Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-Islam»

Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-Islam» (Explanation of the Hadith "The Parable of Islam") is a specialized treatise by the Hanbali traditionist and jurist Ibn Rajab al-Hanbali (d. 795 AH / 1393 CE), dedicated to the textual and spiritual commentary of the celebrated prophetic parable that likens Islam to a straight path bounded by divine limits and prohibitions Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…+1.

The Hadith and Its Narration

The text centers on the hadith narrated by the Companion al-Nawwas ibn Sam'an, recorded by Ahmad ibn Hanbal, al-Nasa'i, and al-Tirmidhi—who graded it hasan—as well as al-Hakim al-Naysaburi, who authenticated it according to the criteria of Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…. In the tradition, the Prophet ﷺ relates:

ضَرَبَ اللَّهُ مَثَلًا صِرَاطًا مُسْتَقِيمًا، وَعَلَى جَنْبَتَيْ الصِّرَاطِ سُورَانِ فِيهِمَا أَبْوَابٌ مُفَتَّحَةٌ، وَعَلَى الْأَبْوَابِ سُتُورٌ مُرْخَاةٌ، وَعَلَى بَابِ الصِّرَاطِ دَاعٍ يَقُولُ: أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ، ادْخُلُوا الصِّرَاطَ جَمِيعًا وَلًا تَعْوَجُوا، وَدَاعٍ يَدْعُو مِنْ جَوْفِ الصِّرَاطِ، فَإِذَا أَرَادَ يَفْتَحُ شَيْئًا مِنْ تِلْكَ الْأَبْوَابِ قَالَ: وَيْحَكَ لًا تَفْتَحْهُ؛ فَإِنَّكَ إِنْ تَفْتَحْهُ تَلِجْهُ، وَالصِّرَاطُ: الْإِسْلَامُ، وَالسُّورَانِ: حُدُودُ اللَّهِ، وَالْأَبْوَابُ الْمُفَتَّحَةُ: مَحَارِمُ اللَّهِ، وَذَلِكَ الدَّاعِي عَلَى رَأْسِ الصِّرَاطِ: كِتَابُ اللَّهِ (عز وجل)، وَالدَّاعِي مِنِ فَوْقَ: وَاعِظُ اللَّهِ فِي قَلْبِ كُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ "Allah has struck a parable of a straight path: on both sides of the path are two walls containing open doors, and over the doors are let-down curtains. At the gate of the path is a caller saying, 'O people, enter the path altogether and do not deviate!' And a caller calls from within the path; whenever one intends to open any of those doors, he says, 'Woe to you! Do not open it, for if you open it, you will enter it.' The path is Islam, the two walls are the limits of Allah, the open doors are the prohibitions of Allah, the caller at the head of the path is the Book of Allah, and the caller from above is the admonisher of Allah in the heart of every Muslim." Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…

Content and Exegesis

Ibn Rajab structures his commentary around the successive elements of the parable, connecting each metaphor to Quranic verses, prophetic traditions, and statements of the early Muslims (salaf):

• The Straight Path (al-Sirat al-Mustaqim): Ibn Rajab explains that linguistically, sirat denotes an expansive, easy road leading directly to the intended destination Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…. He distinguishes between "general Islam" (al-Islam al-'amm)—the monotheistic submission shared by all previous prophets—and "specific Islam" (al-Islam al-khass), which is the religion brought by Muhammad ﷺ, outside of which no faith is accepted Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…. He also draws upon reports from Abd Allah ibn Mas'ud and Jabir ibn Abd Allah regarding the lines drawn by the Prophet ﷺ to depict the single path of truth contrasted with the divergent paths of the devil Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…+1.
• The Two Walls and Allah's Limits (Hudud Allah): The author elaborates on the concept of hudud, analyzing its dual scriptural usage: that which Allah has made permissible and bounded from being exceeded ( تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَعْتَدُوهَا ), and that which He has forbidden and warned against approaching ( تِلْكَ حُدُودُ اللَّهِ فَلَا تَقْرَبُوهَا ), alongside the legal punishments (hudud) applied by jurists Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…+1.
• The Open Doors and Curtains: The open doors covered merely by draped curtains symbolize divine prohibitions (maharim Allah) and worldly temptations Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…. Ibn Rajab emphasizes that human desires are inherently attracted to what is accessible yet forbidden, requiring firm faith and spiritual struggle (mujahada) to refrain from lifting the curtains Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…+1.
• The Two Callers: The caller at the head of the path is identified as the Quran, which summons humanity to adherence, while the internal caller is the innate spiritual conscience placed by Allah within the heart of every believer to deter them from sin Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…+1.
• Eschatological Parallels: Ibn Rajab links one's steadfastness on the metaphorical path of Islam in this world to one's traversal across the physical Bridge (al-Sirat) over Hellfire in the Hereafter Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…+1. Citing Sahl al-Tustari, he notes that whoever adheres strictly and narrowly to the path in this worldly life will find the bridge wide in the next, whereas whoever indulges in compromises will find it sharper than a sword Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…. The work concludes with poetic exhortations to asceticism and devotion, and sayings from figures such as Ibrahim ibn Adham Sharh Hadith «Mathal al-I…+1.