Takhrij Hadith 649: ""O people, beware of this…"

"O people, beware of this shirk (associating partners with Allah) , for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant". Thereupon ‘Abdullah ibn Hazn and Qays ibn al-Mudarib stood up and said: "By Allah, you must explain what you have said, or we shall go to ‘Umar, whether we have permission or not". He replied: "Rather, I shall explain what I said. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once addressed us and said: 'O people, beware of this shirk, for it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant'. Then someone whom Allah willed to speak said: 'How can we guard ourselves against it when it is more hidden than the creeping of an ant, O Messenger of Allah?' He ﷺ said: 'Say: Allahumma inna na'udhu bika min an nushrika bika shay'an na'lamuh, wa nastaghfiruka lima la na'lam (O Allah, we seek refuge in You from associating anything with You knowingly, and we ask Your forgiveness for what we do unknowingly)".