الحمد لله، الحمد لله الذي هدانا لهذا وما كنا لنهتدي لولا أن هدانا الله، نحمده ونستعينه، ونستغفره ونشكره وَنُؤْمِنُ بِهِ ونَتَوَكَّلُ عَلَيْهِ ،و نعوذ بالله من شرور أنفسنا ومن سيئات أعمالنا، من يهده الله فلا مضل له، ومن يضلل فلا هادي له ونشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له، له الملك و له الحمد، يحيي ويميت، بيده الخير، وهو على كل شيء قدير، ونشهد أن سيدنا و مولانا محمداً عبده ورسوله، بلغ الرسالة وأدى الأمانة ونصح الأمة، وكشف الغمة، وجاهد في الله حق جهاده حتى أتاه اليقين ، اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين، ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيا عباد الله اتقوا الله حق تقاته ولا تموتن إلا وأنتم مسلمون. يأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله وقولوا قولا سديدا يصلح لكم أعمالكم ويغفر لكم ذنوبكم. ومن يطع الله ورسوله فقد فاز فوزا عظيما
قال الله تعالى في كتابه الكريم: قُلْ مَن كَانَ عَدُوًّا لِجِبْرِيلَ فَإِنَّهُ نَزَّلَهُ عَلَىٰ قَلْبِكَ بِإِذْنِ ٱللَّهِ مُصَدِّقًۭا لِّمَا بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ وَهُدًۭى وَبُشْرَىٰ لِلْمُؤْمِنِينَ
“Say to them, ‘Whoever is an enemy to Jibreel should understand that it is he who has brought the Qur’an down upon your heart, by permission of Allah, confirming that which was before it and as guidance and good tidings for the believers.” (2:97)
There is only one major incident in the seerah of the Prophet ﷺ where a large number of companions had the privilege and honour to encounter the angel, being Jibreel, which produced the most famous hadith in Islam, which came to be known as Hadith Jibreel.
This hadith is often referred to as the Umm al-Sunnah—the Mother of the Sunnah just as the al-Fatiha is referred to Umm al-Qur’an—because it encapsulates the very essence of Islam. This hadith was narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab but there are numerous other narrations that give us additional details.
عن عُمَر بْن الْخَطَّابِ قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ
Sayyiduna Umar (RA) narrates that once we were sitting with the messenger of Allah ﷺ
إِذْ طَلَعَ عَلَيْنَا رَجُلٌ شَدِيدُ بَيَاضِ الثِّيَابِ شَدِيدُ سَوَادِ الشَّعَرِ لَا يُرَى عَلَيْهِ أَثَرُ السَّفَرِ وَلَا يَعْرِفُهُ مِنَّا
Suddenly, a man appeared, he was handsome and had a scent of musk according to another narration (pay attention to the description of the man) his clothes were exceedingly white and his hair was jet-black black, it did not appear like he was a traveller and none of us knew who he was, which is extremely strange since they knew everyone in al-Madinah (1000+ small village). So it attracted their attention.
حَتَّى جَلَسَ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَأَسْنَدَ رُكْبَتَيْهِ إِلَى رُكْبَتَيْهِ وَوَضَعَ كَفَّيْهِ عَلَى فَخِذَيْهِ
In another narration it was said that before He approached the prophet ﷺ, he greeted “Assalamu alayka ya Muhammad and the prophet responds with salam and then asks can I come closer to you, the prophet says come close, he asks three times can I come closer and the prophet responds come close until eventually he comes right in front of the prophet ﷺ and sat (look at the way he sat) he came in front of the prophet and sat with his knees touching the knees of the prophet ﷺ, so close to him, and even stranger he put his own hands on the thighs of the prophet ﷺ – something the companions would never do. The idea was to pull more attention to himself and to the conversation that would follow. He then proceeded to ask a series of questions that would ultimately define the entire structure of the deen.
وَقَالَ يَا مُحَمَّدُ أَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِسْلَامِ
Then he said, O Muhammad tell me about Islam (it is important to remember that Islam has a technical meaning and a general meaning, generally it refers to the deen and technically it means submitting ones limbs and actions to the Will of Allah, which is what is meant here)
فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَشْهَدَ أَنْ لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا اللَّهُ وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ وَتُؤْتِيَ الزَّكَاةَ وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ وَتَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ إِنْ اسْتَطَعْتَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا
The Prophet ﷺ responded by listing the five pillars: to testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad ﷺ is His messenger, to establish prayer, to give zakat, to fast in Ramadan, and to perform Hajj if able. First submit your tongue, your words are actions Imam Malik said that if you have intelligence your words diminish because you are taken to account for your actions, Second submit your body – the Jumu’ah is a fard replacing the fard of thuhr, the khutbah is like the first two rak’as of thuhr, if you enter the mosque and the salah has begun, would you persist in performing your tahiyatul masjid?! would you put a sunnah over a fard?! Do not use your phones during Jumu’ah, submit!, Third submit your wealth, Fourth submit your desires, Finally submit your identity – you are Muslim!
