The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو النُّعْمَانِ، حَدَّثَنَا مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ، سَمِعْتُ مُحَمَّدَ بْنَ سِيرِينَ، يُحَدِّثُ عَنْ مَعْبَدِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " يَخْرُجُ نَاسٌ مِنْ قِبَلِ الْمَشْرِقِ وَيَقْرَءُونَ الْقُرْآنَ لاَ يُجَاوِزُ تَرَاقِيَهُمْ، يَمْرُقُونَ مِنَ الدِّينِ كَمَا يَمْرُقُ السَّهْمُ مِنَ الرَّمِيَّةِ، ثُمَّ لاَ يَعُودُونَ فِيهِ حَتَّى يَعُودَ السَّهْمُ إِلَى فُوقِهِ ". قِيلَ مَا سِيمَاهُمْ. قَالَ " سِيمَاهُمُ التَّحْلِيقُ ". أَوْ قَالَ " التَّسْبِيدُ ".
The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "There will emerge from the East some people who will recite the Qur'an but it will
not exceed their throats and who will go out of (renounce) the religion (Islam) as an arrow passes
through the game, and they will never come back to it unless the arrow, comes back to the middle of
the bow (by itself) (i.e., impossible). The people asked, "What will their signs be?" He said, "Their
sign will be the habit of shaving (of their beards and their heads). (Fath-ul-Bari, Page 322, Vol. 17th)
Narrated by Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:
Context
In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) warns of a group that will emerge from the East, reciting the Quran but lacking true understanding. He describes their departure from the faith as akin to an arrow leaving its bow, emphasizing the seriousness of straying from true beliefs. This serves as a caution against superficial practice without comprehension.
Modern Application
Today, this hadith serves as a reminder to engage deeply with religious texts and teachings, ensuring that one's understanding is profound rather than superficial. It encourages believers to seek knowledge and avoid mere ritualism.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Warning and Divine Revelation because it alerts believers to the dangers of superficial engagement with faith and the importance of genuine understanding.
The foolish among the people will say, "What has turned them away from their qiblah, which they used to face?" Say, "To Allah belongs the east and the west. He guides whom He wills to a straight path."
And leave those who take their religion as amusement and diversion and whom the worldly life has deluded. But remind with the Qur'an, lest a soul be given up to destruction for what it earned; it will have other than Allah no protector and no intercessor. And if it should offer every compensation, it would not be taken from it. Those are the ones who are given to destruction for what they have earned. For them will be a drink of scalding water and a painful punishment because they used to disbelieve.
Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah; and those with him are forceful against the disbelievers, merciful among themselves. You see them bowing and prostrating [in prayer], seeking bounty from Allah and [His] pleasure. Their mark is on their faces from the trace of prostration. That is their description in the Torah. And their description in the Gospel is as a plant which produces its offshoots and strengthens them so they grow firm and stand upon their stalks, delighting the sowers - so that Allah may enrage by them the disbelievers. Allah has promised those who believe and do righteous deeds among them forgiveness and a great reward.
This hadith is #7276 from Sahih al-Bukhari, in the Book of Oneness, Uniqueness of Allah (Tawheed). It is graded Sahih and narrated by Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:.