It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) drew lines and made a square shape. In the middle of this shape, he drew a line, and then inside the shape itself, he drew several more lines alongside it, and one line he drew outside the square. Then he said: "Do you know what this is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "The line in the middle is man, the lines alongside it are diseases that try to attack him at every place; if one misses its mark, another strikes. The lines forming the square are man's death, which surrounds him, and the line outside the shape is man's hope."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id Khudri (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) placed an object in front of him, then placed another object beside it, and a third object a little farther away, and said: "Do you know what this is?" They said: "Allah and His Messenger know best." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "This is man, the object placed next to him is his death, and the one placed farther away is his hope. He continues to pursue his hope, but before he can reach it, death seizes him."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) joined his fingers together and placed them on the ground and said: "This is the son of Adam." Then he raised his fingers a little and said: "This is his death." And then he threw his hand forward in front of him and said: "And here are his hopes."

. (Second chain) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, gathered his fingers and scratched the ground with them and said: This is the son of Adam. Then he placed his hand a little behind that and said: This is his death. Then he pointed in front of him and said: And there, up to that point, are his hopes. Three times the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, did this.

(The third chain) The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him and his family, took three pebbles. He placed one below, one in front of him, and threw the third away. Then he said: This is the son of Adam, and with him is his death lying close, and the pebble that was thrown away is his hopes.