The Hadith
This is the second hadith of Imam an-Nawawi’s Forty Hadith, and it is known as the Hadith of Jibril [the angel Gabriel]. A stranger came to the Prophet ﷺ while the companions were sitting with him, asked him about Islam, Iman [faith] and Ihsan [excellence in worship], and about the Hour and its signs, and then left; and the Prophet ﷺ told them the questioner was Jibril, who had come to teach them their religion. The hadith [a report of what the Prophet ﷺ said or did] is printed below in the wording of the explanation this page follows, Shaykh al-Fawzan’s Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith. Further down, the same hadith is printed again in the wording of a second book in my library, so that it can be seen that this report does not rest on one book alone.
‘Umar bin Al-Khaṭṭāb – may Allah be pleased with him – said: One day, while we were sitting with Allah’s Messenger ﷺ, a man approached us with very white clothes and very dark hair. No trace of journey was seen on him and no one amongst us knew him. He proceeded and sat before the Prophet ﷺ; caused his knees to touch his knees, and placed his palms on his thighs. He then said: “O Muḥammad, tell me about Islam.” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ replied: “Islam is to testify that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muḥammad is Allah’s Messenger, establish
the prayers, give the Zakāh, fast in Ramaḍān, and perform the pilgrimage to the House if you find a means to it”. He (the stranger) said: “You have spoken the truth.” He (‘Umar) said: We (i.e. the companions) were astonished that he is asking (the Prophet ﷺ) and then affirming his truthfulness. He then asked, “Inform me about Īmān.” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ replied: “Īmān is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day, and Pre-ordainment – whether good or bad.” He (the stranger) said: “You have spoken the truth.”
He (i.e. the stranger) asked: “Inform me about Iḥsān.” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ replied: “It is to worship Allah as though you see Him, for even though you cannot see Him, He still sees you.” He said, “Inform me about the (Last) Hour.” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ replied: “The one being asked has no more knowledge about it than the one who is asking”. He asked: “Tell me then about its signs.” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “(From its signs are 🙂 that the slave girl will give birth to her mistress, and that you will see the barefoot, naked, and poor goat shepherds competing in erecting tall buildings”.
He (i.e. the stranger) then left, and after a long while, the Prophet ﷺ said: “O ‘Umar, do you know who was that questioner?” ‘Umar replied: “Allah and His Messenger know better.” Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “That was Jibrīl. He came to teach you your religion”. Collected by Muslim.
The book’s own footnote at “her mistress” reads: “Or ‘master’ as is in other wordings of the Ḥadīth.”
The Same Hadith in Another Book
The treatise at the heart of the Three Fundamental Principles quotes this same hadith as its proof from the Sunnah [the Prophet’s ﷺ example] for the three levels, reported from ‘Umar. In Shaykh Ibn Uthaymeen’s explanation of that treatise (Al-Hidaayah Publishing and Distribution, First Edition 1418 AH / 1997 CE, translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank), the hadith is printed in these words:
Whilst we were sitting in the presence of Allah’s Messenger ﷺ one day a man came to us having very white clothes and very black hair. No trace of having travelled was to be seen upon him, nor did any of us know him. So he came and sat down with the Prophet ﷺ and put his knees against his knees, and placed his palms upon his thighs and said: “O Muḥammad, inform me about Islaam.” So Allah’s Messenger ﷺ said: “Islaam is that you testify that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah, and that Muḥammad is the Messenger of Allah; establish the Prayer; pay the zakaat; fast Ramadaan; and perform pilgrimage (ḥajj) to the House if you are able to do so.”
He said: “You have spoken the truth.” So we were amazed at him asking him a question and then saying that he had spoken the truth. He said: “Then inform me about eemaan.” He said: “It is that you truly believe in Allah, His angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day; and that you truly believe in pre-decree – its good and its bad.” He said: “You have spoken the truth.” He said: “Then inform me about al-iḥsaan.” He said: “It is that you worship Allah as if you were seeing Him, and though you do not see Him then He certainly sees you.” He said: “Then inform me of the (Last) Hour.” He said: “The one who is asked about it knows no better than the one who is asking.” He said: “Then inform me about its signs.” He said: “That the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress; and that you will see the barefooted, unclothed and destitute shepherds competing in the building of tall buildings.” He said: so he left, and we remained for some time, then he ﷺ asked: “O ‘Umar, do you know who the questioner was? I replied: “Allah and His Messenger know best.” He said: “That was Jibreel, he came to you to teach you your Religion (Deen).”
