك يا رسول الله؟ قال: العريب ". قال: ثم ولى، فلما لم نر طريقه بعد، قال: " سبحان الله - ثلاثا - هذا جبريل جاء ليعلم الناس دينهم، والذي نفس محمد بيده، ما جاءني قط إلا وأنا أعرفه، إلا أن يكون هذه المرة "