44/77. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 2862 — Final Brick Parable
What Has Been Related About the Parable of the Prophet (SAW) And The Prophets Before Him, Peace Be Upon Them
Hadith About the Final Brick and the Prophet's Place
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 2862
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 2862
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ بَصْرِيٌّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مِينَاءَ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ قَبْلِي كَرَجُلٍ بَنَى دَارًا فَأَكْمَلَهَا وَأَحْسَنَهَا إِلاَّ مَوْضِعَ لَبِنَةٍ فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَيَتَعَجَّبُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلاَ مَوْضِعُ اللَّبِنَةِ " . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Jabir bin `Abdullah Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said: "The Parable Of Myself And The Prophets [Before Myself] Is That Of A Man Who Constructed A House. He Completed It And Made It Well, Except For The Space Of One Brick. So The People Enter It And Marvel At It Saying: 'If Not For The Space Of This Brick.'"
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2862In-book reference : Book 44, Hadith 4English translation : Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith 2862
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 2862
This hadith about the final brick uses a simple image to explain the place of the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) among the prophets before him. He compares himself and the earlier prophets to a man who built a house, completed it, and made it beautiful. Only the space of one brick remained. People entered the house, admired it, and said that it would be complete if not for that one missing brick. The focus of the hadith is the parable itself: the earlier prophets are shown as part of a well-made structure, and the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) is connected to the final missing place. It teaches respect for all prophets while showing his special role in this image.
What we learn from this hadith
- The prophets are presented as part of one connected message.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) used a house and brick parable to make the meaning easy to picture.
- The hadith encourages honor for the prophets who came before him.
- The missing brick image points to the Prophet's special place in the line of prophets.
