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.

Converting to Islam does not erase the reward for any of the good done before Islam

bukhari:1436ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad > Hishām > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > ʿUrwah > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

I asked the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, "Before embracing Islam I used to do good deeds like giving in charity, freeing slaves, and the keeping of good relations with kith and kin. Shall I be rewarded for those deeds?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "You became Muslim ˹along˺ with ˹the rewards for˺ all those good deeds ˹you have done in the past and without carrying the sin of any of the bad deeds of the past˺."  

البخاري:١٤٣٦حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامٌ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ ؓ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَرَأَيْتَ أَشْيَاءَ كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ عَتَاقَةٍ وَصِلَةِ رَحِمٍ فَهَلْ فِيهَا مِنْ أَجْرٍ؟ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ.»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Ṭabarānī, Bayhaqī
bukhari:2220Abū al-Yamān > Shuʿayb > al-Zuhrī > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām > Yā

Hakim bin Hizam said, "O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! I used to do good deeds in the Pre-Islamic period of Ignorance, e.g., keeping good relations with my Kith and kin, manumitting slaves and giving alms. Shall I receive a reward for all that?" Messenger of Allah ﷺ replied, "You embraced Islam with all the good deeds which you did in the past."  

البخاري:٢٢٢٠حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ أَوْ أَتَحَنَّتُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ صِلَةٍ وَعَتَاقَةٍ وَصَدَقَةٍ هَلْ لِي فِيهَا أَجْرٌ قَالَ حَكِيمٌ ؓ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ لَكَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ  

bukhari:2538ʿUbayd b. Ismāʿīl > Abū Usāmah > Hishām from my father > Ḥakīm

My father told me that Hakim bin Hizam manumitted one-hundred slaves in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance and slaughtered one-hundred camels (and distributed them in charity). When he embraced Islam he again slaughtered one-hundred camels and manumitted one-hundred slaves. Hakim said, "I asked Messenger of Allah ﷺ, 'O Messenger of Allah ﷺ! What do you think about some good deeds I used to practice in the Pre-Islamic period of ignorance regarding them as deeds of righteousness?' Allah's Apostle said, "You have embraced Islam along with all those good deeds you did."  

البخاري:٢٥٣٨حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ هِشَامٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ ؓ أَعْتَقَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِائَةَ رَقَبَةٍ وَحَمَلَ عَلَى مِائَةِ بَعِيرٍ فَلَمَّا أَسْلَمَ حَمَلَ عَلَى مِائَةِ بَعِيرٍ وَأَعْتَقَ مِائَةَ رَقَبَةٍ قَالَ

فَسَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أَشْيَاءَ كُنْتُ أَصْنَعُهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا يَعْنِي أَتَبَرَّرُ بِهَا قَالَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ لَكَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ  

muslim:123bḤasan al-Ḥulwānī And ʿAbd b. Ḥumayd > al-Ḥulwānī > ʿAbd > Yaʿqūb Wahū Ibn Ibrāhīm b. Saʿd from my father > Ṣāliḥ > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

Messenger of Allah, do you think if there is any reward (of the Lord with me on the Day of Resurrection) for the deeds of religious purification that I performed in the state of ignorance, such as charity, freeing a slave, cementing of blood-relations? Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah) said to him: You have accepted Islam with all the previous virtues that you had practised.  

مسلم:١٢٣bوَحَدَّثَنَا حَسَنٌ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ قَالَ الْحُلْوَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا وَقَالَ عَبْدٌ حَدَّثَنِي يَعْقُوبُ وَهُوَ ابْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي عَنْ صَالِحٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَىْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ عَتَاقَةٍ أَوْ صِلَةِ رَحِمٍ أَفِيهَا أَجْرٌ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا أَسْلَفْتَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ  

ahmad:15318ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

[Machine] I said, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you think of actions that I used to do during the time of ignorance, such as freeing a slave or maintaining family ties? Do I receive rewards for them?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "You have embraced Islam upon what has preceded of goodness."  

أحمد:١٥٣١٨حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ حَدَّثَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ عَتَاقَةٍ وَصِلَةِ رَحِمٍ هَلْ لِي فِيهَا أَجْرٌ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ  

ذِكْرُ إِطْلَاقِ اسْمِ الْخَيْرِ عَلَى الْأَفْعَالِ الصَّالِحَةِ إِذَا كَانَتْ مِنْ غَيْرِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ

ibnhibban:329Muḥammad b. ʿUbaydullāh b. al-Faḍl al-Kalāʿī > ʿAmr b. ʿUthmān b. Saʿīd from my father > Shuʿayb b. Abū Ḥamzah > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

[Machine] He informed him that he said, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about matters that I used to engage in during the period of ignorance, such as maintaining ties of kinship, freeing slaves, and giving charity? Is there any reward in them?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "You have embraced Islam upon what has preceded for you from reward."  

ابن حبّان:٣٢٩أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ الْفَضْلِ الْكَلَاعِيُّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ عُثْمَانَ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُعَيْبُ بْنُ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ صِلَةٍ وَعَتَاقَةٍ وَصَدَقَةٍ فَهَلْ فِيهَا أَجْرٌ؟ فقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ لَكَ مِنْ أَجْرٍ»  

tabarani:3085al-Ḥusayn b. Isḥāq al-Tustarī > ʿUthmān b. Abū Shaybah > ʿAbdah b. Sulaymān > Hishām b. ʿUrwah from his father > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

[Machine] I asked, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about the things I used to do during the time of ignorance (before Islam)? Can I justify them?" The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "You have embraced Islam and all the previous good deeds (before Islam) count." Hisham said, "He (the Messenger of Allah) used to free slaves even during the time of ignorance."  

