Please give me the reference and full words of the Hadith which states that the heart is between the Fingers of Allah Ta’ala
Answer
1) Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) has recorded the following narration on the authority of Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Amr ibnul ‘As who reports that he heard Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) say:
“Verily the hearts of all of the children of Adam are under the control of Rahman as one heart, which [Allah Ta’ala] can change as he wills. Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) then said, ‘Allahumma Musarrifal qulub, sarrif qulubana ‘ala ta’atik’ (O Allah, the Turner of the hearts, turn our hearts to your obedience)”
(Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2654)
2) Imam Tirmidhi (rahimahullah) has recorded this narration on the authority of Sayyidatuna Anas ibn Malik (radiyallahu ‘anhu) with the following words:
“Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) would often say ‘Ya Muqallibal qulub, thabbit qalbi ‘ala dinik’. So I asked him once, ‘O Rasulullah, We have believed in you and all that you have come with, so do you fear us [losing our Iman]. Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said, ‘Yes, Certainly the hearts are under the control of Allah, which he can change as he wills.”
(Sunan Tirmidhi, Hadith: 2140. Declared sound –hasan– by Imam Tirmidhi)
Note
1) The Arabic words in the Hadith are ‘بين اصبعين من اصابع الرحمن’ which translates literally as ‘between two fingers of the fingers of Allah’. However the interpretation is ‘under the control of Allah Ta’ala’.
(Refer: Sahih Muslim with Al Minhaj of Imam Nawawi, under Hadith: 6692)
2) In the second Hadith, Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) asked Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam), ‘Do you fear us [losing our Iman]’?
Since Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) is protected from all types of sins [ma’sum], Sayyiduna Anas had realised that this was not applicable to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and he was repeating this du’a to teach the Ummah. He therefore posed this question.
(Tuhfatul Ahwadhi, Hadith: 2140)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar