Sahih Muslim — hadith #6777–#6801

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Sulaiman Taimi with the same chain of transmitters.

Abu Sa'id Khudri reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: The world is sweet and green (alluring) and verily Allah is going to install you as vicegerent in it in order to see how you act. So avoid the allurement of women: verily, the first trial for the people of Isra'il was caused by women. And in the hadith transmitted on the authority of Ibn Bashshar the words are:" So that He should see how you act."

'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Three persons set out on a journey. They were overtaken by rain and they had to find protection in a mountain cave where at its mouth there fell a rock of that mountain and thus blocked them altogether. One of them said to the others: Look to your good deeds that you performed for the sake of Allah and then supplicate Allah, the Exalted, that He might rescue you (from this trouble). One of them said: 0 Allah, I had my parents who were old and my wife and my small children also. I tended the flock and when I came back to them in the evening, I milked them (the sheep, goats, cows, etc.) and first served that milk to my parents. One day I was obliged to go out to a distant place in search of fodder and I could not come back before evening and found them (the parents) asleep. I milked the animals as I used to milk and brought milk to them and stood by their heads avoiding to disturb them from sleep and I did not deem it advisable to serve milk to my children before serving them. My children wept near my feet. I remained there in that very state and my parents too until it was morning. And (0 Allah) if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, grant us riddance from this trouble. (The rock slipped a bit) that they could see the sky. The second one said: 0 Allah, I had a female cousin whom I loved more than the men love the women. I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her; she refused but on the condition of getting one hundred dinirs. It was with very great difficulty that I could collect one hundred dinirs and then paid them to her and when I was going to have a sexual intercourse with her, that she said: Servant of Allah, fear Allah and do not break the seal (of chastity) but by lawful means. I got up. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, rid us from this trouble. The situation was somewhat eased for them. The third one said: Allah, I employed a workman for a measure of rice. After he had finished his work I gave him his dues (in the form of) a measure of rice, but he did not accept them. I used these rice as seeds, and that gave a bumper crop and I became rich enough to have cows and flocks (in my possession). He came to me and said: Fear Allah, and commit no crueltv upon me in regard to my dues. I said to him: Takeaway this flock of cows and sheep. He said: Fear Allah and do not make a fun of me. I said: I am not making a fun of you. You take the cows and the flocks. So he took them. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did it for Thine pleasure, case the situation for us. And Allah relieved them from the rest of the trouble.

This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Musa b. 'Uqba but with a slight variation of wording.

Abdullah b 'Umar reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Three persons belonging to the earlier Ummahs set out on a journey until they had to spend a night in a cave. The rest of the hadith is the same and the additional words are:" A person amongst them said: O Allah, I had my aged parents and I served them milk before I (served that) to my wife, children and my servants." And in case of the second one, the words are: "She avoided me until she was hard pressed because of famine and she came to me and I gave her one hundred and twenty dinars." And in case of the third one (the words are):" I invested his wages, and it brought profit and, as a result thereof, the merchandise increased and there was an abundance of goods." And he (the narrator said) that they got out of the cave and began to walk.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: I live in the thought of My servant and I am with him as he remembers Me. (The Holy Prophet) further said: By Allah, Allah is more pleased wth the repentance of His servant than what one of you would do on finding the lost camel in the waterless desert. When he draws near Me by the span of his hand. I draw near him by the length of a cubit and when he draws near Me by the length of a cubit. I draw near him by the length of a fathom and when he draws near Me walking I draw close to him hurriedly.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant when he turns penitently towards Him than one of you would be on finding the lost camel.

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Abu Huraira through another chain of transmitters.

Harith b. Suwaid said: I went to see 'Abdullah to inquire about his health as he was sick and he narrated to us a hadith of Allahs Messenger (ﷺ). He heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His believing servant than a person who loses his riding beast carrying food and drink. He sleeps (being disappointed of its recovery) and then gets up and goes in search for that, until he is stricken with thirst. then comes back to the place where he had been before and goes to sleep completely exhausted placing his head upon his hands waiting for death. And when he gets up, lot there is before him his riding beast and his provisions of food and drink. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the recovery of this riding beast along with the provisions (of food and drink).

