Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 118
sahih

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) observed:

Be prompt in doing good deeds (before you are overtaken) by turbulence which would be like a part of the dark night. During (that stormy period) a man would be a Muslim in the morning and an unbeliever in the evening or he would be a believer in the evening and an unbeliever in the morning, and would sell his faith for worldly goods.

حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَيُّوبَ، وَقُتَيْبَةُ، وَابْنُ، حُجْرٍ جَمِيعًا عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، - قَالَ ابْنُ أَيُّوبَ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، - قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي الْعَلاَءُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

‏ بَادِرُوا بِالأَعْمَالِ فِتَنًا كَقِطَعِ اللَّيْلِ الْمُظْلِمِ يُصْبِحُ الرَّجُلُ مُؤْمِنًا وَيُمْسِي كَافِرًا أَوْ يُمْسِي مُؤْمِنًا وَيُصْبِحُ كَافِرًا يَبِيعُ دِينَهُ بِعَرَضٍ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ‏

‏ ‏.‏

Isnad

7 transmitters
  1. 1Yahya bin Ayoub al-GhafiqiEgypt · d. 168 AH
  2. 2Qutayba bin Sa'id bin JamilBulkh,Bakhalan, Baghdad · d. ~240 AH
  3. 3Isma'il bin Ja'far bin Abi KathirMedina, Baghdad · d. 180 AH
  4. 4Isma'il bin Abi Khalid al-AhmsiKufa · d. 146 AH
  5. 5al-Ala' bin 'Abdur Rahman bin Ya'qubMedina · d. > 130 AH
  6. 6'Abdur Rahman bin Y'aqubMedina,Hamadan
  7. 7Abu HurairahMakkah/Medina/Yemen/Bahrain · d. 59 AH/681 CE
References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 1, Hadith 220
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 1, Hadith 213 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
The Prophet ﷺ was keen on his nation, so he used to advise and guide it to righteous deeds. He also used to warn it against negligence and delaying today’s obedience till tomorrow, for one does not know what tomorrow will bring. In this hadith, he commanded his followers to hasten to do good deeds before the escalated trials of the last worldly life, which may make them busy with them or distract them from the virtuous deeds. The trials he talked about are those mixing truthfulness with falsehood so one cannot distinguish between them. These trials will be like undistinguished portions of the dark night. This is a metaphor for its severity, harm, and comprehensiveness of all those witnessing them. As a result, a man would be a believer in the morning then turn to be a disbeliever in the evening or a believer in the evening then a disbeliever in the morning. These trials may deprive him of the attribute of faith to the extent that he may turn and change his belief in the same day for pleasures with poor price. These worldly enjoyments will disappear one day whether we leave them or they leave us. Undoubtedly, promptness in doing righteous deeds protects from trials. As a result, the believers should beware and be prompt to do them before it is too late. Finally, this hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It is a sign of the Prophet's prophethood, (2) It encourages us to hasten to the virtuous deeds before we are diverted by trials, (3) It warns against trials and temptations, (4) It urges us to not be deceived by our righteous deeds and instead keep fearing Allah, for the rewards of deeds are decided by their ending, and (5) It confirms the importance of sticking to the religion and being cautious when enjoying the worldly pleasures..
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