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 son of Adam does not fill any vessel worse than his stomach. It is enough for the son of Adam to eat a few mouthfuls to straighten his back, but if he must (fill his stomach), then one-third for his food, one-third for his drink, and one-third for his breath."

"Do not seek knowledge in order to show off in front of the scholars, or to argue with the foolish; or to get the higher status in gatherings. Whoever does that, the Fire, the Fire."

"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."

"None of you (truly) believes until his personal desire complies with what I have come with."

"Allah has given a parable: a straight path that is surrounded by two walls on both sides, with several open doors within the walls covered with curtains. There is a caller on the gate of the path who says: 'O people, enter the path, all of you, and do not deviate from it.' Meanwhile, a caller from above the path is also warning any person who wants to open any of these doors: 'Woe unto you! Do not open it, for if you open it, you will pass through.' The path is Islam, the two walls are the limits set by Allah, and the open doors are Allah's prohibitions. The caller on the gate of the path is the Book of Allah, while the caller above the path is Allah's admonishment in the heart of every Muslim."