Two translations, one hadith. The small differences between them are differences of translation, not of the report itself: where one book says “Pre-ordainment”, the other says “pre-decree”; where one says “poor goat shepherds”, the other says “destitute shepherds”.
Explanation (From Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan)
Shaykh al-Fawzan opens his commentary on this hadith with its rank:
This is a great Ḥadīth in which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ explained the Pillars of Islam and those of Īmān. In it, he also gave explanations on Al-Iḥsān and some of the signs of the Last Hour.
The rest of that opening paragraph, and the difference between the three levels themselves, are treated on What Is the Difference Between Islam, Iman and Ihsan?. This page keeps to the hadith itself and what it sets out.
At the beginning of the narration, ‘Umar described the man who came: his clothes were extremely white and his hair very black, yet no trace of travel was seen on him, and none of the companions knew him, and this caused their surprise. Of the companions in that sitting, the Shaykh writes:
The companions (رضي الله عنهم) have a practice of sitting with the Prophet ﷺ, learning and seeking guidance from him. They would ask him regarding the matters of their Dīn and their worldly affairs.
The man sat very close, his knees against the Prophet’s ﷺ knees, and placed his palms on his thighs. In this is the manner of a student sitting before his teacher when he comes to seek knowledge.
He first asked about Islam. The Prophet ﷺ explained that Islam is built on five:
- The testimony that none has the right to be worshipped except Allah and that Muhammad is His Messenger
- Establishing the prayer
- Giving the zakah [the obligatory charity]
- Fasting the month of Ramadan
- Performing pilgrimage to the House of Allah for whoever is able
These are the outward actions. Then he asked about Iman. The Prophet ﷺ explained that it is belief in:
- Allah
- His angels
- His books
- His messengers
- The Last Day
- The pre-decree, its good and its bad
These are the actions of the heart, and the six are treated in full on Pillars of Faith (Iman). When Islam and Iman are mentioned together in this hadith, Islam is the outward actions and Iman is the actions of the heart.
Then he asked about Ihsan: that a servant worships Allah as though he sees Him, and if he does not see Him, he knows that Allah sees him; worship done with sincerity, and with awareness that Allah observes him at all times. Then he asked about the Hour, and the Prophet ﷺ answered that the one asked about it knows no more than the one asking: knowledge of its time is with Allah alone. Then he asked about its signs, and two are named: that the slave girl will give birth to her mistress, and that barefoot, naked, poor shepherds will compete in erecting tall buildings. These are signs of changes in the condition of people before the Last Day comes.
After the man left, the Prophet ﷺ asked ‘Umar who the questioner was. ‘Umar said that Allah and His Messenger know best, and the Prophet ﷺ told him it was Jibril, who came in the form of a man to teach the people their religion. The Shaykh closes the same page of his commentary:
It became clear in the end that this man was Jibrīl (عليه السلام) who has come in this form.
References
The Explanation of Imam an-Nawawi’s 40 Hadith: Shaykh Salih al-Fawzan. Dar Makkah International. Hadith Two: the hadith text, printed pp. 33-34; commentary, printed p. 35. (The copy in my library has no title or copyright page, so no edition or translator is named for it.)
Explanation of the Three Fundamental Principles of Islaam: Shaykh Muhammad ibn Salih al-Uthaymeen. Al-Hidaayah Publishing and Distribution. First Edition, 1418 AH/1997 CE. Translated by Aboo Talhah Daawood ibn Ronald Burbank. The treatise text of the hadith, printed pp. 29-30.
Verified on 2026-10-24 against the books listed above.
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Related Reading
- Levels of Religion (Islam, Iman, Ihsan): the three levels this hadith names, gathered on one page.
- Foundations of Faith: the map of the subjects a Muslim learns first.