ذِكْرُ تَمْثِيلِ الْمُصْطَفَى ﷺ أَجَلَ هَذِهِ الْأُمَّةِ فِي آجَالِ مَنْ خَلَا قَبْلَهَا مِنَ الْأُمَمِ
Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Your period (i.e. the Muslims' period) in comparison to the periods of the previous nations, is like the period between the ʿAsr prayer and sunset. And your example in comparison to the Jews and the Christians is like the example of a person who employed some laborers and asked them, 'Who will work for me till midday for one Qirat each?' The Jews worked for half a day for one Qirat each. The person asked, 'Who will do the work for me from midday to the time of the ʿAsr (prayer) for one Qirat each?' The Christians worked from midday till the ʿAsr prayer for one Qirat. Then the person asked, 'Who will do the work for me from the ʿAsr till sunset for two Qirats each?' " The Prophet ﷺ added, "It is you (i.e. Muslims) who are doing the work from the ʿAsr till sunset, so you will have a double reward. The Jews and the Christians got angry and said, 'We have done more work but got less wages.' Allah said, 'Have I been unjust to you as regards your rights?' They said, 'No.' So Allah said, 'Then it is My Blessing which I bestow on whomever I like. " (Using translation from Bukhārī 3459)
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «إِنَّمَا أَجَلُكُمْ فِي أَجَلِ مَنْ خَلَا مِنَ الْأُمَمِ كَمَا بَيْنَ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى مَغَارِبِ الشَّمْسِ وَإِنَّمَا مَثَلُكُمْ وَمَثَلُ الْيَهُودِ وَالنَّصَارَى كَرَجُلٍ اسْتَعْمَلَ عُمَّالًا فَقَالَ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ لِي إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ عَلَى قِيرَاطٍ قِيرَاطٍ؟ قَالَ فَعَمِلَتِ الْيَهُودُ إِلَى نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ عَلَى قِيرَاطٍ قِيرَاطٍ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ لِي مِنْ نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ إِلَى صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ عَلَى قِيرَاطٍ قِيرَاطٍ؟ قَالَ فَعَمِلَتِ النَّصَارَى مِنْ نِصْفِ النَّهَارِ إِلَى صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ ثُمَّ قَالَ مَنْ يَعْمَلُ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى مَغَارِبِ الشَّمْسِ عَلَى قِيرَاطَيْنِ قِيرَاطَيْنِ؟ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَنْتُمُ الَّذِينَ تَعْمَلُونَ مِنْ صَلَاةِ الْعَصْرِ إِلَى مَغَارِبِ الشَّمْسِ عَلَى قِيرَاطَيْنِ قِيرَاطَيْنِ قَالَ فَغَضِبَتِ الْيَهُودُ وَالنَّصَارَى وَقَالُوا نَحْنُ كُنَّا أَكْثَرَ عَمَلًا وَأَقَلَّ عَطَاءً قَالَ هَلْ ظَلَمْتُكُمْ مِنْ عَمَلِكُمْ شَيْئًا؟ قَالُوا لَا قَالَ فَإِنَّهُ فَضْلِي أُوتِيهِ مَنْ أَشَاءُ»