Mishkat al-Masabih

Mishkat al-Masabih 150

Arabic hadith text

وَعَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: «مَثَلُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعلم كَمثل الْغَيْث الْكثير أصَاب أَرضًا فَكَانَ مِنْهَا نقية قَبِلَتِ الْمَاءَ فَأَنْبَتَتِ الْكَلَأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ وَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الْمَاءَ فَنَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهَا النَّاس فَشَرِبُوا وَسقوا وزرعوا وأصابت مِنْهَا طَائِفَةً أُخْرَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِكُ مَاءً وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً فَذَلِكَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَنَفَعَهُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وَعَلَّمَ وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِكَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ»

Translation

Abu Musa reported that the Prophet said: ‘The guidance and knowledge with which God sent me are like abundant rain that falls on land. Some of the land is good: it receives the water and produces abundant pasture and plants. Some is hard ground that retains the water, by which God benefits people: they drink from it, water their animals, and sow crops. Another part is barren lowland that neither retains water nor produces vegetation. This is the likeness of one who gains understanding of God’s religion and benefits from what God sent me with, learning and teaching; and of one who pays no heed to it and does not accept God’s guidance with which I was sent.’