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:7647ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > Lī al-Zuhrī Alā Uḥaddithuk Biḥadīthayn ʿAjībayn > al-Zuhrī > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. ʿAwf > Abū Hurayrah

“A man went to extremes in committing sins. When death came to him, he left instructions to his sons, saying: ‘When I die, burn me, then grind me into powder, then scatter me in the wind and in the sea, for by Allah, if my Lord has power over me, He will subject me to a punishment that He has never subjected anyone to.’ So they did that to him, then (Allah) said to the earth: ‘Return what you have taken,’ and there he was, standing. He said to him: ‘What made you do what you have done?’ He said: ‘Fear of You, O Lord.’ So He forgave him because of that (fear).” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 4255)  

أحمد:٧٦٤٧حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ قَالَ قَالَ

لِي الزُّهْرِيُّ أَلَا أُحَدِّثُكَ بِحَدِيثَيْنِ عَجِيبَيْنِ؟ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَسْرَفَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ أَوْصَى بَنِيهِ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ اذْرُونِي فِي الرِّيحِ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَوَاللهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ عَلَيَّ رَبِّي لَيُعَذِّبَنِّي عَذَابًا مَا عُذِّبَهُ أَحَدٌ قَالَ فَفَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ بِهِ فَقَالَ اللهُ لِلْأَرْضِ أَدِّي مَا أَخَذْتِ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ فَقَالَلَهُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ؟ قَالَ خَشْيَتُكَ يَا رَبِّ أَوْ مَخَافَتُكَ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Ibn Mājah, Ṭabarānī, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
bukhari:3481ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad > Hishām > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

The Prophet ﷺ said, "A man used to do sinful deeds, and when death came to him, he said to his sons, 'After my death, burn me and then crush me, and scatter the powder in the air, for by Allah, if Allah has control over me, He will give me such a punishment as He has never given to anyone else.' When he died, his sons did accordingly. Allah ordered the earth saying, 'Collect what you hold of his particles.' It did so, and behold! There he was (the man) standing. Allah asked (him), 'What made you do what you did?' He replied, 'O my Lord! I was afraid of You.' So Allah forgave him. " Another narrator said "The man said, Fear of You, O Lord!"  

البخاري:٣٤٨١حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ يُسْرِفُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ قَالَ لِبَنِيهِ إِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اطْحَنُونِي ثُمَّ ذَرُّونِي فِي الرِّيحِ فَوَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ عَلَىَّ رَبِّي لَيُعَذِّبَنِّي عَذَابًا مَا عَذَّبَهُ أَحَدًا فَلَمَّا مَاتَ فُعِلَ بِهِ ذَلِكَ فَأَمَرَ اللَّهُ الأَرْضَ فَقَالَ اجْمَعِي مَا فِيكِ مِنْهُ فَفَعَلَتْ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ فَقَالَ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ قَالَ يَا رَبِّ خَشْيَتُكَ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ وَقَالَ غَيْرُهُ مَخَافَتُكَ يَا رَبِّ  

muslim:2756bMuḥammad b. Rāfiʿ And ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd > ʿAbd > Ibn Rāfiʿ > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > Lī al-Zuhrī Alā Uḥaddithuk Biḥadīthayn ʿAjībayn > al-Zuhrī > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

(When I die), bum my dead body and then cast them (the ashes) to the wind and in the ocean. By Allah, if my Lord takes hold of me, He would torment me as He has not tormented anyone else. They did as he had asked them to do. He (the Lord) said to the earth: Return what you have taken. And he was thus restored to his (original form). He (Allah) said to him: What prompted you to do this? He said: My Lord, it was Thine fear or Thine awe, and Allah pardoned him because of this. Abu Huraira reported Messenger of Allah ﷺ as saying that a woman was thrown into Hell-Fire because of a cat whom she had tied and did not provide it with food. nor did she set it free to eat vermin of the earth until it died emaciated. Az-Zuhri said: (These two ahadith) show that a person should neither feel confident (of getting into Paradise) because of his deeds, nor should he lose (all hopes) of getting into Paradise.  

مسلم:٢٧٥٦bحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ قَالَ عَبْدٌ أَخْبَرَنَا وَقَالَ ابْنُ رَافِعٍ وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ قَالَ قَالَ

لِيَ الزُّهْرِيُّ أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكَ بِحَدِيثَيْنِ عَجِيبَيْنِ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ أَسْرَفَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ أَوْصَى بَنِيهِ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ اذْرُونِي فِي الرِّيحِ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَوَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ عَلَىَّ رَبِّي لَيُعَذِّبُنِي عَذَابًا مَا عَذَّبَهُ بِهِ أَحَدًا قَالَ فَفَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ بِهِ فَقَالَ لِلأَرْضِ أَدِّي مَا أَخَذْتِ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ فَقَالَ خَشْيَتُكَ يَا رَبِّ أَوْ قَالَ مَخَافَتُكَ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ بِذَلِكَ قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ وَحَدَّثَنِي حُمَيْدٌ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ دَخَلَتِ امْرَأَةٌ النَّارَ فِي هِرَّةٍ رَبَطَتْهَا فَلاَ هِيَ أَطْعَمَتْهَا وَلاَ هِيَ أَرْسَلَتْهَا تَأْكُلُ مِنْ خَشَاشِ الأَرْضِ حَتَّى مَاتَتْ هَزْلاً قَالَ الزُّهْرِيُّ ذَلِكَ لِئَلاَّ يَتَّكِلَ رَجُلٌ وَلاَ يَيْأَسَ رَجُلٌ  

