An-Nawawi's Forty HadithHadith 21

Say "I believe in Allah", then stand firm

الإيمان والاستقامة

Two things gather the religion: belief in Allah and standing firm on it.

Sahih

The hadith

عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو وَقِيلَ: أَبِي عَمْرَةَ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قُلْت: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قُلْ لِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ قَوْلًا لَا أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ أَحَدًا غَيْرَك؛ قَالَ: قُلْ: آمَنْت بِاَللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ . [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ]

On the authority of Abu `Amr — and he is also called Abu `Amrah — Sufyan bin Abdullah ath- Thaqafee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about al-Islam which I can ask of no one but you." He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Say I believe in Allah — and then be steadfast." [Muslim]

Reported by
Muslim

Lessons

Faith is the foundation, and standing firm (istiqamah) is its fruit: keeping to the straight path, doing what is obligatory and leaving what is forbidden, as Ibn Rajab defines it. No one stands perfectly firm, so the Quran joins it with seeking forgiveness (41:6). The heart comes first, then the tongue; and those who stay firm until death are promised the angels' reassurance and Jannah (41:30-32).

In practice: aim to do right, come as close as you can, and repair every lapse with repentance.

Evidence

Sahih

The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 21

Grades
GraderVerdict
Full narration

عَنْ أَبِي عَمْرٍو وَقِيلَ: أَبِي عَمْرَةَ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قُلْت: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ! قُلْ لِي فِي الْإِسْلَامِ قَوْلًا لَا أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ أَحَدًا غَيْرَك؛ قَالَ: قُلْ: آمَنْت بِاَللَّهِ ثُمَّ اسْتَقِمْ . [رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ]

On the authority of Abu `Amr — and he is also called Abu `Amrah — Sufyan bin Abdullah ath- Thaqafee (may Allah be pleased with him) who said: I said, "O Messenger of Allah, tell me something about al-Islam which I can ask of no one but you." He (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, "Say I believe in Allah — and then be steadfast." [Muslim]

Graded through the collections it is cited from below.

Sahih

Sahih Muslim 38

Grades
GraderVerdict
MuslimSahih (included by Muslim in his Sahih) (Sahih)
Full narration

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَأَبُو كُرَيْبٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، جَمِيعًا عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الثَّقَفِيِّ، قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قُلْ لِي فِي الإِسْلاَمِ قَوْلاً لاَ أَسْأَلُ عَنْهُ أَحَدًا بَعْدَكَ - وَفِي حَدِيثِ أَبِي أُسَامَةَ غَيْرَكَ - قَالَ ‏ "‏ قُلْ آمَنْتُ بِاللَّهِ فَاسْتَقِمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

It is narrated on the authority of Sufyan b. 'Abdulla al-Thaqafi that he said:I asked the Messenger of Allah to tell me about Islam a thing which might dispense with the necessity of my asking anybody after you. In the hadith of Abu Usama the (words) are: other than you. He (the Holy Prophet) remarked: Say I affirm my faith in Allah and then remain steadfast to it

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