الطبراني:٣٠٨٥حَدَّثَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ التُّسْتَرِيُّ ثنا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ ثنا عَبْدَةُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أَشْيَاءَ كُنْتُ أَصْنَعُهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ أَتَبَرَّرُ بِهَا؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ» قَالَ هِشَامٌ «وَكَانَ أَعْتَقَ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ»  

tabarani:3086Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm al-Dabarī > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > ʿUrwah > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

[Machine] I said, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about matters in which I used to engage in during the pre-Islamic period, such as being kind to relatives and maintaining family ties? Will I be rewarded for them?" The Prophet ﷺ replied, "You have embraced Islam with all the good deeds you have done before."  

الطبراني:٣٠٨٦حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ الدَّبَرِيُّ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ فِيهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ عَتَاقَةٍ وَصِلَةِ رَحِمٍ هَلْ لِي فِيهَا مِنْ أَجْرٍ؟ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ لَكَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ»  

tabarani:3088Muṭṭalib b. Shuʿayb al-Azdī > ʿAbdullāh b. Ṣāliḥ > al-Layth > ʿAbd al-Raḥman b. Musāfir > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

[Machine] He informed him that he said to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , "I have done certain acts during the time of ignorance like maintaining ties of kinship, freeing slaves, and giving charity. Will I be rewarded for them?" Al-Hakim ibn Hizam replied that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said to me, "You have embraced Islam for the good deeds you have done before."  

الطبراني:٣٠٨٨حَدَّثَنَا مُطَّلِبُ بْنُ شُعَيْبٍ الْأَزْدِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ صَالِحٍ حَدَّثَنِي اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مُسَافِرٍ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِرَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ صِلَةٍ وَعَتَاقَةٍ وَصَدَقَةٍ هَلْ لِي فِيهَا أَجْرٌ؟ قَالَ حَكِيمُ بْنُ حِزَامٍ فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَّفْتَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ»  

tabarani:3089Mūsá b. Hārūn > Abū Khaythamah Zuhayr b. Ḥarb > Yaʿqūb b. Ibrāhīm b. Saʿd from my father > Ṣāliḥ b. Kaysān > Ibn Shihāb > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

Messenger of Allah, do you think if there is any reward (of the Lord with me on the Day of Resurrection) for the deeds of religious purification that I performed in the state of ignorance, such as charity, freeing a slave, cementing of blood-relations? Upon this he (the Messenger of Allah) said to him: You have accepted Islam with all the previous virtues that you had practised. (Using translation from Muslim 123b)  

الطبراني:٣٠٨٩حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ هَارُونَ ثنا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ زُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ ثنا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ أَخْبَرَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ أَنَّ حَكِيمَ بْنَ حِزَامٍ

أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ صَدَقَةٍ أَوْ عَتَاقَةٍ أَوْ صِلَةِ رَحِمٍ أَفِيهَا أَجْرٌ؟ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ «أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا أَسْلَفْتَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ»  

bayhaqi:18293Abū al-Ḥusayn b. Bishrān> Ismāʿīl b. Muḥammad al-Ṣaffār > Aḥmad b. Manṣūr > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

[Machine] I said, "O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about matters that I used to engage in during the period of ignorance, such as freeing slaves and maintaining family ties? Will I be rewarded for them?" The Prophet ﷺ said to him, "Have you embraced Islam upon what has preceded you of goodness?"  

البيهقي:١٨٢٩٣أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ بِشْرَانَ بِبَغْدَادَ أنبأ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أنبأ مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ ؓ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ عَتَاقَةٍ وَصِلَةِ رَحِمٍ هَلْ لِي فِيهَا مِنْ أَجْرٍ؟ فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ لَكَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ رَاهَوَيْهِ وَغَيْرِهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ
bayhaqi:21596Abū al-Ḥusayn b. Bishrān> Ismāʿīl b. Muḥammad al-Ṣaffār > Aḥmad b. Manṣūr al-Ramādī > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > al-Zuhrī > ʿUrwah b. al-Zubayr > Ḥakīm b. Ḥizām

[Machine] I asked, O Messenger of Allah, what do you think about things that I used to do in the days of ignorance regarding freeing slaves and maintaining ties of kinship, do I have any reward for them? The Prophet ﷺ said, "You have embraced Islam with what preceded it of goodness."  

البيهقي:٢١٥٩٦أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو الْحُسَيْنِ بْنُ بِشْرَانَ بِبَغْدَادَ أنبأ إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الصَّفَّارُ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ الرَّمَادِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أنبأ مَعْمَرٌ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عُرْوَةَ بْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ حِزَامٍ قَالَ

قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ أَرَأَيْتَ أُمُورًا كُنْتُ أَتَحَنَّثُ بِهَا فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مِنْ عَتَاقَةٍ وَصِلَةِ رَحِمٍ هَلْ لِي فِيهَا مِنْ أَجْرٍ؟ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ أَسْلَمْتَ عَلَى مَا سَلَفَ لَكَ مِنْ خَيْرٍ  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ رَاهَوَيْهِ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ وَأَخْرَجَهُ الْبُخَارِيُّ مِنْ وَجْهٍ آخَرَ عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