Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2862
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سِنَانٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ بَصْرِيٌّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مِينَاءَ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ الأَنْبِيَاءِ قَبْلِي كَرَجُلٍ بَنَى دَارًا فَأَكْمَلَهَا وَأَحْسَنَهَا إِلاَّ مَوْضِعَ لَبِنَةٍ فَجَعَلَ النَّاسُ يَدْخُلُونَهَا وَيَتَعَجَّبُونَ مِنْهَا وَيَقُولُونَ لَوْلاَ مَوْضِعُ اللَّبِنَةِ " . وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ أُبَىِّ بْنِ كَعْبٍ وَأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Jabir ibn ‘Abd Allah reported that the Prophet said, ‘My example and that of the prophets before me is like a man who built a house, completing and beautifying it except for the place of one brick. People entered and admired it, saying, “If only that one brick were in its place!”’ Reports from Ubayy ibn Ka‘b and Abu Hurayrah are also cited on this topic. Abu ‘Isa graded this hadith hasan sahih gharib through this route.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The parable’s missing brick represents the final place in the prophetic succession, completed by Muhammad.