Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 11
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو خَالِدٍ الأَحْمَرُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُجَالِدًا، يَذْكُرُ عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَخَطَّ خَطًّا وَخَطَّ خَطَّيْنِ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ وَخَطَّ خَطَّيْنِ عَنْ يَسَارِهِ ثُمَّ وَضَعَ يَدَهُ فِي الْخَطِّ الأَوْسَطِ فَقَالَ " هَذَا سَبِيلُ اللَّهِ " . ثُمَّ تَلاَ هَذِهِ الآيَةَ {وَأَنَّ هَذَا صِرَاطِي مُسْتَقِيمًا فَاتَّبِعُوهُ وَلاَ تَتَّبِعُوا السُّبُلَ فَتَفَرَّقَ بِكُمْ عَنْ سَبِيلِهِ} .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Said Abdullah ibn Said narrated to us: Abu Khalid al-Ahmar narrated to us: I heard Mujalid mention, from al-Shabi, from Jabir ibn Abdullah, who said: We were with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). He drew a line, then two lines to its right and two lines to its left. Then he placed his hand on the middle line and said: This is the path of Allah. Then he recited this verse: And this is My straight path, so follow it; and do not follow the other ways, lest they separate you from His way. [Quran 6:153]
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic describes one central line and two on each side, then says the Prophet placed his hand on the middle line. The verse is quoted in full in the source; the English witness trails off with an ellipsis.