Encyclopedia of Prophetic Hadiths

The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) recited this verse: {It is He Who has sent down to you the Book. In it are definite verses, which are the foundation of the Book, while others are ambiguous. Those with deviant hearts follow the ambiguous verses, seeking discord and seeking their [false] interpretation. But no one knows their [true] interpretation except Allah. And those who are well-grounded in knowledge say: "We believe in it. It is all from our Lord." None will take heed except people of understanding} [Surat Āl ‘Imrān: 7]. Then, he said: "If you see those who follow the ambiguous verses, they are those whom Allah has named; so, beware of them."

"The trials are presented to the hearts, like a reed mat, stick by stick. Any heart that absorbs them, a black spot will be marked in it, and any heart that rejects them, a white spot will be marked in it, until the hearts become two: one white, like a smooth rock, untouched by any trial as long as the heavens and the earth remain, and the other black and discolored, like a jug, turned upside down, not acknowledging what is good nor rejecting what is evil, except for what it has absorbed of its desires." Hudhayfah said: I informed him that between you and them is a closed door, which is about to be broken. ‘Umar said: Will it be a break, may you have no father? If it were opened, perhaps it would have been restored. I said: No, it will be broken. I informed him that this door is a man who will either be killed or die, a speech that is not full of falsehoods. Abu Khālid said: I said to Sa‘d: O Abu Mālik, what is "black and discolored"? He said: It is extreme whiteness mixed with blackness. He said: I said: What is "a jug turned upside down"? He said: Turned over.

"I am not leaving behind a more harmful trial for men than women."