Sahih al-Bukhari #3703
Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar)
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُمَرُ، أَنَّ سَالِمًا، حَدَّثَهُ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، قَالَ مَا سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ، لِشَىْءٍ قَطُّ يَقُولُ إِنِّي لأَظُنُّهُ كَذَا. إِلاَّ كَانَ كَمَا يَظُنُّ، بَيْنَمَا عُمَرُ جَالِسٌ إِذْ مَرَّ بِهِ رَجُلٌ جَمِيلٌ فَقَالَ لَقَدْ أَخْطَأَ ظَنِّي، أَوْ إِنَّ هَذَا عَلَى دِينِهِ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ، أَوْ لَقَدْ كَانَ كَاهِنَهُمْ، عَلَىَّ الرَّجُلَ، فَدُعِيَ لَهُ، فَقَالَ لَهُ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ مَا رَأَيْتُ كَالْيَوْمِ اسْتُقْبِلَ بِهِ رَجُلٌ مُسْلِمٌ، قَالَ فَإِنِّي أَعْزِمُ عَلَيْكَ إِلاَّ مَا أَخْبَرْتَنِي. قَالَ كُنْتُ كَاهِنَهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ. قَالَ فَمَا أَعْجَبُ مَا جَاءَتْكَ بِهِ جِنِّيَّتُكَ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا أَنَا يَوْمًا فِي السُّوقِ جَاءَتْنِي أَعْرِفُ فِيهَا الْفَزَعَ، فَقَالَتْ أَلَمْ تَرَ الْجِنَّ وَإِبْلاَسَهَا وَيَأْسَهَا مِنْ بَعْدِ إِنْكَاسِهَا وَلُحُوقَهَا بِالْقِلاَصِ وَأَحْلاَسِهَا قَالَ عُمَرُ صَدَقَ، بَيْنَمَا أَنَا عِنْدَ آلِهَتِهِمْ إِذْ جَاءَ رَجُلٌ بِعِجْلٍ فَذَبَحَهُ، فَصَرَخَ بِهِ صَارِخٌ، لَمْ أَسْمَعْ صَارِخًا قَطُّ أَشَدَّ صَوْتًا مِنْهُ يَقُولُ يَا جَلِيحْ، أَمْرٌ نَجِيحْ رَجُلٌ فَصِيحْ يَقُولُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ أَنْتَ. فَوَثَبَ الْقَوْمُ قُلْتُ لاَ أَبْرَحُ حَتَّى أَعْلَمَ مَا وَرَاءَ هَذَا ثُمَّ نَادَى يَا جَلِيحْ، أَمْرٌ نَجِيحْ، رَجُلٌ فَصِيحْ، يَقُولُ لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ اللَّهُ. فَقُمْتُ فَمَا نَشِبْنَا أَنْ قِيلَ هَذَا نَبِيٌّ.
I never heard `Umar saying about something that he thought it would be so-and-so, but he was quite
right. Once, while `Umar was sitting, a handsome man passed by him, `Umar said, "If I am not wrong,
this person is still on his religion of the pre-lslamic period of ignorance or he was their foreteller. Call
the man to me." When the man was called to him, he told him of his thought. The man said, "I have
never seen such a day on which a Muslim is faced with such an accusation." `Umar said, "I am
determined that you should tell me the truth." He said, "I was a foreteller in the pre-lslamic period of
ignorance." Then `Umar said, "Tell me the most astonishing thing your female Jinn has told you of."
He said, "One-day while I was in the market, she came to me scared and said, 'Haven't you seen the
Jinns and their despair and they were overthrown after their defeat (and prevented from listening to
the news of the heaven) so that they (stopped going to the sky and) kept following camel-riders (i.e.
'Arabs)?" `Umar said, "He is right." and added, "One day while I was near their idols, there came a
man with a calf and slaughtered it as a sacrifice (for the idols). An (unseen) creature shouted at him,
and I have never heard harsher than his voice. He was crying, 'O you bold evil-doer! A matter of
success! An eloquent man is saying: None has the right to be worshipped except you (O Allah).' On
that the people fled, but I said, 'I shall not go away till I know what is behind this.' Then the cry came
again: 'O you bold evil-doer! A matter of success! An eloquent man is saying: None has the right to be
worshipped except Allah.' I then went away and a few days later it was said, "A prophet has
appeared."