قَالَ صَدَقْتَ
This man sitting in front of the companions said that’s right, you’re telling the truth – so this is more interesting, attracting the attention of the companions even more.
قَالَ فَعَجِبْنَا لَهُ يَسْأَلُهُ وَيُصَدِّقُهُ
Omar even comments on this by saying we found it extremely strange that he asks the question then comments that you’re right. Because usually if you’re asking, your seeking knowledge, but the man is telling the prophet you’re correct, you’re telling the truth as if he is testing him.
قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِيمَانِ
Then he says: Tell me about Eman,
قَالَ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِاللَّهِ وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ وَكُتُبِهِ وَرُسُلِهِ وَالْيَوْمِ الْآخِرِ وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْقَدَرِ خَيْرِهِ وَشَرِّهِ قَالَ صَدَقْتَ
The prophet proceeded to define Eman. (You cannot explain in words what Eman is, the next best thing is to explain the objects of belief. According to the ulema, Eman itself is tasdeeq al-qalb – the affirmation of the heart that fuels our actions.) He said that it is to believe in Allah, His angels, His books, His messengers, the Last Day and to believe in predestination, both its sweetness and bitterness or out another way, its good and evil. He said: that’s right, you are telling the truth.
Imam Muslim mentions that the son of ibn Umar actually narrated this hadith when a new sect emerged from Iraq who denied qadr – qadariyyahs. So he narrated it in order to refute this sect.
predestination reminds us that life is filled with both ease and difficulty, and everything unfolds according to Allah’s plan. Shaykh Hamza Yusuf explains that Muslims believe that good and evil are creations of Allah. Allah is above good and evil in terms of the scales by which we judge them. That is why we have been given standards, killing is bad. We do not kill. Stealing is bad. We do not steal. But there are other instances where stealing becomes acceptable, which means that the act in of itself it not evil, what is evil is the reason and intention behind it.
قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ الْإِحْسَانِ
Thereafter he said: Tell me about Ihsan: Ihsan means making something beautiful, but here it represents the spiritual dimension of Islam. It means the extra. Beyond Islam and Beyond Eman.
قَالَ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللَّهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ
When asked about Ihsan, the Prophet ﷺ replied: “It is to worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you do not see Him, then know that He sees you.”
This definition of Ihsan encapsulates the spiritual dimension of Islam beautifully. While Islam is about outward actions and Iman is about inner belief, Ihsan is about perfecting both by being ever-conscious of Allah’s presence. Imagine if we approached our daily tasks—work, family responsibilities, or even moments of leisure—with the awareness that Allah is watching us. This mindfulness would elevate every action, making it an act of devotion.
قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ السَّاعَةِ
Jibreel then asked about the Hour (the Day of Judgment), and the Prophet ﷺ responded,
قَالَ مَا الْمَسْئُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنْ السَّائِلِ
“The one being asked knows no more than the one asking.” This tells us that the knowledge of the Day of Judgment is exclusive to Allah, which is important because it reminds us of the limits of human knowledge.
قَالَ فَأَخْبِرْنِي عَنْ أَمَارَتِهَا
Jibreel then asked about its signs,
قَالَ أَنْ تَلِدَ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّتَهَا وَأَنْ تَرَى الْحُفَاةَ الْعُرَاةَ الْعَالَةَ رِعَاءَ الشَّاءِ يَتَطَاوَلُونَ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ
and the Prophet ﷺ mentioned: “When a slave gives birth to her mistress, and when you see barefoot, destitute shepherds competing in building tall buildings.”
The ulema have always considered this a very unusual statement: There are 3 dominant interpretations: The 1st interpretation is that mistress means master. The 2nd is that it is the turning upside down of social order, right becomes wrong and wrong becomes right, it is supposed to be the slave girl who gives birth to her master, but it is an inversion to reality, using incorrect names to identify things, a psychosis of sorts whereby you see the slave girl give birth to her mistress instead of her master. The 3rd interpretation is that children will become completely rebellious against their parents. In today’s world, these signs are ever more evident.
قَالَ ثُمَّ انْطَلَقَ فَلَبِثْتُ مَلِيًّا ثُمَّ قَالَ لِي يَا عُمَرُ أَتَدْرِي مَنْ السَّائِلُ
Umar said that the man turned around and left. We waited for a bit then the prophet said: Oh Umar, do you know who the questioner was?
قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ
I said: Allah and his messenger know
قَالَ فَإِنَّهُ جِبْرِيلُ أَتَاكُمْ يُعَلِّمُكُمْ دِينَكُمْ
The prophet divulged the secret and told them that it was Jibreel who came to teach you your religion. Even today, there is a door in the Masjid Nabawi called, Bab Jibreel because it is where Jibreel entered the Mosque in this incident.
