Hadith 2784

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي . ح وحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ ، قَالَا : حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ . ح وحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ يَعْنِي الثَّقَفِيَّ ، حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ ، عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، قَالَ : " مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرَةِ بَيْنَ الْغَنَمَيْنِ تَعِيرُ إِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَإِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً " ،
Ibn 'Umar (RA) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: The similitude of a hypocrite is that of a sheep which roams aimlessly between two flocks. She goes to one at one time and to the other at another time.
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب صفات المنافقين وأحكامهم / 2784
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
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حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْقَارِيَّ ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ ، عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِمِثْلِهِ ، غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ قَالَ : تَكِرُّ فِي هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَفِي هَذِهِ مَرَّةً .
Ibn 'Umar (RA) reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) saying like this but with this change of words: "She sometimes finds a way in one flock and then in another flock."
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب صفات المنافقين وأحكامهم / 2784
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
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Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
al-‘ā’irah:
One who wanders here and there in a state of confusion and bewilderment,
who does not even know,
“Which flock is mine?
With whom should I go?”
This is precisely the condition of the hypocrite (munafiq):
he neither stands with the disbelievers (kuffar), nor does he choose the company of the Muslims,
ta‘īr:
She comes and goes,
wandering about.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 7043
Hafiz Zubair Ali Zai
Takhrij: [صحيح مسلم 7043]

Fiqh al-Hadith:
➊ Practical hypocrisy is among the major sins, whereas doctrinal hypocrisy is disbelief (kufr).
➋ One who tries to stand with a foot in two boats at the same time ultimately drowns; his duplicity does not benefit him in the least.
➌ The hypocrites are, in reality, even worse than animals.
Source: Adwa al-Masabih fi Tahqiq Mishkat al-Masabih, Page: 57