nasai:2079Kathīr b. ʿUbayd > Muḥammad b. Ḥarb > al-Zubaydī > al-Zuhrī > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'There was a man who wronged himself greatly, and when he was dying he said to his family: When I am dead, burn my body then grind my bones and scatter me in the wind and at sea, for by Allah , if Allah gets hold of me, he will punish me in a way that He will not punish anyone else. So his family did that, but Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said to everything that had taken any part of him to give up what it had taken. Then there he was, standing Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said: What made you do what you did? He said: Fear of You. So Allah forgave him."'  

النسائي:٢٠٧٩أَخْبَرَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ أَسْرَفَ عَبْدٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى حَضَرَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ قَالَ لأَهْلِهِ إِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ اذْرُونِي فِي الرِّيحِ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَوَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ اللَّهُ عَلَىَّ لَيُعَذِّبَنِّي عَذَابًا لاَ يُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِهِ قَالَ فَفَعَلَ أَهْلُهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ اللَّهُ ﷻ لِكُلِّ شَىْءٍ أَخَذَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا أَدِّ مَا أَخَذْتَ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ قَالَ اللَّهُ ﷻ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ قَالَ خَشْيَتُكَ فَغَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ  

ibnmajah:4255Muḥammad b. Yaḥyá And ʾIsḥāq b. Manṣūr > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī Alā Uḥaddithuk Biḥadīthayn ʿAjībayn > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

“A man went to extremes in committing sins. When death came to him, he left instructions to his sons, saying: ‘When I die, burn me, then grind me into powder, then scatter me in the wind and in the sea, for by Allah, if my Lord has power over me, He will subject me to a punishment that He has never subjected anyone to.’ So they did that to him, then (Allah) said to the earth: ‘Return what you have taken,’ and there he was, standing. He said to him: ‘What made you do what you have done?’ He said: ‘Fear of You, O Lord.’ So He forgave him because of that (fear).”  

ابن ماجة:٤٢٥٥حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَنْبَأَنَا مَعْمَرٌ قَالَ قَالَ

الزُّهْرِيُّ أَلاَ أُحَدِّثُكَ بِحَدِيثَيْنِ عَجِيبَيْنِ أَخْبَرَنِي حُمَيْدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَسْرَفَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَلَمَّا حَضَرَهُ الْمَوْتُ أَوْصَى بَنِيهِ فَقَالَ إِذَا أَنَا مِتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ ذَرُّونِي فِي الرِّيحِ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَوَاللَّهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ عَلَىَّ رَبِّي لَيُعَذِّبُنِي عَذَابًا مَا عَذَّبَهُ أَحَدًا قَالَ فَفَعَلُوا بِهِ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ لِلأَرْضِ أَدِّي مَا أَخَذْتِ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ قَالَ خَشْيَتُكَ أَوْ مَخَافَتُكَ يَا رَبِّ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ لِذَلِكَ  

tabarani:6122al-Ḥasan b. Jarīr al-Ṣūrī > Zakariyyā b. Nāfiʿ al-Arsūqī > al-Sarī b. Yaḥyá > Sulaymān al-Taymī > Qatādah > ʿUqbah b. ʿAbd al-Ghāfir > Abū Saʿīd al-Khudrī

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah, ﷺ , said: Verily, there was a man among those before you whom Allah blessed with wealth and children. He said to his family, "When I die, burn me until I become charcoal, then crush me and scatter me." For indeed, if my Lord is able to do so, He will punish me with a punishment that He has not inflicted upon anyone from the worlds." So they did that, and Allah commanded him to be gathered. So there he was, standing before Allah, and He said, "What caused you to do what you did?" He said, "Out of fear of You, O Lord." So Allah forgave him.  

