Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad:10827ʿAbd al-Ṣamad > Ḥammād > Muḥammad b. ʿAmr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] "The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'You will certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, step by step, even if they were to enter the hole of a lizard, you would follow them.' They said: 'O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?' He said: 'Who else?'"  

أحمد:١٠٨٢٧حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ حَدَّثَنِي حَمَّادٌ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ الشِّبْرَ بِالشِّبْرِ وَالذِّرَاعَ بِالذِّرَاعِ وَالْبَاعَ بِالْبَاعِ حَتَّى لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ دَخَلَ جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَمِنَ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى؟ قَالَ مَنْ إِذًا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Ibn Mājah, Aḥmad, Ḥākim, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, Suyūṭī

Muslims to take heed from stories of the past nations that they will wrongfully follow the ways of the Jews and the Christians

bukhari:3456Saʿīd b. Abū Maryam > Abū Ghassān > Zayd b. Aslam > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Abū Saʿīd

The Prophet ﷺ said, "You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a mastigure, you too will go there." We said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?" He replied, "Whom else?" (Meaning, of course)  

البخاري:٣٤٥٦حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ ؓ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ سَلَكُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَسَلَكْتُمُوهُ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ فَمَنْ  

bukhari:7320Muḥammad b. ʿAbd al-ʿAzīz > Abū ʿUmar al-Ṣanʿānī from al-Yaman > Zayd b. Aslam > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

The Prophet ﷺ said, "You will follow the ways of those nations who were before you, span by span and cubit by cubit (i.e., inch by inch) so much so that even if they entered a hole of a mastigure, you would follow them." We said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! (Do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?" He said, "Whom else?"  

البخاري:٧٣٢٠حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عُمَرَ الصَّنْعَانِيُّ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لَتَتْبَعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا شِبْرًا وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ تَبِعْتُمُوهُمْ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ فَمَنْ  

muslim:2669aSūwayd b. Saʿīd > Ḥafṣ b. Maysarah > Zayd b. Aslam > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Messenger of Allah, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)?  

مسلم:٢٦٦٩aحَدَّثَنِي سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ حَدَّثَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا فِي جُحْرِ ضَبٍّ لاَتَّبَعْتُمُوهُمْ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ آلْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ فَمَنْ  

ibnmajah:3994Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Yazīd b. Hārūn > Muḥammad b. ʿAmr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

“You will most certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, arm’s length by arm’s length, forearm’s length by forearm’s length, hand span by hand span, until even if they entered a hole of a mastigure (lizard) you will enter it too.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said: “Who else?”  

ابن ماجة:٣٩٩٤حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سُنَّةَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بَاعًا بِبَاعٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ وَشِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا فِي جُحْرِ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمْ فِيهِ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ فَمَنْ إِذًا  

ahmad:9819Yazīd Khbrnā Muḥammad > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah

“You will most certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, arm’s length by arm’s length, forearm’s length by forearm’s length, hand span by hand span, until even if they entered a hole of a mastigure (lizard) you will enter it too.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said: “Who else?” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3994)  

أحمد:٩٨١٩حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ أخبرنا مُحَمَّدٌ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سُنَنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ بَاعًا بِبَاعٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ وَشِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا فِي جُحْرِ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمْ مَعَهُمْ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ فَمَنْ إِذًا  

ahmad:11800Rawḥ > Zuhayr b. Muḥammad > Zayd b. Aslam > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Messenger of Allah, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)? (Using translation from Muslim 2669a)  

أحمد:١١٨٠٠حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَتَبِعْتُمُوهُمْ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ الْيَهُودَ وَالنَّصَارَى؟ قَالَ فَمَنْ؟  

ahmad:11843Rawḥ > Zuhayr b. Muḥammad > Zayd b. Aslam > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

You would tread the same path as was trodden by those before you inch by inch and step by step so much so that if they had entered into the hole of the lizard, you would follow them in this also. We said: Messenger of Allah, do you mean Jews and Christians (by your words)" those before you"? He said: Who else (than those two religious groups)? (Using translation from Muslim 2669a)  

أحمد:١١٨٤٣حَدَّثَنَا رَوْحٌ حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَتَبِعْتُمُوهُمْ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى؟ قَالَ فَمَنْ؟  

ahmad:8340Ḥajjāj > Ibn Jurayj > Ziyād b. Saʿd > Muḥammad b. Zayd b. al-Muhājir b. Qunfudh > Saʿīd b. Abū Saʿīd al-Maqburī > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ said, "By the One in whose hand is my soul, you will certainly follow the practices of those before you, inch by inch, arm's length by arm's length, even if they were to enter the hole of a lizard, you would enter it too." They asked, "Are they the people of the Book, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "No, but they are your own people."  

أحمد:٨٣٤٠حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجٌ أَخْبَرَنِي ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ أَخْبَرَنِي زِيَادُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ زَيْدِ بْنِ الْمُهَاجِرِ بْنِ قُنْفُذٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سُنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ وَبَاعًا فَبَاعًا حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ دَخَلْتُمُوهُ قَالُوا وَمَنْ هُمْ؟ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ؟ قَالَ فَمَهْ  

ahmad:10641ʿAbd al-Malik b. ʿAmr > Sulaymān b. Bilāl > Ibrāhīm b. Abū Asīd from his father > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Prophet ﷺ said, "You will indeed follow the practices of those who came before you, inch by inch and arm's length by arm's length, to the point that if they were to enter the burrow of a lizard, you would enter it too."  

أحمد:١٠٦٤١حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْمَلِكِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلَالٍ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ أَبِي أَسِيدٍ عَنْ جَدِّهِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ  

hakim:8404Abū Ūways al-Madīnī > Thawr b. Yazīd And Mūsá b. Maysarah > ʿIkrimah > Ibn ʿAbbās

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "You will follow the practices of those before you, inch by inch, elbow by elbow, to the extent that if one of them entered the hole of a lizard, you would enter it too. And even if one of them were to have relations with his wife in a public road, you would do it too." This hadith is authentic/authentic.  

الحاكم:٨٤٠٤حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُوَيْسٍ الْمَدِينِيُّ حَدَّثَنِي ثَوْرُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ وَمُوسَى بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَتَرْكَبُنَّ سُنَنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ دَخَلَ حُجْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمْ وَحَتَّى لَوْ أَنَّ أَحَدَهُمْ جَامِعَ امْرَأَتَهُ بِالطَّرِيقِ لَفَعَلْتُمُوهُ» صَحِيحٌصحيح  

hakim:106Abū ʿAmr ʿUthmān b. Aḥmad b. al-Sammāk> Quriʾ > ʿAbd al-Malik b. Muḥammad > Quraysh b. Anas > Muḥammad b. ʿAmr > Abū Bakr b. Isḥāq > Abū al-Muthanná > Musaddad > al-Muʿtamir > Muḥammad b. ʿAmr > Abū Salamah > Abū Hurayrah > Qāl Rasūl

“You will most certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, arm’s length by arm’s length, forearm’s length by forearm’s length, hand span by hand span, until even if they entered a hole of a mastigure (lizard) you will enter it too.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said: “Who else?” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3994)   

الحاكم:١٠٦أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو عَمْرٍو عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ بْنِ السَّمَّاكِ بِبَغْدَادَ قَالَ قُرِئَ عَلَى عَبْدِ الْمَلِكِ بْنِ مُحَمَّدٍ وَأَنَا أَسْمَعُ ثنا قُرَيْشُ بْنُ أَنَسٍ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ أَنْبَأَ أَبُو الْمُثَنَّى ثنا مُسَدَّدٌ ثنا الْمُعْتَمِرُ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَمْرٍو عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ بَاعًا فَبَاعًا وَذِرَاعًا فَذِرَاعًا وَشِبْرًا فَشِبْرًا حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلْتُمُوهُ مَعَهُمْ» قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى قَالَ «فَمَنْ إِذًا؟»  

«هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ عَلَى شَرْطِ مُسْلِمٍ وَلَمْ يُخَرِّجَاهُ بِهَذَا اللَّفْظِ» على شرط مسلم

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ قَوْلَهُ ﷺ «سَنَنَ مَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ» أَرَادَ بِهِ أَهْلَ الْكِتَابَيْنِ

ibnhibban:6703Muḥammad b. Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm a freed slave of Thaqīf > Muḥammad b. Yaḥyá al-Dhuhlī > Ibn Abū Maryam > Abū Ghassān > Zayd b. Aslam > ʿAṭāʾ b. Yasār > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

The Prophet ﷺ said, "You will follow the wrong ways, of your predecessors so completely and literally that if they should go into the hole of a mastigure, you too will go there." We said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! Do you mean the Jews and the Christians?" He replied, "Whom else?" (Meaning, of course, the Jews and the Christians.) (Using translation from Bukhārī 3456)  

ابن حبّان:٦٧٠٣أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَوْلَى ثَقِيفٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى الذُّهْلِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي مَرْيَمَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو غَسَّانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي زَيْدُ بْنُ أَسْلَمَ عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سَنَنَ الَّذِينَ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ سَلَكُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَسَلَكْتُمُوهُ» قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى؟ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ «فَمَنْ؟ »  

يَحْيَى بْنُ عُثْمَانَ أَظُنُّهُ بَصْرِيٌّ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ

tabarani:5943ʿAbdān b. Aḥmad > Muʾammal b. Ihāb > al-Naḍr b. Muḥammad al-Ḥarashī > ʿIkrimah b. ʿAmmār > Yaḥyá b. ʿUthmān > Abū Ḥāzim > Sahl b. Saʿd

“You will most certainly follow the ways of those who came before you, arm’s length by arm’s length, forearm’s length by forearm’s length, hand span by hand span, until even if they entered a hole of a mastigure (lizard) you will enter it too.” They said: “O Messenger of Allah, (do you mean) the Jews and the Christians?” He said: “Who else?” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3994)   

الطبراني:٥٩٤٣حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ بْنُ أَحْمَدَ ثنا مُؤَمَّلُ بْنُ إِهَابٍ ثنا النَّضْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْحَرَشِيُّ ثنا عِكْرِمَةُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ عُثْمَانَ عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سُنَنَ مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشِبْرٍ وَذِرَاعًا بِذِرَاعٍ حَتَّى لَوْ دَخَلُوا جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَاتَّبَعْتُمُوهُمْ» قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى؟ قَالَ «فَمَنْ إِلَّا الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى»  

suyuti:17156a
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السيوطي:١٧١٥٦a

"لَتَتَّبِعُنَّ سنَنَ الَّذِينَ مِنْ قَبْلِكُمْ شبْرًا بشبْرٍ، وذرَاعًا بِذرَاع، حَتَّى لَوْ سَلَكُوا جُحْر ضَبٍّ لَسَلَكْتمُوهُ، قالُوا: يا رَسُول اللهِ، اليَهُود والنصارى؟ ، قال: فمنَ؟ ".

. . . .  

[ط] الطيالسي [حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم [ص] سعيد بن منصور [حب] ابن حبّان عن أَبي سعيد، [طب] الطبرانى في الكبير عن سهل بن سعد، [ك] الحاكم في المستدرك عن أبي هريرة
suyuti:17168a
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السيوطي:١٧١٦٨a

"لتَرْكَبُنَّ سنَنَ مَن قَبْلَكُمْ شِبْرًا بِشبْرٍ، وَذرَاعًا بذِراعٍ، حَتَّى لَوْ أَنَّ أحَدَهُمْ دَخَلَ جُحْرَ ضَبٍّ لَدَخَلتُمْ، وَحَتَّى لَوْ أَنَّ أحَدَهُم جَامَعَ امْرأَته بالطَّريق لفَعَلتُموه".  

[ك] الحاكم في المستدرك عن ابن عباس