Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah: Hadith 416

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، قَالَ عَمْرٌو سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ يَقُولُ لَمَّا نَزَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏{‏قُلْ هُوَ الْقَادِرُ عَلَى أَنْ يَبْعَثَ عَلَيْكُمْ عَذَابًا مِنْ فَوْقِكُمْ‏}‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ ‏{‏أَوْ مِنْ تَحْتِ أَرْجُلِكُمْ‏}‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَعُوذُ بِوَجْهِكَ ‏"‏‏.‏ فَلَمَّا نَزَلَتْ ‏{‏أَوْ يَلْبِسَكُمْ شِيَعًا وَيُذِيقَ بَعْضَكُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ‏}‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ هَاتَانِ أَهْوَنُ أَوْ أَيْسَرُ ‏"‏‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated Jabir bin 'Abdullah: When the (following) Verse was revealed to Allah's Apostle: 'Say: He has power to send torment on you from above,'..(6.65) he said, "O Allah! I seek refuge with Your Face (from that punishment)." And when this was revealed: '..or from beneath your feet.' (6.65) he said, "O Allah! I seek refuge with Your Face (from that)." And when this Verse was revealed: '..or to cover you with confusion in party-strife, and make you to taste the violence of one another,'...(6.65) he said: "These two warnings are easier (than the previous ones)."