Today, while listening to Dr. Omar Suleiman teaching, I came across one of the most beautiful and profound hadiths in Islam: the Hadith of Jibreel (Gabriel), in which the Angel Jibreel came to Prophet Muhammad ﷺ and taught the Companions about their religion.
I have come across many teachings in Islam, but there is something particularly powerful about this hadith. It brings together the foundations of our religion in a single conversation, reminding us that Islam is not just about what we do, Iman is not just about what we believe, and Ihsan is not just about how religious we appear to others. There is something deeper that connects all three.
The hadith is narrated by Umar ibn al-Khattab (RA) and recorded in Sahih Muslim, Hadith 8a, in the Book of Faith.
The story begins with a man appearing before the Prophet ﷺ. He was wearing exceptionally white clothes, his hair was extremely black, and there were no signs of travel on him. Yet none of the Companions recognised him.
He approached the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and sat before him, bringing his knees close to the Prophet’s knees and placing his hands on his thighs. He then began asking the Prophet ﷺ questions about Islam, Iman, Ihsan and the Hour. After the man left, the Prophet ﷺ explained to his Companions that the man was Jibreel, who had come to teach them their religion.
Think about that for a moment. An angel came in human form, not to deliver a dramatic warning or reveal a mysterious secret, but to ask questions that would teach an entire community the foundations of its faith. The conversation was a lesson for the people present and for generations of Muslims who would learn from it.
Islam: More Than an Identity
When Jibreel asked the Prophet ﷺ about Islam, the Prophet explained that it involves bearing witness that there is no god worthy of worship except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, establishing prayer, paying zakah, fasting during Ramadan, and performing Hajj for those who are able. These are the five pillars of Islam.
Sometimes, we become so familiar with the pillars that we forget to reflect on what they mean in our everyday lives. We know that we should pray, fast, and give charity. We know the words we are supposed to say and the practices we are expected to follow. But how often do we pause and ask ourselves what these acts are doing to us?
Is our prayer helping us become more conscious of Allah in the way we treat people? Does our fasting teach us patience, self-restraint, and empathy? Does giving charity soften our hearts towards those who are struggling? Does our declaration of faith influence the choices we make when doing the right thing is difficult?
These questions are not meant to make us feel that our worship is never good enough. They are invitations to reflect on whether we are allowing our religion to shape the way we live.
Islam gives us practices that guide our lives. The purpose is not merely to complete a checklist but to live in a way that reflects our relationship with Allah.
Iman: What Do We Truly Believe?
Jibreel then asked about Iman, and the Prophet ﷺ explained that it means believing in Allah, His angels, His revealed books, His messengers, the Last Day, and divine decree, both its good and difficult aspects. These are the six articles of faith.
Belief is not always tested when life is going well. It is often tested when life becomes confusing, when our plans fall apart, when we experience loss, when people disappoint us, and when we cannot understand why something is happening. It is easy to speak about trusting Allah when everything is going according to our expectations. It can be much harder when we are standing in the middle of uncertainty, trying to make sense of what we are experiencing.
Belief in divine decree does not mean that we will never feel sadness, ask questions, or struggle emotionally. It does not mean that we should accept injustice without taking action or that we should stop making decisions for ourselves. We are still responsible for our choices, our actions, and how we respond to the circumstances we face.
Rather, faith invites us to recognise that our knowledge is limited. We see only a small part of our lives, while Allah's knowledge encompasses what we cannot see. We may not understand everything that happens to us. Sometimes, we may never fully understand it in this lifetime. But we can continue to seek guidance, make responsible choices, learn from our experiences, and place our trust in Allah.
Iman is not simply knowing the six articles of faith by heart. It is allowing those beliefs to guide us through the realities of being human.
Ihsan: The Part That Made Me Pause
Of all the questions in this hadith, the definition of Ihsan is particularly powerful. When Jibreel asked the Prophet ﷺ about Ihsan, he replied:
“It is to worship Allah as though you see Him, for even though you do not see Him, He surely sees you.” (Sahih Muslim, Hadith 8a)
Even though you do not see Him, He surely sees you. What would change in our lives if we truly lived with this awareness? Would we speak differently when we are angry? Would we be more careful about the words we use to hurt another person? Would we behave differently when nobody is watching? Would we be more honest when dishonesty could benefit us? Would we think twice before judging another person's life, faith, or struggles?
What about the things we carry quietly within ourselves? The resentment we hold, the jealousy we sometimes feel, the intentions behind our actions, and the thoughts we are afraid to admit even to ourselves?
Ihsan invites us to look beyond appearances. We can appear kind while carrying resentment. We can speak about patience while reacting harshly to people. We can remind others to be grateful while constantly comparing our lives with theirs. We can perform religious acts and still struggle with arrogance, judgement and the need to feel superior.
This does not mean that our struggles make us bad Muslims. Every human being has weaknesses, and nobody is expected to become perfect overnight. What matters is our willingness to recognise our shortcomings, seek forgiveness, correct our behaviour and keep returning to Allah.
Ihsan is about striving for excellence in our relationship with Allah, including the sincerity with which we worship Him and the awareness we bring into our daily lives. It is not about being seen as a good person. It is about striving to be sincere before the One who already knows us completely.
When We Begin to Think We Are Better Than Others
There is another reflection I find important here. Sometimes, we become so focused on religious appearances that we begin measuring other people's faith. We observe how someone dresses, whether they pray, how much religious knowledge they possess, or how closely their lives appear to follow certain expectations. We may then begin to feel that we are more righteous than they are. But how can we confidently judge the state of another person's heart when we do not even fully understand our own?
