On the authority of Omer
(1) (RadiAllahu anhu), who said:’One day while we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah (sallellahu alaihi wa sallam), there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black; no signs of journeying were to be seen on him and none of us knew him. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet (s.a.w.s.). Resting his knees against his (the Prophet’s) and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs, he said: ‘O Muhammed, tell me about Islam.’ The Messenger of Allah (sallellahu alaihi wa sallam) said: “Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammed is the Messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, to pay the Zakat
(2), to fast in Ramadhan, and to make the pilgrimage to the House
(3) if you are able to do so.”He said: ‘You have spoken rightly’, and we were amazed at him asking him (the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)) and saying that he had spoken rightly.He said: ‘Then, tell me about Iman.
(4)He (the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)) said: “It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in divine destiny, both the good and the evil thereof.” He said: ‘You have spoken rightly.’
He said: ‘Then, tell me about I’hsan.
(5)He (the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)) said: “It is to worship Allah as if you are seeing him, and while you see Him not yet truly He sees you.” He said: ‘Then, tell me about the hour’.
(6)He (the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)) said: “The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner.” He said: ‘Then, tell me about its signs.’ He (the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)) said: “That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress, and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings.”
(7) Then, he took himself off and I stayed for some time. Then he (the Prophet (s.a.w.s.)) said: “O Omer, do you know who the questioner was?” I said: ‘Allah and His Messenger know better.’ He said: “It was Jibril (Gabriel), who came to you to teach you your religion.”
This Hadith was related by Muslim.
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*Notes:*
This Hadith was translated by Ezzeddin Ibrahim and Denys Johnson-Davies (Abdul Wadoud), “An-Nawawi’s Forty Hadiths.” 1976. Dar Al-Manar.
1 Omer Bin Al-Khattab, the second Caliph.
2. Often rendered as alms-tax or poor due, it is a tax levied on a man’s wealth and distributed among the poor.
3. The Ka’aba and the Holy Mosque in Makkah.
4. Iman is generally rendered as religious belief or faith. However, being a fundamental term in Islam, the Arabic word has been retained.
5. In this context, the word ihsan has a special religious significance and any single rendering of it would be inadequate. Dictionary meaning for ihasan includes right actions, goodness, charity, sincerity, and the like. The root also means to master or be proficient at, and it is to be found in this meaning in Nawawi’s Hadith Number 17.
6. i.e. of the Day of Judgment.
7. This phrase has more than one interpretation. Among those given by An-Nawawi in his commentary is that slave girls will give birth to sons and daughters who will become free and so be masters of those who bore them. Thus, it can be interpreted as a prophecy about an end to slavery.