Mishkat al-Masabih

Mishkat al-Masabih 191, 192

Arabic hadith text

وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ: " ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا وَعَنْ جَنَبَتَيِ الصِّرَاطِ سُورَانِ فِيهِمَا أَبْوَابٌ مُفَتَّحَةٌ وَعَلَى الْأَبْوَابِ سُتُورٌ مُرَخَاةٌ وَعِنْدَ رَأْسِ الصِّرَاطِ دَاعٍ يَقُولُ: اسْتَقِيمُوا عَلَى الصِّرَاطِ وَلَا تَعْوَجُّوا وَفَوْقَ ذَلِكَ دَاعٍ يَدْعُو كُلَّمَا هَمَّ عَبْدٌ أَنْ يَفْتَحَ شَيْئًا مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ قَالَ: وَيْحَكَ لَا تَفْتَحْهُ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تَفْتَحْهُ تَلِجْهُ ". ثُمَّ فَسَّرَهُ فَأَخْبَرَ: " أَنَّ الصِّرَاطَ هُوَ الْإِسْلَامُ وَأَنَّ الْأَبْوَابَ الْمُفَتَّحَةَ مَحَارِمُ اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ السُّتُورَ الْمُرَخَاةَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ وَأَنَّ الدَّاعِيَ عَلَى رَأْسِ الصِّرَاطِ هُوَ الْقُرْآنُ وَأَنَّ الدَّاعِيَ مِنْ فَوْقِهِ وَاعِظُ اللَّهِ فِي قَلْبِ كُلِّ مُؤمن) رَوَاهُ رزين وَأحمد وَالْبَيْهَقِيُّ فِي شُعَبِ الْإِيمَانِ عَنِ النَّوَّاسِ بْنِ سَمْعَانَ وَكَذَا التِّرْمِذِيُّ عَنْهُ إِلَّا أَنَّهُ ذَكَرَ أخصر مِنْهُ

Translation

Ibn Masʿūd reported that the Messenger of God said: ‘God gives the example of a straight path. On either side of the path are two walls with open doors, over which curtains hang. At the head of the path is a caller saying, “Stay straight on the path; do not turn aside.” Above him is another caller who calls out whenever a servant intends to open one of those doors: “Woe to you! Do not open it. If you open it, you will enter.”’

Then he explained: ‘The path is Islam; the open doors are the things God has forbidden; the hanging curtains are God’s limits; the caller at the head of the path is the Qur’an; and the caller above it is God’s admonition in the heart of every believer.’ Razīn and Aḥmad transmitted it. Al-Bayhaqī transmitted it in Shuʿab al-Īmān from al-Nawwās ibn Samʿān, as did al-Tirmidhī from him, in a shorter form.