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BASICS OF ISLAM

61

“We (the Companions) were sitting with the Holy Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, one day, when a unknown inquirer appeared to us. His clothes were brilliantly white, his hair jet black but there was no sign of traveling upon him. He sat down in front of the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, and their knees touched. Placing his hands on his thighs he said: ‘Prophet Muhammad, praise and peace be upon him, tell me about Islam.’ The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘Islam is that you bear witness that there is no god except Allah, and that Muhammad is His Messenger, and that you establish the prayer, pay the obligatory charity, fast the month of Ramadan and make the Pilgrimage to the House (the Ka’bah in Mecca) if you can afford it.’ Then to our surprise the man confirmed the correctness of the answer saying: ‘That is correct’.

Then the inquirer said: ‘Tell me about faith.’ To this the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘It is that you believe in Allah, His Angels, His Books, His Messengers, the Last Day, and that you believe in predestination (that which Allah has decreed).’ Again the inquirer said: ‘That is correct, now tell me about Perfection.’ The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘It is that you worship Allah as if you are seeing Him, and if you do not see Him, know that He is watching you.’ The inquirer asked again: ‘Tell me about the Hour of Judgement.’ The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘He who is being asked knows no more about it than the one who asks.’ So the inquirer asked: ‘Tell me about some of the signs of its approach.’ To this the Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, replied: ‘The female slave will give birth to her master, and the bare-footed, naked, penniless goat-herders will live arrogantly in high mansions.’

Then the man departed, and I remained for a while. The Prophet, praise and peace be upon him, asked me: ‘Umar, do you know who the inquirer was?’ I replied: ‘Allah and His Messenger, praise and peace be upon him, know best.’ So he told me: ‘It was Gabriel

who came to teach you your Religion.’”

Muslim with a chain up to Omar son of Khattab who related this.