English Translation

Abu al-Yaman told us: Shu'ayb informed us: Abdullah ibn Abi Husayn told us, he said: Shahr ibn Hawshab told me, from Amir, or Abu Amir, or Abu Malik, that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, while he was sitting in an assembly with his Companions, Gabriel, peace be upon him, came to him in other than his own form, so that he thought him a man from among the Muslims. He greeted him, and he returned the greeting. Then Gabriel placed his hand on the knees of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and said to him: O Messenger of Allah, what is Islam? He said: That you submit your face to Allah, and testify that there is no god but Allah and that Muhammad is His servant and Messenger, and that you establish prayer and give zakah. He said: If I do that, have I submitted? He said: Yes. Then he said: What is faith? He said: That you believe in Allah, the Last Day, the angels, the Book, the prophets, death, life after death, Paradise, the Fire, the reckoning, the balance, and the decree, all of it, its good and its evil. He said: If I do that, have I believed? He said: Yes. Then he said: What is excellence, O Messenger of Allah? He said: That you worship Allah as though you see Him, for if you do not see Him, He sees you. He said: If I do that, have I attained excellence? He said: Yes - and he could hear the Messenger of Allah's, peace and blessings be upon him, replies to him, but could not see the one speaking to him nor hear his words. He said: When is the Hour, O Messenger of Allah? The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Glory be to Allah! Five things belong to the unseen, known to none but Allah: Indeed, Allah, with Him is knowledge of the Hour, and He sends down the rain, and He knows what is in the wombs. No soul knows what it will earn tomorrow, and no soul knows in what land it will die. Indeed, Allah is Knowing and Acquainted. The questioner said: O Messenger of Allah, if you wish, I will tell you two signs that will precede it. He said: Tell me. He said: When you see the slave-woman giving birth to her mistress, and the owners of buildings compete in raising their buildings, and the destitute, coarse people become the heads of the people. He said: And who are those, O Messenger of Allah? He said: The Bedouin Arabs. He said: Then he turned away, and his path was not seen afterward. He said: Glory be to Allah, three times - he came to teach the people their religion. By the One in whose hand is the soul of Muhammad, he never came to me without my recognizing him, except this time. Abu al-Nadr told us: Abd al-Hamid told us: Shahr ibn Hawshab told me, from Ibn Abbas, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, forbade certain types of women, and he mentioned the hadith attached to it. He said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sat in an assembly, and Gabriel, peace be upon him, came and sat before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, and he mentioned the hadith, and said in it: If you wish, I will tell you of signs short of that. He said: Yes, O Messenger of Allah, tell me. And the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said: When you see the slave-woman giving birth to her mistress - and he mentioned the hadith.