أقول قولي هذا وأستغفر الله لي ولكم ولسائر المسلمين من كل ذنب فاستغفروه إنه هو الغفور الرَّحيم
الحمد لله الحمد لله رب العالمين، وأشهد أن لا إله إلا الله وحده لا شريك له وأشهد أن محمداً عبده ورسوله، أرسله بشيرا ونذيرا بين يدي الساعة اللهم صلِّ وسلم وبارك عليه وعلى آله وأصحابه أجمعين، ومن تبعهم بإحسان إلى يوم الدين.
أما بعد! فيأيها الذين ءامنوا اتقوا الله ما استطعتم واسمعوا وأطيعوا وأنفقوا خيرا لأنفسكم. يا عباد الله أوصيكم وإياي بتقوى الله وطاعته
When Jibreel appeared, his physical appearance alone was enough to captivate the companions. They were struck by his immaculate clothing and unfamiliar presence, yet he bore no signs of travel, indicating his otherworldly nature. Even after he left, the Prophet ﷺ prompted some companions to search for him, but he had vanished as suddenly as he appeared.
The scholars are agreement that hadith Jibreel is the most important hadith because it lays out the very structure of our deen—Shaykh Muhammad Ya’qoobi sums it up for us: Islam (the law), Eman (the creed), Ihsan (the spiritual dimension) and the signs of the hour (eschatology)—and is remarkable not only for its content but for the profound method in which it was conveyed.
In today’s world, where people often seek shortcuts in their spirituality or reduce religion to either its outward rituals or abstract beliefs, this hadith serves as a reminder of the balance Islam requires. It teaches us that Islam is not just a set of rules, nor is it merely a belief system; rather, it is a way of life that encompasses law, creed, spirituality, and preparation for the Hereafter. It calls upon us to engage in each dimension sincerely and holistically.
Ya ibadaAllah, it is our duty to embody this balance in our lives—to perform our acts of worship with sincerity, to hold firm to our beliefs, to constantly strive for spiritual excellence, and to prepare ourselves for the meeting with Allah.
May Allah grant us the understanding of this beautiful way of life, allow us to practice its teachings, and make us of those who achieve Ihsan in all aspects of our lives. May we meet Allah with hearts full of Eman, actions rooted in Islam, and a soul that has striven for Ihsan.
إِنَّ اللهَ وَمَلَائِكَتَهُ يُصَلُّونَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ، يَا أَيُهَا الذِينَ آمَنُواْ صَلُّواْ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلِّمُواْ تَسْلِيماً.
اللَّهُمَّ صَلِّ وَسَلِّمْ وَبَارِكْ عَلَيْهِ وَعَلَى آلِهِ وَصَحْبِهِ أَجْمَعِينَ. وَارْضَ اللَّهُمَّ عَنِ الْخُلَفَاءِ الرَّاشِدِينَ أَبِي بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرَ وَعُثْمَانَ وَعَلِيٍّ، وعن أم المومنين عائشة التي أمرنا الله في سورة النور أن ندافع عنها، وَعَنْ سَائِرِ الصَّحَابَةِ أَجْمَعِينَ، خُصُوصاً اِلأَنْصَارَ مِنْهُمْ وَالمُهَاجِرِينَ، وَعَنِ التَّابِعِينَ وَتَابِعِي التَّابِعِينَ وَمَنْ تَبِعَهُمْ بِإِحْسَانٍ إِلَى يَوْمِ الدِّينِ.
اللَّهُمَّ اهْدِ وُلَاةَ أُمُورِ المُسْلِمِينَ لِمَا يُرْضِيكَ وَلِاتِّبَاعِ سُنَّةِ نَبِيِّكَ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَثَبِّتْ أَقْدَامَهُمْ عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ المُسْتَقِيمِ، وَأَصْلِحْهُمْ يَا رَبَّ الْعَالَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى شُيُوخِنَا، وَعَلَى رئيسنا، وَعَلَى أَمِيرِنَا، وَعَلَى جَمِيعِ أُمَرَاءِ وَزُعَمَاءِ المُسْلِمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ بَارِكْ عَلَى المُسْلِمِينَ فِي هَذِهِ المَدِينَةِ، وَوَفِّقْهُمْ لِمَا تُحِبُّهُ وَتَرْضَاهُ يَا أَكْرَمَ الأَكْرَمِينَ.
اللَّهُمَّ أَعِزَّ الإِسْلَامَ وَالمُسِْلمِينَ، ربنا آتنا في الدنيا حسنة وفي الآخرة حسنة وقنا عذاب النار.
إِنَّ اللهَ يَامُرُ بِالْعَدْلِ وَالإِحْسَانِ وَإِيتَاءِ ذِي الْقُرْبَى، وَيَنْهَى عَنِ الْفَحْشَاءِ وَالمُنكَرِ وَالْبَغْيِ، يَعِظُكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَذَّكَّرُونَ، وَلَذِكْرُ اللهِ أَكْبَرُ وَاللهُ يَعْلَمُ مَا تَصْنَعُونَ. وَقُومُواْ إِلَى صَلاتِكُمْ يَرْحَمُكُمُ اللهُ.