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.
darimi:2771Musaddad > Yaḥyá > Sufyān from his father > Abū Yaʿlá > al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym > ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ drew a square for us, then drew a line through the middle of it, and drew lines around it. He drew a line outside the square and said, "This person represents the middle line, and this circle encloses it. These lines represent the qualities. If one's line deviates, the others will correct it. And this hope is for the outside line."  

الدارمي:٢٧٧١حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ سُفْيَانَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي يَعْلَى عَنْ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

خَطَّ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَطًّا مُرَبَّعًا ثُمَّ خَطَّ وَسَطَهُ خَطًّا ثُمَّ خَطَّ حَوْلَهُ خُطُوطًا وَخَطَّ خَطًّا خَارِجًا مِنَ الْخَطِّ فَقَالَ «هَذَا الْإِنْسَانُ لِلْخَطِّ الْأَوْسَطِ وَهَذَا الْأَجَلُ مُحِيطٌ بِهِ وَهَذِهِ الْأَعْرَاضُ لِلْخُطُوطِ فَإِذَا أَخْطَأَهُ وَاحِدٌ نَهَشَهُ الْآخَرُ وَهَذَا الْأَمَلُ لِلْخَطِّ الْخَارِجِ»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Tirmidhī
tirmidhi:2454Muḥammad b. Bashhār > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Sufyān from his father > Abū Yaʿlá > al-Rabīʿ b. Khuthaym > ʿAbdullāh b. Masʿūd

'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.'"  

الترمذي:٢٤٥٤حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي يَعْلَى عَنِ الرَّبِيعِ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ قَالَ

خَطَّ لَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَطًّا مُرَبَّعًا وَخَطَّ فِي وَسَطِ الْخَطِّ خَطًّا وَخَطَّ خَارِجًا مِنَ الْخَطِّ خَطًّا وَحَوْلَ الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ خُطُوطًا فَقَالَ هَذَا ابْنُ آدَمَ وَهَذَا أَجَلُهُ مُحِيطٌ بِهِ وَهَذَا الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ الإِنْسَانُ وَهَذِهِ الْخُطُوطُ عُرُوضُهُ إِنْ نَجَا مِنْ هَذَا يَنْهَشُهُ هَذَا وَالْخَطُّ الْخَارِجُ الأَمَلُ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ صَحِيحٌ