I asked my Lord three things and He has granted me two but has withheld one. I begged my Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed because of famine and He granted me this. And I begged my Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed by drowning (by deluge) and He granted me this. And I begged my Lord that there should be no bloodshed among the people of my Ummah, but He did not grant it.

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَقْبَلَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ مِنَ الْعَالِيَةِ حَتَّى إِذَا مَرَّ بِمَسْجِدِ بَنِي مُعَاوِيَةَ دَخَلَ فَرَكَعَ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ وَدَعَا رَبَّهُ طَوِيلاً ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ ﷺ سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي ثَلاَثًا فَأَعْطَانِي ثِنْتَيْنِ وَمَنَعَنِي وَاحِدَةً سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي أَنْ لاَ يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالسَّنَةِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لاَ يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالْغَرَقِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لاَ يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed one day, and made the prayer lengthy. When he finished we said (or they said): ‘O Messenger of Allah, you made the prayer lengthy today.’ He said: ‘I offered a prayer of hope and fear. I asked Allah for three things for my nation, and He granted me two and refused one. I asked Him not to let my nation be destroyed by enemies from without, and He granted me that. And I asked Him not to let them be destroyed by drowning, and He granted me that. And I asked Him not to let them be destroyed by fighting among themselves, but He refused that.’”

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا صَلاَةً فَأَطَالَ فِيهَا فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قُلْنَا أَوْ قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَطَلْتَ الْيَوْمَ الصَّلاَةَ قَالَ إِنِّي صَلَّيْتُ صَلاَةَ رَغْبَةٍ وَرَهْبَةٍ سَأَلْتُ اللَّهَ ﷻ لأُمَّتِي ثَلاَثًا فَأَعْطَانِي اثْنَتَيْنِ وَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ وَاحِدَةً سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لاَ يُسَلِّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لاَ يُهْلِكَهُمْ غَرَقًا فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لاَ يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَرَدَّهَا عَلَىَّ

[AI] We came with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ until we passed by the mosque of Banu Muawiya. He entered and prayed two rakahs, and we prayed with him, and he privately supplicated to his Lord ﷻ for a long time. He said: "I asked my Lord ﷻ for three things. I asked Him not to destroy my Ummah by drowning, and He granted it to me. I asked Him not to destroy my Ummah by famine, and He granted it to me. And I asked Him not to make their violence among themselves, but He withheld that from me."

أَقْبَلْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ حَتَّى مَرَرْنَا عَلَى مَسْجِدِ بَنِي مُعَاوِيَةَ، فَدَخَلَ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ، وَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ، وَنَاجَى رَبَّهُ ﷻ طَوِيلًا، قَالَ: «سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي ﷻ ثَلَاثًا، سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالْغَرَقِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالسَّنَةِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا».

I asked my Lord three things and He has granted me two but has withheld one. I begged my Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed because of famine and He granted me this. And I begged my Lord that my Ummah should not be destroyed by drowning (by deluge) and He granted me this. And I begged my Lord that there should be no bloodshed among the people of my Ummah, but He did not grant it. (Using translation from Muslim 2890a)

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَقْبَلَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ مِنَ الْعَالِيَةِ حَتَّى إِذَا مَرَّ بِمَسْجِدِ بَنِي مُعَاوِيَةَ دَخَلَ فَرَكَعَ فِيهِ رَكْعَتَيْنِ وَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ وَدَعَا رَبَّهُ طَوِيلًا ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَيْنَا فَقَالَ سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي ثَلاثًا فَأَعْطَانِي اثْنَتَيْنِ وَمَنَعَنِي وَاحِدَةً سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِسَنَةٍ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالْغَرَقِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا

قَالَ أَقْبَلْنَا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى مَرَرْنَا بِمَسْجِدِ بَنِي مُعَاوِيَةَ فَدَخَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَصَلَّى رَكْعَتَيْنِ فَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ ثُمَّ دَعَا رَبَّهُ طَوِيلًا ثُمَّ قَالَ إِنِّي سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي ثَلَاثًا سَأَلْتُهُ أَلَا يَهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِالسَّنَةِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَلَا يُهْلِكَهُمْ بِالْغَرَقِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَلَا يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا وَهَذَا الْحَدِيثُ لَا نَعْلَمُهُ يُرْوَى عَنْ سَعْدٍ إِلَّا مِنْ هَذَا الْوَجْهِ وَلَا نَعْلَمُ رَوَاهُ عَنْ عَامِرٍ إِلَّا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ وَلَا نَعْلَمُ رَوَى عُثْمَانُ بْنُ حَكِيمٍ عَنْ عَامِرٍ إِلَّا هَذَيْنِ الْحَدِيثَيْنِ وَقَدْ رَوَاهُ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ جَمَاعَةٌ مِنْهُمْ مُعَاذُ بْنُ جَبَلٍ وَحُذَيْفَةُ بْنُ الْيَمَانِ وَأَنَسُ بْنُ مَالِكٍ وَخَالِدُ أَبُو نَافِعِ بْنُ خَالِدٍ وَجَمَاعَةٌ

that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I asked my Lord ﷻ for four ˹things˺. So he granted me three ˹of them˺ and denied me one ˹of them˺:

(1) I asked Allah ﷻ to not gather my Ummah upon misguidance, and he granted it to me, and

(2) I asked Allah ﷻ to not have ˹the Ummah˺ be overcome by an enemy other than themselves, and he granted it to me, and

(3) I asked Allah ﷻ to not have ˹ the Ummah˺ be destroyed by plagues similar to nations before them, and he granted it to me, and

(4) I asked Allah ﷻ to not to have ˹the Ummah˺ be splintered into groups have that they ˹not˺ taste affliction from each other, and he denied it to me." (Using translation from Aḥmad 27224)

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي أَرْبَعًا فَأَعْطَانِي ثَلَاثًا وَمَنَعَنِي وَاحِدَةً سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُجْمِعَ أُمَّتِي عَلَى ضَلَالَةٍ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَهُمْ بِالسِّنِينَ كَمَا أَهْلَكَ الْأُمَمَ قَبْلَهُمْ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُظْهِرَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَلْبِسَهُمْ شِيَعًا وَلَا يُذِيقَ بَعْضَهُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا»

"The Messenger of Allah ﷺ performed Salat, making it long. They said: 'O Messenger of Allah! You have performed Salat (in a manner) which you do not ordinarily perform it.' He said: 'Yes, It was a prayer of hope and fear. In it I asked Allah for three things. He granted me two, and withheld one from me. I asked him that my Ummah not be destroyed by drought. He granted that. I asked him that they not be overcome by enemies from other then them. He granted that. And I asked him that some of them not suffer from the harm of others, and He withheld that."' (Using translation from Tirmidhī 2175)

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَاةً فَأَطَالَهَا فَقَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّيْتَ صَلَاةً لَمْ تَكُنْ تُصَلِّيهَا قَالَ «أَجَلْ إِنَّهَا صَلَاةُ رَغَبٍ وَرَهَبٍ وَإِنِّي سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي فِيهَا ثَلَاثًا فَأَعْطَانِي اثْنَتَيْنِ وَمَنَعَنِي وَاحِدَةً سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِي بِسُنَّةٍ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَلَّا يُسَلِّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُذِيقَ بَعْضَهُمْ بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا»

[AI] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed a prayer and lengthened its standing, bowing, and prostration. When he finished the prayer, we said, "O Messenger of Allah, you have prayed a prayer that you prolonged its standing, bowing, and prostration?" He said, "Indeed, it was a prayer that I offered out of desire and fear. And I asked my Lord three things, so He gave me two and withheld one. I asked Him not to subject my Ummah to an enemy other than themselves who would overpower them, so He gave it to me. And I asked Him not to destroy them with a calamity in a single year, so He gave it to me. And I asked Him not to make them fight amongst themselves, so He withheld it from me."

