حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَی بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي يَعْلَی عَنْ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ خَطَّ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَطًّا مُرَبَّعًا وَخَطَّ فِي وَسَطِ الْخَطِّ خَطًّا وَخَطَّ خَارِجًا مِنْ الْخَطِّ خَطًّا وَحَوْلَ الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ خُطُوطًا فَقَالَ هَذَا ابْنُ آدَمَ وَهَذَا أَجَلُهُ مُحِيطٌ بِهِ وَهَذَا الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ الْإِنْسَانُ وَهَذِهِ الْخُطُوطُ عُرُوضُهُ إِنْ نَجَا مِنْ هَذَا يَنْهَشُهُ هَذَا وَالْخَطُّ الْخَارِجُ الْأَمَلُ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ
جامع ترمذی · Hadith 2454
Abdullah bin Mas'ud narrated The Messenger of Allah (s.a.w) drew a square line (on the ground) forus, and in the middle of the (square) line he drew another line, and he drew another line going out of the (square) line.Around the one that was in the middle, he drew (various) lines. Then he said: 'This is the son of Adam, and this is his life-span encircling him, and this one in the middle in the person, and these lines are his obstacles, if he escapes this one, this one ensnares him, and the line extending outside is his hope.'
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020