رِيَاضُ الصَّالِحِينَ
Riyad as-Salihin 576
The Book of Miscellany
Remembrance of Death and Restraint of Wishes
وَعَنِ ابْنِ مَسْعُودٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: خَطَّ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللَّه عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ خَطًّا مُرَبَّعًا، وَخَطَّ خَطًّا فى الْوَسَطِ خَارِجًا مِنْهُ، وَخَطَّ خُطُطًا صِغَارًا إِلَى هَذَا الذى فى الْوَسَطِ مِنْ جَانِبِهِ الذى فى الْوَسَطِ، فقال: “هَذَا الإِنْسَانُ، وَهَذَا أَجَلُهُ محيطا به -أَوْ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِهِ- وَهَذَا الذى هُوَ خَارِجٌ أَمَلُهُ، وَهَذِهِ الْخُطُطُ الصِّغَارُ الأَعْرَاضُ فَإِنْ أَخْطَأَهُ هَذَا ، نَهَشَهُ هَذَا، وَإِنْ أَخْطَأَهُ هَذَا نَهَشَهُ هَذَا” ((رَوَاهُ الْبُخَارِيّ))
Ibn Mas'ud (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (ﷺ) drew up a square and in the middle of it he drew a line, the end of which jutted out beyond the square. Further across the middle line, he drew a number of smaller lines. Then he (ﷺ) said, "The figure represents man and the encircling square is the death which is encompassing him. The middle line represents his desires and the smaller lines are vicissitudes of life. If one of those misses him, another distresses him, and if that one misses him, he falls victim to another." [Al-Bukhari].
Riyad as-Salihin, 576