Arba'un 2 — the hadith of Jibril

الأربعون 2 — حديث جبريل

Umar ibn al-Khattab (may God be pleased with him)'s famous hadith of Jibril, the second hadith of al-Nawawi's Forty and of Ibn Rajab's commentary: a man in strikingly white clothes asks the Prophet ﷺ about islam and is answered with its five pillars, then about iman — assent to God, His angels, books, messengers, the Last Day and the decree, its good and its ill — then about ihsan — worshipping God as though you see Him, for He sees you — then about the Hour and its signs; Umar is told at the end that the questioner was Jibril come to teach them their religion. Transmitted by Muslim (8), who alone of the two Sahih collections includes it; also by Ahmad (1/27, 28, 51, 52), Abu Dawud (4695–4697), Ibn Majah (63), al-Tirmidhi (2610) and others; Ibn Rajab comments at length on the realities of islam, iman, ihsan and the Hour (Jami' al-Ulum wal-Hikam pp. 70–120).

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Summary

Hadith of Umar ibn al-Khattab known as the Hadith of Gabriel, the second in the Forty Hadith and in Ibn Rajab's commentary. A man asks the Prophet about Islam, faith and excellence, and then about the Hour; Umar says at the end that the questioner was Gabriel. Ibn Rajab comments at length on Islam, faith, excellence and the Hour. 1

Place in the museum

Source: the Forty Hadith of al-Nawawi. Mentions Umar ibn al-Khattab. Built on in the chapters on Islam (religion), faith and excellence.

Connections

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Basis for
Islam (the religion and the term)· Iman (faith)· Ihsan (excellence in worship)
Mentions
Umar ibn al-Khattab

People and things also explored

Muslim 8 — The Jibril hadith: Islam, iman, ihsan· Iman (faith)· Ihsan (excellence in worship)· Islam (the religion and the term)· Prophetic adab (proper conduct)· The seven ahruf· Fitra (innate disposition)· The five pillars of Islam

Sources

  1. Jami' al-Ulum wal-Hikam — Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali
Cite this page

islam.museum contributors. “Arba'un 2 — the hadith of Jibril”. islam.museum, https://islam.museum/en/passage/arbaun-02/. CC BY-SA 4.0. Last updated 2026-10-16.

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Muslim 8 — The Jibril hadith: Islam, iman, ihsan