1/65. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 144a — Fitnah and the Heart
Clarifying that Islam started as something strange, and will revert to being something strange, and it will retreat between the two Masajid
Hadith About Fitnah: How Trials Affect the Heart
Sahih Muslim : 144a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 144a
وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ، - يَعْنِي سُلَيْمَانَ بْنَ حَيَّانَ - عَنْ سَعْدِ بْنِ طَارِقٍ، عَنْ رِبْعِيٍّ، عَنْ حُذَيْفَةَ، قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ أَيُّكُمْ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَذْكُرُ الْفِتَنَ فَقَالَ قَوْمٌ نَحْنُ سَمِعْنَاهُ . فَقَالَ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَعْنُونَ فِتْنَةَ الرَّجُلِ فِي أَهْلِهِ وَجَارِهِ قَالُوا أَجَلْ . قَالَ تِلْكَ تُكَفِّرُهَا الصَّلاَةُ وَالصِّيَامُ وَالصَّدَقَةُ وَلَكِنْ أَيُّكُمْ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَذْكُرُ الْفِتَنَ الَّتِي تَمُوجُ مَوْجَ الْبَحْرِ قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ فَأَسْكَتَ الْقَوْمُ فَقُلْتُ أَنَا . قَالَ أَنْتَ لِلَّهِ أَبُوكَ . قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " تُعْرَضُ الْفِتَنُ عَلَى الْقُلُوبِ كَالْحَصِيرِ عُودًا عُودًا فَأَىُّ قَلْبٍ أُشْرِبَهَا نُكِتَ فِيهِ نُكْتَةٌ سَوْدَاءُ وَأَىُّ قَلْبٍ أَنْكَرَهَا نُكِتَ فِيهِ نُكْتَةٌ بَيْضَاءُ حَتَّى تَصِيرَ عَلَى قَلْبَيْنِ عَلَى أَبْيَضَ مِثْلِ الصَّفَا فَلاَ تَضُرُّهُ فِتْنَةٌ مَا دَامَتِ السَّمَوَاتُ وَالأَرْضُ وَالآخَرُ أَسْوَدُ مُرْبَادًّا كَالْكُوزِ مُجَخِّيًا لاَ يَعْرِفُ مَعْرُوفًا وَلاَ يُنْكِرُ مُنْكَرًا إِلاَّ مَا أُشْرِبَ مِنْ هَوَاهُ " . قَالَ حُذَيْفَةُ وَحَدَّثْتُهُ أَنَّ بَيْنَكَ وَبَيْنَهَا بَابًا مُغْلَقًا يُوشِكُ أَنْ يُكْسَرَ . قَالَ عُمَرُ أَكَسْرًا لاَ أَبَا لَكَ فَلَوْ أَنَّهُ فُتِحَ لَعَلَّهُ كَانَ يُعَادُ . قُلْتُ لاَ بَلْ يُكْسَرُ . وَحَدَّثْتُهُ أَنَّ ذَلِكَ الْبَابَ رَجُلٌ يُقْتَلُ أَوْ يَمُوتُ . حَدِيثًا لَيْسَ بِالأَغَالِيطِ . قَالَ أَبُو خَالِدٍ فَقُلْتُ لِسَعْدٍ يَا أَبَا مَالِكٍ مَا أَسْوَدُ مُرْبَادًّا قَالَ شِدَّةُ الْبَيَاضِ فِي سَوَادٍ . قَالَ قُلْتُ فَمَا الْكُوزُ مُجَخِّيًا قَالَ مَنْكُوسًا .
Hudhaifa Narrated from:
We were sitting in the company of Umar and he said: Who amongst you has heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) talking about the turmoil? Some people said: It is we who heard it. Upon this be remarked: Perhaps by turmoil you presume the unrest of man in regard to his household or neighbour, they replied: Yes.He ('Umar) observed: Such (an unrest) would be done away with by prayer, fasting and charity. But who amongst you has heard from the Apostle (ﷺ) describing that turmoil which would come like the wave of the ocean. Hudhaifa said: The people hushed into silence, I replied: It is I. He ('Umar) said: Ye, well, your father was also very pious.Hudhaifa said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (may peace be, upon him) observing: Temptations will be presented to men's hearts as reed mat is woven stick by stick and any heart which is impregnated by them will have a black mark put into it, but any heart which rejects them will have a white mark put in it.The result is that there will become two types of hearts: one white like a white stone which will not be harmed by any turmoil or temptation, so long as the heavens and the earth endure; and the other black and dust-coloured like a vessel which is upset, not recognizing what is good or rejecting what is abominable, but being impregnated with passion.Hudhaifa said: I narrated to him ('Umar): There is between you and that (turmoil) a closed door, but there is every likelihood of its being broken. 'Umar said: Would it be broken? You have, been rendered fatherless. Had it been opened, it would have been perhaps closed also. I said: No, it would be broken, and I narrated to him: Verily that door implies a person who would be killed or die. There is no mistake in this hadith.Abu Khalid narrated: I said to Sa'd, O Abu Malik, what do you mean by the term" Aswad Murbadda"? He replied: High degree of whiteness in blackness. I said: What is meant by" Alkoozu Mujakhiyyan"? He replied: A vessel turned upside down.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 144aIn-book reference : Book 1, Hadith 276USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 1, Hadith 267
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 144a
This hadith about fitnah gives a strong picture of how trials affect the heart. Hudhaifa narrates that temptations are shown to hearts one by one, like a reed mat woven stick by stick. A heart that absorbs them receives a black mark, while a heart that rejects them receives a white mark. Over time, the hadith describes two kinds of hearts: one clear and firm, and another darkened and turned upside down, no longer recognizing good or rejecting evil except by desire. The wording also mentions everyday unrest involving family and neighbors, which prayer, fasting, and charity remove. But the main warning is about larger turmoil like waves of the sea. This fitnah hadith teaches careful protection of the heart.
What we learn from this hadith
- Trials can affect the heart gradually, one exposure at a time.
- Rejecting temptation is linked with a white mark on the heart.
- Absorbing temptation is linked with a black mark on the heart.
- Prayer, fasting, and charity are mentioned as means for removing ordinary unrest.
