What Has Been Related About Allah's Parable for His Slaves

Narrated Abu 'Uthman An-Nahdi:

from Ibn Mas'ud who said: "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed 'Isha, then he turned and took the hand of 'Abdullah bin Mas'ud until he went with him to the wide valley of Makkah. He sat him down, then he drew a line around him. Then he said: 'Do not go beyond your line, for indeed there shall come some men to you, but do not speak to them for they shall not speak to you.'" He said: "Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ went to where he wanted to go, and while I was sitting within the line, some men came to me that appeared as if they were from Az-Zut (A dark people, either from North Africa or India. See Tuhfat Al-Ahwadhi and An-Nihayah), both their hair and their bodies. I did not see nakedness nor covering. They ended up before me but they did not pass the line. Then they returned toward the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and when it was near the end of the night, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to me while I was sitting, and he said: "I have been awake watching all night' then he entered into the line with me and lay down on my thigh to sleep. And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would snore when he slept. So while I was sitting there, and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was sleeping (with his head resting) on my thigh, there appeared some men wearing white garments, and Allah knows best just how handsome they were. They came towards me, and a group of them sat at the head of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and a group at his feet. Then they said to each other: 'We have not ever seen a slave (of Allah) who was given the likes of what this Prophet has been given. Indeed his eyes sleep but his heart remains awake. His parable is that of a chief who built a castle, then he placed a table-spread in it, and invited the people to eat from his food and drink. So whoever answers his invitation, he eats from his food and drinks from his drink. Whoever does not answer, he is punished - or he said - he is chastised.' Then they alighted and the Messenger of Allah ﷺ awoke at that time, and said: 'I heard what they were saying. Do you know who they were?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know better.' He said: 'They were the angels. Do you know the meaning of the parable they stated?' I said: 'Allah and His Messenger know better.' He said: 'The meaning is that Ar-Rahman [Most Blessed and Most High] built Paradise, and He invited His Slaves to it. Whoever replies he shall enter Paradise, and whoever does not reply, he shall be punished or chastised.'"

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عَدِيٍّ، عَنْ جَعْفَرِ بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، عَنْ أَبِي تَمِيمَةَ الْهُجَيْمِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، قَالَ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْعِشَاءَ ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ فَأَخَذَ بِيَدِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ حَتَّى خَرَجَ بِهِ إِلَى بَطْحَاءِ مَكَّةَ فَأَجْلَسَهُ ثُمَّ خَطَّ عَلَيْهِ خَطًّا ثُمَّ قَالَ " لاَ تَبْرَحَنَّ خَطَّكَ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَنْتَهِي إِلَيْكَ رِجَالٌ فَلاَ تُكَلِّمْهُمْ فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يُكَلِّمُونَكَ " . قَالَ ثُمَّ مَضَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَيْثُ أَرَادَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا جَالِسٌ فِي خَطِّي إِذْ أَتَانِي رِجَالٌ كَأَنَّهُمُ الزُّطُّ أَشْعَارُهُمْ وَأَجْسَامُهُمْ لاَ أَرَى عَوْرَةً وَلاَ أَرَى قِشْرًا وَيَنْتَهُونَ إِلَىَّ لاَ يُجَاوِزُونَ الْخَطَّ ثُمَّ يَصْدُرُونَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى إِذَا كَانَ مِنْ آخِرِ اللَّيْلِ لَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَدْ جَاءَنِي وَأَنَا جَالِسٌ فَقَالَ " لَقَدْ أَرَانِي مُنْذُ اللَّيْلَةَ " . ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فِي خَطِّي فَتَوَسَّدَ فَخِذِي فَرَقَدَ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِذَا رَقَدَ نَفَخَ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا قَاعِدٌ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مُتَوَسِّدٌ فَخِذِي إِذَا أَنَا بِرِجَالٍ عَلَيْهِمْ ثِيَابٌ بِيضٌ اللَّهُ أَعْلَمُ مَا بِهِمْ مِنَ الْجَمَالِ فَانْتَهَوْا إِلَىَّ فَجَلَسَ طَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَطَائِفَةٌ مِنْهُمْ عِنْدَ رِجْلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالُوا بَيْنَهُمْ مَا رَأَيْنَا عَبْدًا قَطُّ أُوتِيَ مِثْلَ مَا أُوتِيَ هَذَا النَّبِيُّ إِنَّ عَيْنَيْهِ تَنَامَانِ وَقَلْبُهُ يَقْظَانُ اضْرِبُوا لَهُ مَثَلاً مَثَلُ سَيِّدٍ بَنَى قَصْرًا ثُمَّ جَعَلَ مَأْدُبَةً فَدَعَا النَّاسَ إِلَى طَعَامِهِ وَشَرَابِهِ فَمَنْ أَجَابَهُ أَكَلَ مِنْ طَعَامِهِ وَشَرِبَ مِنْ شَرَابِهِ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبْهُ عَاقَبَهُ أَوْ قَالَ عَذَّبَهُ - ثُمَّ ارْتَفَعُوا وَاسْتَيْقَظَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " سَمِعْتَ مَا قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ وَهَلْ تَدْرِي مَنْ هَؤُلاَءِ " . قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ " هُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ أَفَتَدْرِي مَا الْمَثَلُ الَّذِي ضَرَبُوا " . قُلْتُ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ " الْمَثَلُ الَّذِي ضَرَبُوا الرَّحْمَنُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى بَنَى الْجَنَّةَ وَدَعَا إِلَيْهَا عِبَادَهُ فَمَنْ أَجَابَهُ دَخَلَ الْجَنَّةَ وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبْهُ عَاقَبَهُ أَوْ عَذَّبَهُ " .

قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَأَبُو تَمِيمَةَ هُوَ الْهُجَيْمِيُّ وَاسْمُهُ طَرِيفُ بْنُ مُجَالِدٍ وَأَبُو عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيُّ اسْمُهُ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُلٍّ وَسُلَيْمَانُ التَّيْمِيُّ قَدْ رَوَى هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ عَنْهُ مُعْتَمِرٌ وَهُوَ سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ طَرْخَانَ وَلَمْ يَكُنْ تَيْمِيًّا وَإِنَّمَا كَانَ يَنْزِلُ بَنِي تَيْمٍ فَنُسِبَ إِلَيْهِمْ . قَالَ عَلِيٌّ قَالَ يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ مَا رَأَيْتُ أَخْوَفَ لِلَّهِ تَعَالَى مِنْ سُلَيْمَانَ التَّيْمِيِّ .