Sunan an-Nasa'i The Book of the Commencement of the Prayer

Sunan an-Nasa'i 943

Chapter: Collection of what was narrated concerning the Quran

Authentic 3 scholars’ grades Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sunan an-Nasa'i 943

أَخْبَرَنَا عِمْرَانُ بْنُ مُوسَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ زُرَيْعٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

"‏ بِئْسَمَا لأَحَدِهِمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَسْرَعُ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ مِنْ عُقُلِهِ ‏"

It was narrated from Abdullah that:

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: "It is not right for any one of you to say: 'I have forgotten such and such a verse.' Rather, he has been caused to forget. Study the Qur'an, for it escapes from the heart of man faster than a camel escapes from its fetter. "

Reported by An-Nasa’i (No. 943), Al-Bukhari (No. 5032, 5039), Muslim (No. 790a, 790b, 790c), At-Tirmidhi (No. 2942), Ahmad (No. 3764, 3816, 3876, 3962, 4062, 4184) and Ad-Darimi (No. 2627, 3213).

An explanation exists for another version of this hadith: Sahih al-Bukhari 5032

Classical commentary

Al-Sindi — Hashiyat al-Sindi on Sunan al-Nasa'i

قَوْله ( أَنْ يَقُول نَسِيت آيَة كَيْت ) بِالتَّخْفِيفِ لِمَا فِيهِ مِنْ التَّشَبُّه لَفْظًا بِمَنْ ذَمَّهُ اللَّه تَعَالَى بِقَوْلِهِ كَذَلِكَ أَتَتْك آيَاتنَا فَنَسِيتهَا وَكَذَلِكَ الْيَوْم تُنْسَى فَالِاحْتِرَاز عَنْ مِثْل هَذَا الْقَوْل أَحْسَن ( بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ ) بِالتَّشْدِيدِ أَيْ اللَّهُ تَعَالَى قَدْ أَزَالَ عَنْ قَلْبه مَا أَزَالَ فَلْيَقُلْ نَسِيت بِالتَّشْدِيدِ لِكَوْنِهِ أَوْفَق بِالْوَاقِعِ وَأَبْعَد مِنْ الْوُقُوع فِي الْمَكْرُوه ( اِسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآن ) أَيْ اُذْكُرُوهُ وَاحْفَظُوهُ وَذِكْره بِالسِّينِ لِلْمُبَالَغَةِ ( تَفَصِّيًا ) بِالْفَاءِ وَالصَّادّ الْمُهْمَلَة أَيْ خُرُوجًا وَتَخَلُّصًا قَوْله ( مِنْ النَّعَم مِنْ عُقُله ) بِضَمِّ عَيْن وَقَاف جَمِيعًا وَقَدْ يُ…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Albanid. 1420 AH	AuthenticSahih	The hadith	No. 943
Zubair Ali Zaid. 1435 AH	AuthenticSahih - Agreed Upon	The hadith	No. 943
Abd al-Fattah Abu Ghuddahd. 1417 AH	AuthenticSahih	The hadith	No. 943

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 5032

How terrible it is for someone to say: I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur'an, for indeed, he has been caused to forget it. So, you must keep on memorizing the Qur'an for it is more likely to escape from the hearts of men faster than camels

‘Abdullāh ibn Mas‘ūd (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "How terrible it is for someone to say: ‘I have forgotten such-and-such verse of the Qur’an', for indeed, he has been caused to forget it. So, you must keep on…

نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ نُسِّيَ، وَاسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَإِنَّهُ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd Explained

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 5039

The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Why does anyone of the people say, 'I have forgotten such-and-such Verses (of the Qur'an)?' He, in fact, is caused (by Allah) to forget."

نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ‏.‏ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 790a

What a wretched person is he amongst them who says: I have forgotten such and such a verse. (He should instead of using this expression say): I have been made to forget it. Try to remember the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than a hobbled camel.

بِئْسَمَا لأَحَدِهِمْ يَقُولُ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ اسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَلَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ النَّعَمِ بِعُقُلِهَا ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 790b

Keep refreshing your knowledge of the sacred books (or always renew your knowledge of these sacred books) and sometimes he would mention the Qur'an for it is more apt to escape from men's minds than animals which are hobbled, and the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: None of you should say: I forgot…

لاَ يَقُلْ أَحَدُكُمْ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 790c

Wretched is the man who says: I forgot such and such a sura, or I forget such and such a verse, but he has been made to forget.

بِئْسَمَا لِلرَّجُلِ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ سُورَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ أَوْ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ ‏"

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 2942

that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "How horrible it is for one of them - or - one of you to say: "I have forgotten such and such Ayah,' rather he was made to forget. So be mindful of the Qur'an, for - by the One in Whose Hand is my soul - it escapes from men's hearts faster than a camel from its fetter."

"‏ بِئْسَمَا لأَحَدِهِمْ أَوْ لأَحَدِكُمْ أَنْ يَقُولَ نَسِيتُ آيَةَ كَيْتَ وَكَيْتَ بَلْ هُوَ نُسِّيَ فَاسْتَذْكِرُوا الْقُرْآنَ فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَهُوَ أَشَدُّ تَفَصِّيًا مِنْ صُدُورِ الرِّجَالِ مِنَ…

Narrated by Abdullah ibn Mas‘ūd

See all 15 versions

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 3764