الطبراني:٦١٢٢حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ جَرِيرٍ الصُّورِيُّ ثنا زَكَرِيَّا بْنُ نَافِعٍ الْأَرْسُوقِيُّ ثنا السَّرِيُّ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ التَّيْمِيِّ عَنْ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْغَافِرِ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ إِنَّ رَجُلًا مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ رَغَسَهُ اللهُ مَالًا وَوَلَدًا فَقَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ إِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي حَتَّى إِذَا صِرْتُ فَحْمًا فَاسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ اذْرُونِي فَإِنَّ رَبِّي إِنْ يَقْدِرْ عَلَيَّ يُعَذِّبْنِي عَذَابًا لَا يُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنَ الْعَالَمِينَ فَفَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ فَأَمَرَ اللهُ ﷻ بِهِ فَجُمِعَ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ اللهِ ﷻ فَقَالَ مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ؟ قَالَ خَشْيَتُكَ أَيْ رَبِّ فَغَفَرَ لَهُ  

nasai-kubra:2217Kathīr b. ʿUbayd > Muḥammad b. Ḥarb > al-Zubaydī > al-Zuhrī > Ḥumayd b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū Hurayrah

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'There was a man who wronged himself greatly, and when he was dying he said to his family: When I am dead, burn my body then grind my bones and scatter me in the wind and at sea, for by Allah , if Allah gets hold of me, he will punish me in a way that He will not punish anyone else. So his family did that, but Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said to everything that had taken any part of him to give up what it had taken. Then there he was, standing Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said: What made you do what you did? He said: Fear of You. So Allah forgave him."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2079)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٢٢١٧أَخْبَرَنَا كَثِيرُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ عَنِ الزُّبَيْدِيِّ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ «أَسْرَفَ عَبْدٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ فَحِينَ حَضَرَتْهُ الْوَفَاةُ» قَالَ لِأَهْلِهِ إِذَا أَنَا مُتُّ فَأَحْرِقُونِي ثُمَّ اسْحَقُونِي ثُمَّ اذْرُونِي فِي الرِّيحِ فِي الْبَحْرِ فَوَاللهِ لَئِنْ قَدَرَ اللهُ عَلَيَّ لَيُعَذِّبَنِّي عَذَابًا لَا يُعَذِّبُهُ أَحَدًا مِنْ خَلْقِهِ قَالَ فَفَعَلَ أَهْلُهُ ذَلِكَ قَالَ اللهُ لِكُلِّ مَنْ أَخَذَ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا أَدِّ مَا أَخَذْتَ فَإِذَا هُوَ قَائِمٌ قَالَ اللهُ تَبَارَكَ وَتَعَالَى مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى مَا صَنَعْتَ؟ قَالَ خَشْيَتُكَ فَغَفَرَ اللهُ لَهُ  

suyuti:3155a

“A man went to extremes in committing sins. When death came to him, he left instructions to his sons, saying: ‘When I die, burn me, then grind me into powder, then scatter me in the wind and in the sea, for by Allah, if my Lord has power over me, He will subject me to a punishment that He has never subjected anyone to.’ So they did that to him, then (Allah) said to the earth: ‘Return what you have taken,’ and there he was, standing. He said to him: ‘What made you do what you have done?’ He said: ‘Fear of You, O Lord.’ So He forgave him because of that (fear).” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 4255)   

السيوطي:٣١٥٥a

"أَسْرَفَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى نفسِه؛ فَلَمَّا حَضَرهُ الموتُ أوْصى بنيه فقال: إِذَا أَنَا متُّ فأحْرقُونى، ثم اسْحقونى، ثم اذْرُونى في البحر، فوَاللهِ لئن قدِر عليَّ ربِّى ليُعَذبَنِى عذَابًا ما عذَّبهُ أحدًا، فَفَعَلُوا ذَلِكَ به، فقال اللهُ للأرْضِ: أَدِّى مَا أَخذتِ، فإِذا هُوَ قائِمُ، فَقَال: ما حَمَلَكَ علَى ما صَنَعْتَ؟ قال: خَشْيَتُكَ ياربِّ؛ فَغُفِرَ لَهُ بذِلِكَ ".  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم عن أبي هريرة
suyuti:3156a

"I heard the Messenger of Allah say: 'There was a man who wronged himself greatly, and when he was dying he said to his family: When I am dead, burn my body then grind my bones and scatter me in the wind and at sea, for by Allah , if Allah gets hold of me, he will punish me in a way that He will not punish anyone else. So his family did that, but Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said to everything that had taken any part of him to give up what it had taken. Then there he was, standing Allah, the Mighty and Sublime, said: What made you do what you did? He said: Fear of You. So Allah forgave him."' (Using translation from Nasāʾī 2079)   

السيوطي:٣١٥٦a

"أَسْرَفَ عَبْدٌ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ حَتَّى إِذَا حَضَرَتْهُ الوفاةُ قال لأهله: إذا مُتُّ فاحْرِقُونى ثُمَّ اسْحقونى، ثُمَّ ذرُّونِى في الريح في البحرِ، فواللهِ لئِنْ قَدَرَ عَلَيَّ ربى لَيُعَذبنى عَذَابًا لا يُعَذِّبهُ أحدًا من خَلقِهِ بَعْدُ، فَفعَل أهلُه ذلِكَ، فقال اللهَ لِكُلِّ شيءٍ أَخَذَ منه شيئًا، أدِّ ما أخَذْتَ منه، فإِذا هو قائِمٌ، فقال اللهُ: ما حَمَلَك على ما صنعتَ؟ قال: خشْيَتُكَ فَغُفِرَ لَهُ".  

[كر] ابن عساكر في تاريخه عنه