ONE HADITH A DAY
Al-Bukhari and Muslim with its two versions · Sahih/Authentic with its two versions
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: «النَّاسُ مَعَادِن كَمَعَادِن الذَّهَب وَالفِضَّة، خِيَارُهُم فِي الجَاهِلِيَّة خِيَارُهُم فِي الإِسْلاَم إِذَا فَقُهُوا، والأَرْوَاحُ جُنُودٌ مُجَنَّدَة، فَمَا تَعَارَفَ مِنْهَا ائتَلَفَ، وَمَا تَنَاكَرَ مِنْهَا اخْتَلَفَ». وعن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله -صلى الله عليه وسلم: «تَجِدُون النَّاسَ مَعَادِن: خِيَارُهُم فِي الجَاهِليَّة خِيَارُهُم فِي الإِسْلاَم إِذَا فَقِهُوا، وَتَجِدُون خِيَار النَّاس فِي هَذَا الشَّأْن أَشَدُّهُم كَرَاهِيَة لَه، وَتَجِدُون شَرَّ النَّاس ذَا الوَجْهَين، الَّذِي يَأْتِي هَؤُلاَء بِوَجه، وَهَؤُلاَء بِوَجْه».
“Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "People are precious metals, like the metals gold and silver. The best of them in the pre-Islamic period are the best of them in Islam, if they understand. Souls are conscripted soldiers, whichever of them come together, they unite and whichever of them disregard each other, they diverge." Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: ''You find people like metal; the best of them in the pre-Islamic era are the best of them in Islam, if they understand. And you find the best of people in this matter are those who detest it most. And you find the most evil of people are the two-faced; the ones who come to these with one face and to those with another.''”
The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) likened people to metal, thereby indicating many things. He implied that people are different in character, morals, and mental qualities. This is understood from his reference to the differences between metals. He also indicates that people are different in accepting reform. Some of them are easy, some need patience, and some are impervious to it. Furthermore, the reference to metal shows that people are different in respect to being noble and ignoble, just as metals differ in quality. Some are expensive like gold and silver; others are cheap like iron and tin. Likewise, the reference to metal indicates endurance. The metals of the Arabs are their origin and lineage. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says: “The best of them in the pre-Islamic period are the best of them in Islam, if they understand.'' This means that the noblest of people, in terms of their origin, lineage, and essence were the best in the pre-Islamic period, as long as they understood. For example, the Banu Hāshim were the best of the Quraysh before Islam, as far as their origins and lineage were concerned, and this is stated in an authentic Hadīth. The same Banu Hāshim were the best in Islam if they learned and understood the religion of Allah. If they did not do so, even though they had the best Arabic backgrounds, they were not the noblest in the sight of Allah nor were they the best of humans. This is proof that a person's lineage is a source of honor for him, as long as he understands the religion. There is n…