Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
ahmad-zuhd:501ʿAbdullāh > Bī > ʿAbd al-Ṣamad > Mahdī > ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Ṣāḥib al-Ziyādī > Ibn Munabbih > Nubbiʾt

[Machine] "It was mentioned that there was a man among those who came before you who worshipped for a long time, then he sought something from Allah and he fasted for Allah seventy Sabbaths. He would eat on each Sabbath one fruit out of twelve, seeking his need from Allah, but he was not given it. When that was over and he was not given it, he blamed himself and said, 'Those who came before me were given what they sought, but it was not given to me, although there is goodness in me.' Then an angel from Allah came to him and said, 'O son of Adam, your action that you blamed yourself for and in which you found goodness is better for you than your worship. Allah has given you what you sought.'"  

الزهد لأحمد:٥٠١حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أبِي حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَهْدِيٌّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ صَاحِبُ الزِّيَادِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ قَالَ نُبِّئْتُ

أَنَّهُ كَانَ فِيمَنْ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ تَعَبَّدَ زَمَانًا ثُمَّ طَلَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ حَاجَةً وَصَامَ لِلَّهِ سَبْعِينَ سَبْتًا؛ يَأْكُلُ كُلَّ سَبْتٍ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ ثَمْرَةً يَطْلُبُ حَاجَتَهُ إِلَى اللَّهِ فَلَمْ يُعْطِهَا فَلَمَّا مَضَى ذَلِكَ وَلَمْ يُعْطِهَا أَقْبَلَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَقَالَ مِنْ قِبَلِكَ أُتِيتَ لَوْ كَانَ فِيكَ خَيْرٌ أُعْطِيتَ حَاجَتَكَ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ فِيكَ خَيْرٌ فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ مَلَكٌ مِنْ سَاعَتِهِ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ إِنَّ سَاعَتَكَ هَذِهِ الَّتِي أَزْرَيْتَ عَلَى نَفْسِكَ فِيهَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ عِبَادَتِكَ قَدْ أَعْطَاكَ اللَّهُ حَاجَتَكَ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Aḥmad's Zuhd
ahmad-zuhd:2195ʿAbdullāh from my father > ʿAffān > Mahdī b. Maymūn > ʿAbd al-Ḥamīd Ṣāḥib al-Ziyādī > Ibn Munabbih

[Machine] There was a man before you who devoted himself for a long time, and then he asked Allah for a need and fasted seventy consecutive Saturdays, eating only eleven dates on each Saturday. He said, "I asked Allah for a need, but He did not grant it to me." He then reflected upon himself and said, "O soul, you have been given what you wanted from your own desire. If there was any good in you, you would have been granted your need. But there is no good in you." At that moment, an angel came down to him and said, "O son of Adam, this moment you spent in struggling with yourself is better than all the worship you have done in the past, and Allah has granted you the need you asked for."  

الزهد لأحمد:٢١٩٥حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي عَنْ عَفَّانَ حَدَّثَنَا مَهْدِيُّ بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ صَاحِبُ الزِّيَادِيِّ عَنِ ابْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ قَالَ

كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَجُلٌ تَعَبَّدَ زَمَانًا ثُمَّ طَلَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ ﷻ حَاجَةً وَصَامَ سَبْعِينَ سَبْتًا يَأْكُلُ كُلَّ سَبْتٍ إِحْدَى عَشْرَةَ تَمْرَةً قَالَ فَطَلَبَ إِلَى اللَّهِ حَاجَةً فَلَمْ يُعْطِهَا قَالَ فَأَقْبَلَ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَقَالَ أَيَّتُهَا النَّفْسُ مِنْ قِبَلِكِ أُتِيتُ لَوْ كَانَ عِنْدَكَ خَيْرٌ لَأُعْطِيتَ حَاجَتَكَ وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ عِنْدَكَ خَيْرٌ فَنَزَلَ إِلَيْهِ سَاعَتَئِذٍ مَلَكٌ فَقَالَ يَا ابْنَ آدَمَ سَاعَتُكَ هَذِهِ الَّتِي أَزْرَيْتَ فِيهَا عَلَى نَفْسِكَ خَيْرٌ مِنْ عِبَادَتِكَ كُلِّهَا الَّتِي مَضَتْ وَقَدْ أَعْطَاكَ اللَّهُ حَاجَتَكَ الَّتِي سَأَلْتَ