عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ: كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم بَارِزًا يَوْمًا لِلنَّاسِ، فَأَتَاهُ جِبْرِيلُ فَقَالَ: مَا الْإِيمَانُ؟ قَالَ: الْإِيمَانُ أَنْ تُؤْمِنَ بِالله، وَمَلَائِكَتِهِ، وَبِلِقَائِهِ، وَرُسُلِهِ، وَتُؤْمِنَ بِالْبَعْثِ. قَالَ: مَا الْإِسْلَامُ؟ قَالَ: الْإِسْلَامُ أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ وَلَا تُشْرِكَ بِهِ، وَتُقِيمَ الصَّلَاةَ، وَتُؤَدِّيَ الزَّكَاةَ الْمَفْرُوضَةَ، وَتَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ. قَالَ: مَا الْإِحْسَانُ؟ قَالَ: أَنْ تَعْبُدَ اللهَ كَأَنَّكَ تَرَاهُ، فَإِنْ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَرَاهُ فَإِنَّهُ يَرَاكَ. قَالَ: مَتَى السَّاعَةُ؟ قَالَ: مَا الْمَسْؤُولُ عَنْهَا بِأَعْلَمَ مِنَ السَّائِلِ، وَسَأُخْبِرُكَ عَنْ أَشْرَاطِهَا: إِذَا وَلَدَتِ الْأَمَةُ رَبَّهَا، وَإِذَا تَطَاوَلَ رُعَاةُ الْإِبِلِ الْبُهُمُ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ، فِي خَمْسٍ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلَّا الله. ثُمَّ تَلَا النَّبِيُّ صلّى الله عليه وسلّم: ﴿إِنَّ اللهَ عِنْدَهُ عِلْمُ السَّاعَةِ﴾ الْآيَةَ، ثُمَّ أَدْبَرَ، فَقَالَ: رُدُّوهُ. فَلَمْ يَرَوْا شَيْئًا، فَقَالَ: هَذَا جِبْرِيلُ، جَاءَ يُعَلِّمُ النَّاسَ دِينَهُمْ.

It was narrated by Hazrat Abu Hurairah^ra that, “One day, while the Prophet^sa was sitting with the people, Gabriel came and asked, ‘What is iman [faith]?’ The Prophet^sa replied, ‘Iman is to believe in Allah, His angels, His meeting, His Messengers, and to believe in the resurrection.’ He then asked, ‘What is Islam?’ The Prophet^sa answered, ‘Islam is to worship Allah and not associate anything with Him, to perform the prescribed prayers, to pay the obligatory charity, and to fast during Ramadan.’ He then asked, ‘What is ihsan?’ The Prophet^sa said, ‘Ihsan is to worship Allah as though you see Him, and if you cannot see Him, then indeed He sees you.’ He then asked, ‘When is the Hour?’ The Prophet^sa said, ‘The one questioned about it knows no better than the questioner. But I will tell you about its signs: when the slave woman gives birth to her master, and when the shepherds of black camels start competing with others in the construction of tall buildings. These are among the five matters which nobody knows except Allah.’ Then the Prophet^sa recited the verse: اِنَّ اللّٰہَ عِنۡدَہٗ عِلۡمُ السَّاعَۃِ [‘Verily, with Allah alone is the knowledge of the Hour.’ (Surah Luqman, Ch.31: V.35)] Then he turned away. The Prophet^sa said, ‘Bring him back to me.’ But they saw nothing. He said, ‘That was Gabriel, who came to teach people their religion.’”

(Sahih al-Bukhari, kitabu l-iman, Babu su’ali Jibrila n-nabiyya^sa ‘ani l-imani wa l-islami wa l-ihsan wa ‘ilmi s-sa‘ah, Hadith 50)

Iman, Islam, ihsan, and the Last Hour