Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2173
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَعْمَشُ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَثَلُ الْقَائِمِ عَلَى حُدُودِ اللَّهِ وَالْمُدْهِنِ فِيهَا كَمَثَلِ قَوْمٍ اسْتَهَمُوا عَلَى سَفِينَةٍ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَعْلاَهَا وَأَصَابَ بَعْضُهُمْ أَسْفَلَهَا فَكَانَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا يَصْعَدُونَ فَيَسْتَقُونَ الْمَاءَ فَيَصُبُّونَ عَلَى الَّذِينَ فِي أَعْلاَهَا فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَعْلاَهَا لاَ نَدَعُكُمْ تَصْعَدُونَ فَتُؤْذُونَنَا فَقَالَ الَّذِينَ فِي أَسْفَلِهَا فَإِنَّا نَنْقُبُهَا مِنْ أَسْفَلِهَا فَنَسْتَقِي فَإِنْ أَخَذُوا عَلَى أَيْدِيهِمْ فَمَنَعُوهُمْ نَجَوْا جَمِيعًا وَإِنْ تَرَكُوهُمْ غَرِقُوا جَمِيعًا " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ahmad ibn Mani‘ narrated to us: Abu Mu‘awiyah narrated to us: al-A‘mash narrated to us, from al-Sha‘bi, from al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘The example of the one who upholds Allah’s limits and the one who is lax regarding them is like a people who drew lots for places on a ship at sea. Some received the upper deck and others the lower deck. Those below had to go up to draw water, so the water spilled onto those above. The people on the upper deck said, “We will not let you come up and bother us.” Those below then said, “We should make a hole beneath us and draw water.” If the people above restrain them and prevent them, they will all be saved; but if they leave them, they will all drown.’ Abu ‘Isa said: This is a hasan sahih hadith.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic contrasts someone who upholds Allah’s limits with someone lax about them, then illustrates the consequences through the ship parable.
قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
The English witness gives the parable but omits Abu ‘Isa’s hasan-sahih grading.
Retain the grading recorded in the Arabic source.