4 - Levels of faith

 1. One day while we were sitting with God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) there appeared before us a man whose clothes were exceedingly white and whose hair was exceedingly black. No sign of journeying was to be seen on him and none of us knew him.  2. He walked up and sat down by the Prophet, resting his knees against his [i.e. the Prophet’s] knees, and placing the palms of his hands on his thighs. 3. He said: ‘Muhammad, tell me about Islam’.  4.God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: ‘Islam is to testify that there is no deity other than God  5. and Muhammad is God’s Messenger,  6. to attend regularly to prayers,  7. to pay the zakat, 8. to fast in Ramadan 9. and to offer the pilgrimage to the House if you are able to do so’.  He said: ‘You have spoken rightly’. We were amazed at him asking and confirming the answer.  10. He then said: ‘Tell me about īmān’. The Prophet said: ‘It is to believe in God,  His angels,  His books,  His messengers, . and the Last Day,  and to believe in Qadar or divine decree, both the good and the evil of it’. He said: ‘You have spoken rightly.  Then tell me about iḥsān’. The Prophet said: ‘It is to worship God as though you see Him, and while you do not see Him, He certainly sees you’.  He said: ‘Then tell me about the Hour’. The Prophet said: ‘The one questioned about it knows no better than the one putting the question’.  He said: ‘Then tell me about its signs’. The Prophet said: ‘That a slave girl gives birth to her mistress,  and that you will see the barefooted, naked, destitute herdsmen competing in constructing lofty buildings’.  Then the man left and I stayed for a while. The Prophet then said to me: 'Umar, do you know who the one putting these questions was?’ I said: ‘God and His Messenger know best’. He said: ‘That was Gabriel. He came to you to teach you your religion’.