Hadith #600
Arabic Text
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا الْأَعْمَشُ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى وَالْمُدَّهِنِ فِيهَا كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا وَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلَاهَا فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي أ
َسْفَلِهَا يَصْعَدُونَ فَيَسْتَقُونَ الْمَاءَ فَيَصُبُّونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ فِي أَعْلَاهَا فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَعْلَاهَا لَا نَدَعُكُمْ تَصْعَدُونَ فَتُؤْذُونَنَا فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا فَإِنَّنَا نَنْقُبُهَا مِنْ أَسْفَلِهَا فَنَسْتَقِي قَالَ فَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ فَمَنَعُوهُمْ نَجَوْا جَمِيعًا وَإِنْ تَرَكُوهُمْ غَرِقُوا جَمِيعًا
Isnad Chain
أبو معاوية
الأعمش
الشعبي
النعمان بن بشير
English Translation
Abū Muʿāwiyah narrated to us, al-Aʿmash narrated to us, from al-Shaʿbī, from al-Nuʿmān ibn Bashīr رضي الله عنه who said: the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'The parable of the one who upholds Allah's limits and the one who is lenient about them is like people who drew lots on a ship at sea. Some got the lower deck and some got the upper. Those below would go up to fetch water and pour it on those above. Those above said: We won't let you come up and harm us. Those below said: We'll bore a hole in our part and get water.' He said: 'If they restrain them and stop them, they are all saved. If they leave them, they all drown.'
Topics
Reference: Musnad Ahmad, Book 34, Hadith 600
Sunnah.com ref: Musnad Ahmad 17638
Islam.wiki ID: IWH-54028