عَنْ ابْنِ مسعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللّهُ عَنْهُ قال: خَطَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم خَطًّا مُرَبَّعًا، وخَطَّ خَطًّا في الْوَسَطِ خَارِجًا منْهُ ، وَخَطَّ خُططًا صِغَارًا إِلى هَذَا الَّذِي في الوَسَطِ مِنْ جَانِبِهِ الَّذِي في الوَسَطِ، فَقَالَ: «هَذَا الإِنسَانُ ، وَهَذَا أَجَلُهُ مُحِيطًا بِهِ -أو قَد أَحَاطَ بِهِ- وَهَذَا الَّذِي هُوَ خَارِجٌ أَمَلُهُ، وَهَذِهِ الُخطَطُ الصِّغَارُ الأَعْراضُ ، فَإِنْ أَخْطَأَهُ هَذَا نَهَشَهُ هَذا، وَإِنْ أَخْطَأَهُ هَذا نَهَشَهُ هَذا» رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ .
Ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) said: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew a square, and drew a line in the middle extending out beyond it, and drew small lines toward this line that was in the middle, from its side that was in the middle. He said, "This is the human being, and this is his appointed term surrounding him"—or "that has surrounded him"—"and this one extending out is his hope, and these small lines are the afflictions; so if this one misses him, that one strikes him, and if that one misses him, this one strikes him." Reported by al-Bukhari.
الشرح · explanation
محيطًا به: أي يحاصره من كل الجهات. أمله: مرجوّه الذي يظن أنّه يدركه قبل حلول أجله. الأعراض: جمع عرض والمراد به ما يعترض الإنسان في حياته من مرض أو حوادث أو مصائب أو غيرها. نهشه: أصابه وأهلكه، وأصل النهش اعتداء السباع على فريستها وهذا التشبيه من البلاغة النبوية.
Surrounding him (muhitan bihi): meaning besieging him from every direction. His hope (amaluhu): what he longs for, which he supposes he will attain before his appointed term arrives. The afflictions (al-a'rad): the plural of 'arad, meaning whatever befalls a person in his life of illness, accidents, calamities, and the like. Strikes him (nahashahu): befell and destroyed him; the root of nahsh is the assault of beasts of prey upon their quarry, and this simile is part of the Prophetic eloquence.
الدروس · lessons
النَّبِيّ صلّى اللّهُ عليه وسلّم وهو المربي الناجح يصور المعاني المجردة في أشكال محسوسة، ليسهل على أصحابه إدراكها. على المؤمن أن يسارع للتوبة والعمل الصالح وألّا يغتر بطول الأمل. الأمل المذموم هو الذي يحمل صاحبه على البطر والفتور عن الأعمال الصالحة. يظن الإنسان غالبًا أنّ آماله سوف تتحقق قبل انقضاء أجله، ولكن أجله الذي يحيط به شاء أم أبى قد يكون أقرب إليه من الآمال كلها أو بعضها. يموت الإنسان ولم يُنجز كثيرًا من آماله في الدنيا، نسأل اللّه حُسن العمل وحُسن الختام.
The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), being the successful educator, depicts abstract meanings in tangible forms, so that his Companions may grasp them easily. The believer should hasten to repentance and righteous deeds and not be deluded by prolonged hopes. Blameworthy hope is that which leads its possessor to insolence and slackness in performing righteous deeds. A person often supposes that his hopes will be fulfilled before his appointed term ends, but his appointed term, which encompasses him whether he likes it or not, may be nearer to him than all or some of his hopes. A person dies without having fulfilled many of his hopes in this world. We ask Allah for good deeds and a good ending.