This hadith has been narrated on the authority of A'mash through another chain of transmitters.

'Abdullah reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a believing man. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Nu'man b. Bashir reported: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a believing servant than of a person who set out on a journey with a provision of food and drink on the back of his camel. He went on until he came to a waterless desert and he felt like sleeping. So he got down under the shade of a tree and was overcome by sleep and his camel ran away. As he got up he tried to see (the camel) standing upon a mound. but did not find it. He then got upon the other mound, but could not see anything. He then climbed upon the third mound but did not see anything until he came back to the place where he had been previously. And as he was sitting (in utter disappointment) there came to him the camel, till that (camel) placed its nosestring in his hand. Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than the person who found (his lost camel) in this very state. Simak reported that Sha'bi was of the opinion that Nu'min traced it to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ). Simak, however, did not hear that himself.

Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: What is your opinion about the delight of a person whose camel loaded with the provisions of food and drink is lost and that moves about with its nosestring trailing upon the waterless desert in which there is neither food nor drink, and lie wanders about in search of that until he is completely exhausted and then accidentally it happens to pass by the trunk of a tree and its nosestring gets entangled in that and he finds it entangled therein? He (in response to the question of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah's Messenger, he would feel highly delighted. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than that person (as he finds his lost) camel.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of a servant as he turns towards Him for repentance than this that one amongst you is upon the camel in a waterless desert and there is upon (that camel) his provision of food and drink also and it is lost by him, and he having lost all hope (to get tbat) lies down in the shadow and is disappointed about his camel and there he finds that camel standing before him. He takes hold of his nosestring and then out of boundless joy says: 0 Lord, Thou art my servant and I am Thine Lord. He commits this mistake out of extreme delight.

Anas b. Malik reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Allah is more pleased with the repentance of His servant than if one of you gets up and he finds his camel missing in a waterless desert (and then he accidentally finds it). This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Anas b. Malik through another chain of transmitters.

Abu Sirma reported that when the time of the death of Abu Ayyub Ansari drew near, he said: I used to conceal from you a thing which I heard from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Had you not committed sins, Allah would have brought into existence a creation that would have committed sin (and Allah) would have forgiven them.

Abu Ayyub Ansari reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If you were not to commit sins, Allah would have swept you out of existence and would have replaced you by another people who have committed sin, and then asked forgiveness from Allah, and He would have granted them pardon.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) having said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if you were not to commit sin, Allah would sweep you out of existence and He would replace (you by) those people who would commit sin and seek forgiveness from Allah, and He would have pardoned them.

Hanzala Usayyidi, who was amongst the scribes of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). reported: I met Abu Bakr. He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) we attend to our wives, our children, our business; most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: What has happened to you? I said: Allah's Messenger, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.

Hanzala reported: We were in the company of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he delivered to us a sermon and made a mention of Hell-Fire. Then I came to my house and began to laugh with my children and sport with my wife. (Hanzala) further reported: I went out and met Abu Bakr and made a mention of that to him. Thereupon he said: I have done the same as you have mentioned. So we went to see Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to he a hypocrite. And he (the Holy Prophet) said Show respite. And then I narrated to him the story, and Abu Bakr said: I have done the same as he has done. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Hanzala, there is a time for worldly affairs and a time for (worship and devotion), and if your state of mind is always the same as it is at the time of remembrance of Allah, the Angels would shake hands with you and would greet you on the path by saying: As-Salamu-Alaikum.

Hanzala Taimi Ufayyidi, the scribe of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), reported: We were in the presence of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and he brought to our minds the problems pertaining to Paradise and Hell-Fire. The rest of the hadith is the same.

Abu Huraira reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: When Allah created the creation as He was upon the Throne, He put down in His Book: Verily, My mercy predominates My wrath.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah, the Exalted and Glorious, said: My mercy excels My wrath.

Abu Huraira reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: When Allah created the creation, He ordained for Himself and this document is with Him: Verily, My mercy predominates Mv wrath.

Abu Huraira reported: I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: Allah created mercy in one hundred parts and He retained with Him ninety-nine parts, and He has sent down upon the earth one part, and it is because of this one part that there is mutual love among the creation so much so that the animal lifts up its hoof from its young one, fearing that it might harm it.