Prophetic Guidance

The Parable of Guidance and Knowledge

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلَاءِ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ بُرَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنْ أَبِي بُرْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي مُوسَى، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، قَالَ: مَثَلُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ مِنَ الْهُدَى وَالْعِلْمِ، كَمَثَلِ الْغَيْثِ الْكَثِيرِ أَصَابَ أَرْضًا فَكَانَ مِنْهَا نَقِيَّةٌ قَبِلَتِ الْمَاءَ، فَأَنْبَتَتِ الْکَلَأَ وَالْعُشْبَ الْكَثِيرَ، وَكَانَتْ مِنْهَا أَجَادِبُ أَمْسَكَتِ الْمَاءَ، فَنَفَعَ اللَّهُ بِهَا النَّاسَ فَشَرِبُوا وَسَقَوْا وَزَرَعُوا، وَأَصَابَتْ مِنْهَا طَائِفَةً أُخْرَى إِنَّمَا هِيَ قِيعَانٌ لَا تُمْسِکُ مَاءً وَلَا تُنْبِتُ كَلَأً، فَذَلِکَ مَثَلُ مَنْ فَقُهَ فِي دِينِ اللَّهِ وَنَفَعَهُ مَا بَعَثَنِي اللَّهُ بِهِ فَعَلِمَ وَعَلَّمَ، وَمَثَلُ مَنْ لَمْ يَرْفَعْ بِذَلِکَ رَأْسًا وَلَمْ يَقْبَلْ هُدَى اللَّهِ الَّذِي أُرْسِلْتُ بِهِ

Narrated Abu Musa (RA): The Prophet ﷺ said: “The example of that with which Allah has sent me of guidance and knowledge is like abundant rain which fell upon the earth. Among it was a portion of pure land which accepted the water and brought forth much herbage and grass. And among it was hard land which retained the water, and Allah benefited the people thereby; they drank from it, gave others to drink, and irrigated (their lands). And it (the rain) fell upon another portion of land which was merely barren ground; it neither retained water nor produced herbage. That is the example of the one who understands the religion of Allah and benefits from that with which Allah has sent me—so he learns and teaches—and the example of the one who does not raise his head to that and does not accept the guidance of Allah with which I have been sent.”

Sahih al-Bukhari: 79