The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَادَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَزِيدُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ ـ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ـ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مِينَاءَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَوْ، سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ جَاءَتْ مَلاَئِكَةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ نَائِمٌ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَةٌ وَالْقَلْبَ يَقْظَانُ. فَقَالُوا إِنَّ لِصَاحِبِكُمْ هَذَا مَثَلاً فَاضْرِبُوا لَهُ مَثَلاً. فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَةٌ وَالْقَلْبَ يَقْظَانُ. فَقَالُوا مَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ بَنَى دَارًا، وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا مَأْدُبَةً وَبَعَثَ دَاعِيًا، فَمَنْ أَجَابَ الدَّاعِيَ دَخَلَ الدَّارَ وَأَكَلَ مِنَ الْمَأْدُبَةِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبِ الدَّاعِيَ لَمْ يَدْخُلِ الدَّارَ وَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ مِنَ الْمَأْدُبَةِ. فَقَالُوا أَوِّلُوهَا لَهُ يَفْقَهْهَا فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ. وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَةٌ وَالْقَلْبَ يَقْظَانُ. فَقَالُوا فَالدَّارُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَالدَّاعِي مُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَمَنْ أَطَاعَ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ، وَمَنْ عَصَى مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَدْ عَصَى اللَّهَ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ. تَابَعَهُ قُتَيْبَةُ عَنْ لَيْثٍ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Some angels came to the Prophet (ﷺ) while he was sleeping. Some of them said, "He is sleeping." Others
said, "His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake." Then they said, "There is an example for this
companion of yours." One of them said, "Then set forth an example for him." Some of them said, "He
is sleeping." The others said, "His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake." Then they said, "His
example is that of a man who has built a house and then offered therein a banquet and sent an inviter
(messenger) to invite the people. So whoever accepted the invitation of the inviter, entered the house
and ate of the banquet, and whoever did not accept the invitation of the inviter, did not enter the
house, nor did he eat of the banquet." Then the angels said, "Interpret this example to him so that he
may understand it." Some of them said, "He is sleeping.'' The others said, "His eyes are sleeping but
his heart is awake." And then they said, "The houses stands for Paradise and the call maker is
Muhammad; and whoever obeys Muhammad, obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys Muhammad,
disobeys Allah. Muhammad separated the people (i.e., through his message, the good is distinguished
from the bad, and the believers from the disbelievers).
Narrated by Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:
Context
In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) shares a parable about a man who built a house and invited people to a banquet, symbolizing the invitation to Paradise. The message underscores the importance of responding to divine guidance and the consequences of acceptance or rejection. The takeaway is the significance of heeding the call of the Prophet as a means to attain salvation.
Modern Application
This teaching is relevant today as it encourages individuals to actively seek and respond to spiritual guidance. It serves as a reminder that engaging with faith can lead to fulfillment and a sense of belonging.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Prophetic Teachings and Divine Revelation because it illustrates the role of the Prophet as a guide to the path of righteousness.
[Remember, O Muhammad], when Allah showed them to you in your dream as few; and if He had shown them to you as many, you [believers] would have lost courage and would have disputed in the matter [of whether to fight], but Allah saved [you from that]. Indeed, He is Knowing of that within the breasts.
Then after distress, He sent down upon you security [in the form of] drowsiness, overcoming a faction of you, while another faction worried about themselves, thinking of Allah other than the truth - the thought of ignorance, saying, "Is there anything for us [to have done] in this matter?" Say, "Indeed, the matter belongs completely to Allah." They conceal within themselves what they will not reveal to you. They say, "If there was anything we could have done in the matter, some of us would not have been killed right here." Say, "Even if you had been inside your houses, those decreed to be killed would have come out to their death beds." [It was] so that Allah might test what is in your breasts and purify what is in your hearts. And Allah is Knowing of that within the breasts.
If you do not aid the Prophet - Allah has already aided him when those who disbelieved had driven him out [of Makkah] as one of two, when they were in the cave and he said to his companion, "Do not grieve; indeed Allah is with us." And Allah sent down his tranquillity upon him and supported him with angels you did not see and made the word of those who disbelieved the lowest, while the word of Allah - that is the highest. And Allah is Exalted in Might and Wise.
They will say, "O woe to us! Who has raised us up from our sleeping place?" [The reply will be], "This is what the Most Merciful had promised, and the messengers told the truth."
This hadith is #7005 from Sahih al-Bukhari, in the Book of Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah. It is graded Sahih and narrated by Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:.