English translation
[99] 7 - (10) It was narrated that Abû Hurairah said: "The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ said: 'Ask me.' But we were too intimidated to ask him. Then a man came and sat at his knees and said: 'O Messenger of Allâh, what is Islam?' He said: 'To not associate anything with Allâh, to establish the Ṣalât, to pay the Zakât, and to observe fast (the month of) Ramaḍân.' He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allâh, what is faith?' The Messenger of Allâh ﷺ said: 'To believe in Allâh, His Angels, His Book, the meeting with Him, and His Messengers, and to believe in the Resurrection, and to believe in Al-Qadar (the divine decree), all of it.' He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allâh, what is Al-Ihsân?' He said: 'To fear Allâh as though you can see Him, for although you cannot see Him, He indeed sees you.' He said: 'You have spoken the truth.' He said: 'O Messenger of Allâh, when will the Hour begin?' He said: 'The one who is asked about it does not know more than the one who is asking. But I shall tell you of its portents: When you see a woman giving birth to her master, that is one of its portents. When you see the barefoot, naked, deaf and dumb[1] ruling the earth, that is one of its portents. When you see the herders of sheep competing in the construction of lofty buildings, that is one of its portents. (It is) among five things which no one knows except Allāh.' Then he recited: "Verily, Allāh, with Him (Alone) is the knowledge of the Hour, He sends down the rain, and knows that which is in the wombs. No person knows what he will earn tomorrow, and no person knows in what land he will die[2] ..." until the end of the Sūrah." He said: "Then the man stood up (and left), and the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: 'Bring him back to me.' They looked, but they could not find him. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ said: 'That was Jibrīl, who wanted to teach you since you did not ask.'"