Hadithcore
Sahih Muslim, 132 a
sahih

It is narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira that some people from amongst the Companions of the Messenger (ﷺ) came to him and said:

Verily we perceive in our minds that which every one of us considers it too grave to express. He (the Prophet) said: Do you really perceive it? They said: Yes. Upon this he remarked: That is the faith manifest.

حَدَّثَنِي زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ سُهَيْلٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ جَاءَ نَاسٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلُوهُ إِنَّا نَجِدُ فِي أَنْفُسِنَا مَا يَتَعَاظَمُ أَحَدُنَا أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ بِهِ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ وَقَدْ وَجَدْتُمُوهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ ذَاكَ صَرِيحُ الإِيمَانِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 1, Hadith 247
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Book 1, Hadith 239 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Having a false thought is one of the matters that may corrupt our hearts. It leads us to think about Allah's self, not his blessings. Regular sticking to this type of idea may lead to disbelief. If a false idea comes into one's head, he has to seek refuge in Allah from them. In this hadith, Abu Hurairah narrated that some Prophet's companions came and asked him, "We have thoughts which none of us dare to talk about." They were actually trying to stop and deny these ugly insinuations such as, "Who created Allah? How is He? What is he made of?" Because they believed that it was not appropriate for them to think in this manner about Allah. They were afraid that such insinuations would be considered sins. Then the Prophet (ﷺ) asked them, “Have you experienced it?” He confirmed that these thoughts may have come to a believer's head but his faith in Allah drove him to ask about a solution. Moreover, he confirmed the deep faith of his companions by three proofs: (1) Their denial of those terrible thoughts raised by Satan, (2) Their knowledge that they are corrupting insinuations, and (3) Their stopping from expressing them. On the other hand, the disbeliever insists on what is in his heart of likening Allah to His creatures, unlike the true believers who deny such insinuations and stop attributing these descriptions to Allah. As a result, he expels these doubts and seeks refuge in Allah from Satan. This hadith contains the following benefits: (1) It confirms that Satan used to whisper to humans until he takes them out of faith, so the believer has to be cautious, (2) When such devilish insinuations come to a believer's mind, he has to remain silent and stop speaking about it. Instead, he has to seek refuge in Allah from Satan, (3) It explains how the Prophet's companions took much care of their hearts and were cautious of what may invalidate their faith, and (4) A Muslim is allowed to ask a scholar about any issues or questions he has. He is not allowed to keep silent out of shame, for a Muslim should not be ashamed of asking about the truth..
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