Narrated by Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:
Context
This narration illustrates an interaction between `Umar and a man who was accused of being a foreteller in the pre-Islamic period. `Umar's inquiry and the man's candid response reveal the importance of truthfulness and the Prophet's (ﷺ) recognition of the past. This moment emphasizes the transition from ignorance to the guidance of Islam and the importance of honesty in one's past.
Modern Application
In modern contexts, this hadith encourages individuals to be honest about their pasts and to embrace the transformative power of faith. It highlights the importance of acknowledging one's history while striving for a better future.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Prophetic Warning and Divine Revelation because it reflects the Prophet's (ﷺ) awareness of past practices and the significance of truthfulness in the context of divine guidance.
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سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ
Yusuf (Joseph)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
فَلَمَّآ أَن جَآءَ ٱلْبَشِيرُ أَلْقَىٰهُ عَلَىٰ وَجْهِهِۦ فَٱرْتَدَّ بَصِيرًۭا ۖ قَالَ أَلَمْ أَقُل لَّكُمْ إِنِّىٓ أَعْلَمُ مِنَ ٱللَّهِ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ
And when the bearer of good tidings arrived, he cast it over his face, and he returned [once again] seeing. He said, "Did I not tell you that I know from Allah that which you do not know?"
سُورَةُ الأَعۡرَافِ
Al-A'raaf (The Heights)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
قُل لَّآ أَمْلِكُ لِنَفْسِى نَفْعًۭا وَلَا ضَرًّا إِلَّا مَا شَآءَ ٱللَّهُ ۚ وَلَوْ كُنتُ أَعْلَمُ ٱلْغَيْبَ لَٱسْتَكْثَرْتُ مِنَ ٱلْخَيْرِ وَمَا مَسَّنِىَ ٱلسُّوٓءُ ۚ إِنْ أَنَا۠ إِلَّا نَذِيرٌۭ وَبَشِيرٌۭ لِّقَوْمٍۢ يُؤْمِنُونَ
Say, "I hold not for myself [the power of] benefit or harm, except what Allah has willed. And if I knew the unseen, I could have acquired much wealth, and no harm would have touched me. I am not except a warner and a bringer of good tidings to a people who believe."
سُورَةُ الجِنِّ
Al-Jinn (The Jinn)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
قُلْ أُوحِىَ إِلَىَّ أَنَّهُ ٱسْتَمَعَ نَفَرٌۭ مِّنَ ٱلْجِنِّ فَقَالُوٓا۟ إِنَّا سَمِعْنَا قُرْءَانًا عَجَبًۭا
Say, [O Muhammad], "It has been revealed to me that a group of the jinn listened and said, 'Indeed, we have heard an amazing Qur'an.
سُورَةُ عَبَسَ
Abasa (He frowned)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّهُۥ يَزَّكَّىٰٓ
But what would make you perceive, [O Muhammad], that perhaps he might be purified
سُورَةُ يُونُسَ
Yunus (Jonas)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
أَكَانَ لِلنَّاسِ عَجَبًا أَنْ أَوْحَيْنَآ إِلَىٰ رَجُلٍۢ مِّنْهُمْ أَنْ أَنذِرِ ٱلنَّاسَ وَبَشِّرِ ٱلَّذِينَ ءَامَنُوٓا۟ أَنَّ لَهُمْ قَدَمَ صِدْقٍ عِندَ رَبِّهِمْ ۗ قَالَ ٱلْكَٰفِرُونَ إِنَّ هَٰذَا لَسَٰحِرٌۭ مُّبِينٌ
Have the people been amazed that We revealed [revelation] to a man from among them, [saying], "Warn mankind and give good tidings to those who believe that they will have a [firm] precedence of honor with their Lord"? [But] the disbelievers say, "Indeed, this is an obvious magician."
Common Words
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أن4x
من3x
ٱلله3x
قال2x
أعلم2x
ما2x
لا2x
قل2x
إلا2x
وما2x
إن2x
إلى2x
عجبا2x
فلما1x
جاء1x
ٱلبشير1x
ألقىه1x
على1x
وجهه1x
فٱرتد1x
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About Sahih al-Bukhari
This hadith is #3703 from Sahih al-Bukhari, in the Book of Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar). It is graded Sahih and narrated by Narrated `Abdullah bin `Umar:.