When Gabriel Came to Teach

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بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ جُلُوسٌ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَ سَلَّمَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيدٌ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ

While we were sitting in the presence of the Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, one day a man with very white clothes appeared to us.

شَدِيدُ سَوَادُ الشَّعْرِ لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ

His hair is intensely black; he shows no sign of travel, and none of us recognizes him.

حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

Until he sat down by the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إِلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ وَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِسْلَامِ

He rested his knees against his knees and placed his hands on his thighs, and said: 'O Muhammad, tell me about Islam.'

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه و سلم الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إلَهَ إلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ،

The Messenger of God, may God bless him and grant him peace, said: Islam is to bear witness that there is no deity worthy of worship except God and that Muhammad is the Messenger of God, and to establish the prayer.

وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنْ اِسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا

And give the obligatory charity, fast during Ramadan, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to find a way to it.

قَالَ صَدَقْتَ

He said: 'You have spoken the truth.'

فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ

We were astonished that he asked him and then affirmed him!

قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِيمَانِ

He said: 'Then tell me about faith.'

قَالَ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ

He said: 'It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in predestination, its good and its bad.'

قَالَ صَدَقْتَ

He said: 'You have spoken the truth.'

قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ الْإِحْسَانِ

He said: 'Then tell me about ihsan.'

قَالَ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ

He said: 'It is to worship Allah as if you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He surely sees you.'

قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنِ السَّاعَةِ

He said: 'Then tell me about the Hour (of Judgment).

قَالَ مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِلِ

He said, 'The one being asked does not know more about it than the one asking.'

قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَاتِهَا

He said, 'Then tell me about its signs.'

قَالَ أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ

He said, 'That a slave woman will give birth to her mistress, and that you will see barefoot, unclothed, destitute shepherds competing in erecting tall buildings.'

ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ فَلَبِثْتُ مَلِيًّا ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا عُمَرُ أَتَدْرِي مَنِ السَّائِلُ

Then he departed, and I stayed for a long period. Then he said: 'O Umar, do you know who the questioner was?'

قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ

I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know best.'

قَالَ فَإِنَّهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ

He said, 'Indeed, it was Gabriel who came to teach you your religion.'