حَدَّثَنَا صَدَقَةُ بْنُ الْفَضْلِ، أَخْبَرَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ سُفْيَانَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ مُنْذِرٍ، عَنْ رَبِيعِ بْنِ خُثَيْمٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ خَطَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم خَطًّا مُرَبَّعًا، وَخَطَّ خَطًّا فِي الْوَسَطِ خَارِجًا مِنْهُ، وَخَطَّ خُطُطًا صِغَارًا إِلَى هَذَا الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ، مِنْ جَانِبِهِ الَّذِي فِي الْوَسَطِ وَقَالَ
" هَذَا الإِنْسَانُ، وَهَذَا أَجَلُهُ مُحِيطٌ بِهِ ـ أَوْ قَدْ أَحَاطَ بِهِ ـ وَهَذَا الَّذِي هُوَ خَارِجٌ أَمَلُهُ، وَهَذِهِ الْخُطُطُ الصِّغَارُ الأَعْرَاضُ، فَإِنْ أَخْطَأَهُ هَذَا نَهَشَهُ هَذَا، وَإِنْ أَخْطَأَهُ هَذَا نَهَشَهُ هَذَا ".
The Prophet (ﷺ) drew a square and then drew a line in the middle of it and let it extend outside the square and then drew several small lines attached to that central line, and said, “This is the human being, and this, (the square) in his lease of life, encircles him from all sides (or has encircled him), and this (line), which is outside (the square), is his hope, and these small lines are the calamities and troubles (which may befall him), and if one misses him, an-other will snap (i.e. overtake) him, and if the other misses him, a third will snap (i.e. overtake) him.”