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:6298Ibn Numayr And Muḥammad b. ʿUbayd > ʿUbaydullāh > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "The parable of the hypocrite is that of a sheep that hesitates between two flocks, sometimes following one, and sometimes following another, not knowing which to follow." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 5037)   

أحمد:٦٢٩٨حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَا حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّ مَثَلَ الْمُنَافِقِ مَثَلُ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرَةِ بَيْنَ الْغَنَمَيْنِ تَعِيرُ إِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَإِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً لَا تَدْرِي أَيَّهُمَا تَتْبَعُ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Nasāʾī, Aḥmad, Suyūṭī
muslim:2784a[Chain 1] Muḥammad b. ʿAbdullāh b. Numayr from my father [Chain 2] Abū Bakr b. Abū Shaybah > Abū Usāmah > ʿUbaydullāh [Chain 3] Muḥammad b. al-Muthanná > ʿAbd al-Wahhāb /

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.  

مسلم:٢٧٨٤aحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي ح وَحَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الْوَهَّابِ يَعْنِي الثَّقَفِيَّ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرَةِ بَيْنَ الْغَنَمَيْنِ تَعِيرُ إِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَإِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً  

nasai:5037Qutaybah > Yaʿqūb > Mūsá b. ʿUqbah > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "The parable of the hypocrite is that of a sheep that hesitates between two flocks, sometimes following one, and sometimes following another, not knowing which to follow."  

النسائي:٥٠٣٧أَخْبَرَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرَةِ بَيْنَ الْغَنَمَيْنِ تَعِيرُ فِي هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَفِي هَذِهِ مَرَّةً لَا تَدْرِي أَيَّهَا تَتْبَعُ  

ahmad:5790Muḥammad b. ʿUbayd > ʿUbaydullāh > Nāfiʿʿan Ibn ʿUmar

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "The parable of the hypocrite is that of a sheep that hesitates between two flocks, sometimes following one, and sometimes following another, not knowing which to follow." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 5037)   

أحمد:٥٧٩٠حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍعَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّمَا مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ مَثَلُ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرَةِ بَيْنَ الْغَنَمَيْنِ تَعِيرُ إِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَإِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً لَا تَدْرِي أَيَّهُمَا تَتْبَعُ  

ahmad:5079And Jadt Fī Kitāb Abū > Isḥāq b. Yūsuf > ʿUbaydullāh > Nāfiʿ > Ibn ʿUmar

The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: "The parable of the hypocrite is that of a sheep that hesitates between two flocks, sometimes following one, and sometimes following another, not knowing which to follow." (Using translation from Nasāʾī 5037)   

أحمد:٥٠٧٩قَالَ وَجَدْتُ فِي كِتَابِ أَبِي حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ عَنْ نَافِعٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرَةِ بَيْنَ الْغَنَمَيْنِ تَعِيرُ إِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً وَإِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً لَا تَدْرِي أَهَذِهِ تَتْبَعُ أَمْ هَذِهِ  

suyuti:19832a
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السيوطي:١٩٨٣٢a

"مَثَلُ الْمُنَافِقِ كَمَثَلِ الشَّاةِ الْعَائِرةِ بَينَ الْغَنَمَينِ تُعِيرُ إِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً، وإِلَى هَذِهِ مَرَّةً، لَا تَدْرِي أَيُّهَا تَتْبَعُ".  

[ط] الطيالسي [حم] أحمد [م] مسلم [ن] النسائي عن ابن عمر