Sunan Ibn Majah

Sunan Ibn Majah 2144

Arabic hadith text

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُصَفَّى الْحِمْصِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ "‏ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ فَإِنَّ نَفْسًا لَنْ تَمُوتَ حَتَّى تَسْتَوْفِيَ رِزْقَهَا وَإِنْ أَبْطَأَ عَنْهَا فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ خُذُوا مَا حَلَّ وَدَعُوا مَا حَرُمَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

Translation

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

Muhammad ibn al-Musaffa al-Himsi narrated to us; al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated to us, from Ibn Jurayj, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Jabir ibn ʿAbdullah, who said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said: ‘O people, be mindful of Allah and seek provision in a good and measured way. No soul will die before receiving its full provision, even if it comes to it slowly. So be mindful of Allah and seek provision in a good and measured way; take what is lawful and leave what is forbidden.’

Notes and open questions — unreviewed
  • قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ ‏ "‏ أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ فَإِنَّ نَفْسًا لَنْ تَمُوتَ حَتَّى تَسْتَوْفِيَ رِزْقَهَا وَإِنْ أَبْطَأَ عَنْهَا فَاتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَأَجْمِلُوا فِي الطَّلَبِ خُذُوا مَا حَلَّ وَدَعُوا مَا حَرُمَ ‏"‏ ‏.

    أجملوا في الطلب means to seek one’s provision in a good, measured, or proper manner; the text explicitly contrasts lawful with forbidden means.

    Does ‘seek provision in a good and measured way’ convey the repeated imperative without implying passivity?