Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2870
جامع الترمذي#2870Hasanحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَلاَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا بَشِيرُ بْنُ الْمُهَاجِرِ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " هَلْ تَدْرُونَ مَا هَذِهِ وَمَا هَذِهِ " . وَرَمَى بِحَصَاتَيْنِ . قَالُوا اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ . قَالَ " هَذَاكَ الأَمَلُ وَهَذَاكَ الأَجَلُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ .
Narrated 'Abdullah bin Buraidah:from his father that the Prophet (ﷺ) said: "Do you know what the parable of this and this is?" - and he tossed two pebbles. They said: "Allah and His Messenger (ﷺ) know better." He said: "This (the farther) one is hope, and this (closer) one is death
Scholarly Authentication
The label above is the grade most of these scholars gave — one dissenting opinion no longer speaks for all of them. If any scholar calls a narration fabricated, that verdict is shown instead, whatever the others say. Each scholar's own wording:
In-book reference: 44:13