Hadith #232

Arabic Text

English Translation

It was narrated from 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (رضي الله عنه) — via Yahya, from Sufyan, from his father, from Abi Ya'la, from Rabi' ibn Khuthaym — from the Prophet ﷺ that he drew a square and drew a line through its middle, with lines alongside that central line, and a line extending outside the square. He said: Do you know what this is? They said: Allah and His Messenger know best. He said: This is the human being — the middle line. These lines beside it are the afflictions [a'rad] that assail him from every direction: if one misses him, another strikes him. The square is his appointed term [ajal] that surrounds him. And the extending line is his hope [amal].