Hadith 2: the hadith of Jibril

The account. 'Umar ibn al-Khaṭṭaab said: one day, we were sitting with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a man appeared, with very white clothes and very black hair. No sign of travel could be seen on him, and none of us knew him. He sat facing the Prophet ﷺ, knee to knee, and asked questions.

The full Arabic text: [TEXTE ARABE À INSÉRER : hadith n° 2 d'An-Nawawi, Muslim 8, texte intégral]

His questions and the answers (meaning): • "Tell me about Islam." "Islam is to bear witness that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, to establish the prayer, to give zakat, to fast Ramadan and to make the pilgrimage to the House if you are able." The man said: "You have spoken truly." We were surprised: he asks the question, then confirms the answer! • "Tell me about faith (iimaan)." "It is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and to believe in destiny, its good and its bad." • "Tell me about excellence (iḥsaan)." أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ "It is to worship Allah as if you see Him; and if you do not see Him, He sees you." • "Tell me about the Hour." "The one asked knows no more about it than the one asking." Then he gave some of its signs. Then the man left. The Prophet ﷺ said to 'Umar: "That was Jibril, who came to teach you your religion."

Source: hadith no. 2 of An-Nawawi. Reported by Muslim (no. 8).

What we take from it: • The religion has three levels: Islam (actions: the five pillars), iimaan (faith of the heart: the six pillars), iḥsaan (the quality of worship). • Even the most knowledgeable can say "I do not know": the Prophet ﷺ did not know the date of the Hour, and he said so simply. • Good manners for learning: Jibril came clean, well dressed, sat close to the teacher and asked good questions. Asking questions is part of learning.

And you? Iḥsaan is praying as if you saw Allah. In your next prayer, what could help you be a little more present (the place, your phone, the time you take)?

Understanding the lesson

Explanation This hadith is so complete that some scholars have called it "the mother of the Sunnah" [À VÉRIFIER : attribution de l'expression]. In a few questions, it presents the whole religion.

The three levels are not three different religions: they are circles one inside the other. Islam is the visible acts. Iman is the faith that brings them to life from the inside. Ihsan is the highest quality, when we worship Allah fully aware that He sees us. Whoever reaches ihsan also has iman and islam.

The question about the Hour is instructive. The Prophet ﷺ does not turn it into calculations or fears: he simply says he does not know its date. On another day, a man asked him: "When will the Hour come?" He answered: "And what have you prepared for it?" (Bukhari 3688, Muslim 2639). What matters is not the date but the preparation.

Lessons to draw from it • I grow my religion on three levels: my acts, my faith, and the quality of my worship. • I am not ashamed to say "I don't know", and I ask questions in order to learn. • Rather than worrying about the end of the world, I ask myself what I am preparing. • I adopt the good manners of a student: cleanliness, attention, respect for the teacher.

Key points to remember • Islam: the five pillars; iman: the six pillars of faith; ihsan: worshipping Allah as if you saw Him (Muslim 8). • "That was Jibril, who came to teach you your religion."

The main message The religion is lived on three levels, and the highest is to live knowing that Allah sees us.