We can observe actions, and Islam does teach us to distinguish between right and wrong. We can encourage one another towards goodness and offer sincere advice. But there is a difference between guiding someone with compassion and looking down on them with arrogance.
A person may be struggling privately with something we know nothing about. Someone we consider distant from religion may be sincerely searching for Allah. Someone who appears outwardly religious may still have areas of their character that need attention. And someone who has made serious mistakes may sincerely repent and change. We do not know the entirety of another person's journey.
The Qur'an reminds us in Surah An-Najm, 53:32, not to declare ourselves pure, because Allah knows best who is truly mindful of Him. This verse is a powerful reminder against self-righteousness.
Religious knowledge should make us more aware of our responsibilities, not more convinced of our superiority. The more we learn about our religion, the more carefully we should examine our own intentions and behaviour.
Are we becoming more humble? Are we becoming more compassionate? Are we becoming more honest with ourselves? Are we learning to correct our mistakes without constantly finding fault in others?
If our knowledge only teaches us how to identify everybody else's shortcomings, perhaps we need to pause and reflect on how we are applying what we have learned.
The Day of Judgement: What We Know and What We Do Not
Jibreel also asked the Prophet ﷺ about the Hour, the Day of Judgement.
The Prophet ﷺ explained that the one being asked knew no more about its exact timing than the one asking. He then described signs of the Hour, including that the slave-girl will give birth to her mistress and master, and that you will find barefooted, destitute goat-herds vying with one another in the construction of magnificent buildings.
The hadith reminds us that the exact time of the Hour is not something human beings can claim to know. We live in a world where people often want certainty. We want to know what will happen, when it will happen, and why it is happening. We search for explanations because uncertainty can make us uncomfortable. Yet Islam teaches us that there are limits to human knowledge.
Rather than becoming consumed by attempts to predict the exact timing of the Hour, we are reminded to prepare for it through faith, repentance, and righteous deeds. The question is not simply how much time remains before the end of the world. It is also what we are doing with the time we have been given.
Are we using our lives meaningfully? Are we repairing relationships where repair is possible? Are we taking responsibility for our mistakes? Are we treating people fairly? Are we remembering Allah while pursuing the responsibilities and opportunities of this world?
We cannot control how much time we have. We can, however, pay attention to how we choose to live it.
Islam, Iman and Ihsan: Three Dimensions of One Religion
What makes this hadith so remarkable is the way it brings the different dimensions of religion together.
Islam teaches us what to practise. Iman teaches us what to believe. Ihsan teaches us to approach our worship with sincerity and awareness of Allah. These dimensions belong together.
Religious practice without sincerity can become a routine concerned primarily with appearances. Belief without meaningful action can remain disconnected from the choices we make. And the pursuit of spiritual excellence requires us to keep working on both our worship and our character.
This is why the hadith is such an important teaching. It gives us a framework for reflecting on our religion without reducing it to a single dimension.
We cannot measure the entirety of a person's faith by what we see on the outside. Nor should we assume that having good intentions means we no longer need to examine our actions. We are called to bring our beliefs, practices, intentions and behaviour into greater alignment.
The journey is ongoing. There will be days when our prayers feel deeply meaningful and days when we struggle to concentrate. There will be moments when we respond with patience and moments when we recognise that we have reacted poorly. There will be times when our faith feels strong and times when we need to remind ourselves of what we believe.
The important thing is not to use these struggles as reasons to give up. It is to keep returning, keep learning, and keep trying to live with greater awareness of Allah.
What Does This Mean for Our Everyday Lives?
For me, the Hadith of Jibreel is an invitation to look at religion not only through what I know, but also through what I practise and how I live.
It encourages me to ask myself some honest questions.
- Am I practising my religion while allowing it to shape my character?
- Am I strengthening my faith while recognising that I cannot control or understand everything?
- Am I striving to worship Allah sincerely, even when there is no audience to witness my efforts?
- Am I using my knowledge to become more humble, or am I using it to feel superior to others?
- Am I more concerned with correcting other people than with taking responsibility for my own actions?
These questions are not a test I need to use against myself or anyone else. They are reminders to keep reflecting, because personal growth and spiritual growth both require honesty. We often look for complicated answers to life's challenges, but sometimes a familiar teaching invites us to return to the foundations.
The Hadith of Jibreel reminds us that our religion is not simply something we talk about. It is something we practise, believe in, and strive to embody.
We will make mistakes. We will have weaknesses. We will have moments when we fall short of the person we want to be. But we can acknowledge those moments without pretending they do not exist, seek forgiveness without losing hope, and make a sincere effort to do better.
Maybe one of the most meaningful ways to honour our religious knowledge is to allow it to change how we treat others and how honestly we examine ourselves. Because ultimately, the question is not only whether we know what Islam teaches. It is whether we are allowing those teachings to transform the way we live.
Source:
- Sahih Muslim, Hadith 8a, Book of Faith — The Hadith of Jibreel.
- Surah An-Najm 53:32 — a reminder not to declare ourselves pure, for Allah knows best who is truly mindful of Him.
May Allah grant us beneficial knowledge, sincere faith, beautiful character, and the humility to keep learning. May He help us practise our religion with understanding, worship Him with sincerity, and become people whose knowledge brings us closer to Him rather than making us feel superior to His creation. Ameen.
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