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.
tirmidhi:2874Qutaybah > al-Mughīrah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "The Parable of myself and that of my Ummah is that of a man who kindled a fire, and the flies and moths began flying into it - and I am trying to prevent you from diving into it."  

الترمذي:٢٨٧٤حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ أُمَّتِي كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَجَعَلَتِ الذُّبَابُ وَالْفَرَاشُ يَقَعْنَ فِيهَا وَأَنَا آخُذُ بِحُجَزِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَقَحَّمُونَ فِيهَا قَالَ هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ وَقَدْ رُوِيَ مِنْ غَيْرِ وَجْهٍ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Muslim, Aḥmad
muslim:2284aQutaybah b. Saʿīd > al-Mughīrah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Qurashī > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

The similitude of mine and that of my Umma is that of a person who lit fire and there began to fall into it insects and moths. And I am there to hold you back, but you plunge into it.  

مسلم:٢٢٨٤aوَحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْقُرَشِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ أُمَّتِي كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَجَعَلَتِ الدَّوَابُّ وَالْفَرَاشُ يَقَعْنَ فِيهِ فَأَنَا آخِذٌ بِحُجَزِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَقَحَّمُونَ فِيهِ  

muslim:2285Muḥammad b. Ḥātim > Ibn Mahdī > Salīm > Saʿīd b. Mīnāʾ > Jābir

Jabir b. Abdullah reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying. My example and your example is that of a person who lit the fire and insects and moths began to fall in it and he would be making efforts to take them out, and I am going to hold you back from fire, but you are slipping from my hand.  

مسلم:٢٢٨٥حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمٌ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ مِينَاءَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُكُمْ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ أَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَجَعَلَ الْجَنَادِبُ وَالْفَرَاشُ يَقَعْنَ فِيهَا وَهُوَ يَذُبُّهُنَّ عَنْهَا وَأَنَا آخِذٌ بِحُجَزِكُمْ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأَنْتُمْ تَفَلَّتُونَ مِنْ يَدِي  

ahmad:14887ʿAffān > Salīm b. Ḥayyān > Saʿīd b. Mīnāʾ > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

Jabir b. Abdullah reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying. My example and your example is that of a person who lit the fire and insects and moths began to fall in it and he would be making efforts to take them out, and I am going to hold you back from fire, but you are slipping from my hand. (Using translation from Muslim 2285)   

أحمد:١٤٨٨٧حَدَّثَنَا عَفَّانُ حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ أَخْبَرَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مِينَاءَ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُكُمْ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ أَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَجَعَلَ الْفَرَاشُ وَالْجَنَادِبُ يَقَعْنَ فِيهَا قَالَ وَهُوَ يَذُبُّهُنَّ عَنْهَا قَالَ وَأَنَا آخِذٌ بِحُجَزِكُمْ عَنِ النَّارِ وَأَنْتُمْ تَفَلَّتُونَ مِنْ يَدِي  

ahmad:7321

The similitude of mine and that of my Umma is that of a person who lit fire and there began to fall into it insects and moths. And I am there to hold you back, but you plunge into it. (Using translation from Muslim 2284a)   

أحمد:٧٣٢١

إِنَّمَا مَثَلِي وَمَثَلُ النَّاسِ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ اسْتَوْقَدَ نَارًا فَلَمَّا أَضَاءَتْ مَا حَوْلَهُ جَعَلَ الْفَرَاشُ وَالدَّوَابُّ تَتَقَحَّمُ فِيهَا فَأَنَا آخِذٌ بِحُجَزِكُمْ وَأَنْتُمْ تَوَاقَعُونَ فِيهَا