English Translation

Yahya told us, from Sufyan: My father told me, from Abu Ya’la, from Rabi’ ibn Khuthaym, from Abdullah ibn Mas’ud, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, that he drew a square line, and drew a line in the middle of the square line, and lines beside the line that was in the middle of the square line, and a line going out from the square line. He said, "Do you know what this is?" They said, "Allah and His Messenger know best." He said, "This is man — the middle line — and these lines beside it are the accidents that gnaw at him from every side; if one misses him, another strikes him. The square line is the appointed term encompassing him, and the line going outside is his hope."