An Illustration About the Length of Life and a Person's Aspirations Increasing As He Becomes Old, and That He Will Become Old in the End

'Abdullah bin Mas'ud narrated "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drew a square line (on the ground) forus, and in the middle of the (square) line he drew another line, and he drew another line going out of the (square) line.Around the one that was in the middle, he drew (various) lines. Then he said:

'This is the son of Adam, and this is his life-span encircling him, and this one in the middle in the person, and these lines are his obstacles, if he escapes this one, this one ensnares him, and the line extending outside is his hope.'"

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي يَعْلَى، عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ خَطَّ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَطًّا مُرَبَّعًا وَخَطَّ فِي وَسَطِ الْخَطِّ خَطًّا وَخَطَّ خَارِجًا مِنَ الْخَطِّ خَطًّا وَحَوْلَ الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ خُطُوطًا فَقَالَ " هَذَا ابْنُ آدَمَ وَهَذَا أَجَلُهُ مُحِيطٌ بِهِ وَهَذَا الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ الإِنْسَانُ وَهَذِهِ الْخُطُوطُ عُرُوضُهُ إِنْ نَجَا مِنْ هَذَا يَنْهَشُهُ هَذَا وَالْخَطُّ الْخَارِجُ الأَمَلُ " . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ .

'Anas bin Malik narrated that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:

"The son of Adam grows old. But two things keep him young: Desire for life and desire for wealth."

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَوَانَةَ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " يَهْرَمُ ابْنُ آدَمَ وَيَشِبُّ مِنْهُ اثْنَانِ الْحِرْصُ عَلَى الْمَالِ وَالْحِرْصُ عَلَى الْعُمُرِ " . هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .