Holding Fast to the Qur'an and Sunnah

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبَادَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَزِيدُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَلِيمُ بْنُ حَيَّانَ ـ وَأَثْنَى عَلَيْهِ ـ حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مِينَاءَ، حَدَّثَنَا أَوْ، سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، يَقُولُ جَاءَتْ مَلاَئِكَةٌ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهْوَ نَائِمٌ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَةٌ وَالْقَلْبَ يَقْظَانُ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا إِنَّ لِصَاحِبِكُمْ هَذَا مَثَلاً فَاضْرِبُوا لَهُ مَثَلاً‏.‏ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَةٌ وَالْقَلْبَ يَقْظَانُ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا مَثَلُهُ كَمَثَلِ رَجُلٍ بَنَى دَارًا، وَجَعَلَ فِيهَا مَأْدُبَةً وَبَعَثَ دَاعِيًا، فَمَنْ أَجَابَ الدَّاعِيَ دَخَلَ الدَّارَ وَأَكَلَ مِنَ الْمَأْدُبَةِ، وَمَنْ لَمْ يُجِبِ الدَّاعِيَ لَمْ يَدْخُلِ الدَّارَ وَلَمْ يَأْكُلْ مِنَ الْمَأْدُبَةِ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا أَوِّلُوهَا لَهُ يَفْقَهْهَا فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّهُ نَائِمٌ‏.‏ وَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ إِنَّ الْعَيْنَ نَائِمَةٌ وَالْقَلْبَ يَقْظَانُ‏.‏ فَقَالُوا فَالدَّارُ الْجَنَّةُ، وَالدَّاعِي مُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَمَنْ أَطَاعَ مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَدْ أَطَاعَ اللَّهَ، وَمَنْ عَصَى مُحَمَّدًا صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَدْ عَصَى اللَّهَ، وَمُحَمَّدٌ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَرْقٌ بَيْنَ النَّاسِ‏.‏ تَابَعَهُ قُتَيْبَةُ عَنْ لَيْثٍ، عَنْ خَالِدٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.

Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:
Some angels came to the Prophet while he was sleeping. Some of them said, "He is sleeping." Others said, "His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake." Then they said, "There is an example for this companion of yours." One of them said, "Then set forth an example for him." Some of them said, "He is sleeping." The others said, "His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake." Then they said, "His example is that of a man who has built a house and then offered therein a banquet and sent an inviter (messenger) to invite the people. So whoever accepted the invitation of the inviter, entered the house and ate of the banquet, and whoever did not accept the invitation of the inviter, did not enter the house, nor did he eat of the banquet." Then the angels said, "Interpret this example to him so that he may understand it." Some of them said, "He is sleeping.'' The others said, "His eyes are sleeping but his heart is awake." And then they said, "The houses stands for Paradise and the call maker is Muhammad; and whoever obeys Muhammad, obeys Allah; and whoever disobeys Muhammad, disobeys Allah. Muhammad separated the people (i.e., through his message, the good is distinguished from the bad, and the believers from the disbelievers).