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ صَلَاةً فَأَطَالَ قِيَامَهَا وَرُكُوعَهَا وَسُجُودَهَا فَلَمَّا قَضَى الصَّلَاةَ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّيْتَ صَلَاةً أَطَلْتَ قِيَامَهَا وَرُكُوعَهَا وَسُجُودَهَا؟ قَالَ «إِنَّهَا صَلَاةُ رَغِبٍ وَرَهَبٍ وَإِنِّي سَأَلْتُ رَبِّي ثَلَاثًا فَأَعْطَانِيَ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَزَوَى عَنِّي وَاحِدَةً سَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُسَلَّطَ عَلَى أُمَّتِي عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَيَجْتَاحَهُمْ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَهُمْ بِسَنَةٍ فَأَعْطَانِي وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَمَنَعَنِيهَا»

“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ prayed one day, and made the prayer lengthy. When he finished we said (or they said): ‘O Messenger of Allah, you made the prayer lengthy today.’ He said: ‘I offered a prayer of hope and fear. I asked Allah for three things for my nation, and He granted me two and refused one. I asked Him not to let my nation be destroyed by enemies from without, and He granted me that. And I asked Him not to let them be destroyed by drowning, and He granted me that. And I asked Him not to let them be destroyed by fighting among themselves, but He refused that.’” (Using translation from Ibn Mājah 3951)

صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا صَلَاةً فَأَطَالَ فِيهَا فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ لَقَدْ أَطَلْتَ الْيَوْمَ الصَّلَاةَ فَقَالَ «إِنِّي صَلَّيْتُ صَلَاةَ رَغْبَةٍ وَرَهْبَةٍ وَسَأَلْتُ اللهَ لِأُمَّتِي ثَلَاثًا فَأَعْطَانِيَ اثْنَتَيْنِ وَرَدَّ وَاحِدَةً سَأَلْتُ أَنْ لَا يُسَلَّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوًّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَهُمْ غَرَقًا فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَ بَأْسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ فَرَدَّ عَلَيَّ»

"سَأَلْتُ رَبِّى أَرْبَعًا فَأَعطانى ثلاثًا وَمنعنى واحدةً: سَأَلْتُهُ أَن لَا يجمع أُمَّتِى عَلَى ضَلَالَة فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَن لا يُهْلِكُهُم بالسِّنينَ كَمَا أَهْلَكَ الأُمَمَ قَبْلَهُمْ، فَأعْطانِيها، وَسَأَلته أَنْ لاَ يُظْهِر عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوا مِن غيْرِهِمْ، فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلتهُ أَن لَا يُلبِسَهُمْ شيعًا، ولا يُذِيقَ بَعْضهم بَأْسَ بَعْضٍ، فمنعَنِيها".

"سَأَلْتُ ربَى ثَلَاثًا فَأَعْطَانى ثِنْتَيْنِ وَمَنَعَنِى واحدة، سأَلت ربى أَن لَا يُهلِك أُمَّتى بالسنَةِ فَأَعْطَانِيها، وسَأَلْتُه أَن لا يُهلِك أُمَّتِى بالغَرقِ، فَأَعْطَانيها، وسَأَلتُه أَن لَا يجعل بَأْسَهم بَيْنَهم، فمنَعَنِيها".

"عَنْ سَعْدٍ: أَنَّ رَسُولَ الله ﷺ أَقْبَلَ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ مِنَ العَالِيَةِ حَتَّى إِذَا مَرَّ بِمَسْجِدِ بَنِى مُعَاوِيَةَ دَخَلَ فَرَفَعَ فِيهِ رَكعَتَيْنِ وَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ ودَعَا ربَّهُ طَوِيلًا، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَيْنَا، فَقَالَ: سَأَلْتُ رَبِّى ثَلَاثًا فَأَعْطَانِى ثِنْتَيْن وَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ وَاحِدَةً، سَأَلْتُ رَبِّى أَن لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِى بِالْغَرَقِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يُهْلِكَ أُمَّتِى بِالسَّنَةِ فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لَا يَجْعَلَ بَأسَهُم بَيْنَهُم فَمَنَعَنِيهَا".

"صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يَوْمًا صَلاةً فَأَطَالَ فِيهَا فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ، قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ! لَقَدْ أَطَلْتَ الْيَوْمَ الصَّلاةَ، قَالَ: إِنَّى صَلَّيْتُ صَلاةَ رَغْبَةٍ وَرَهْبَةٍ، وَسَأَلْتُ اللهَ لأُمَّتِى ثَلاثًا، فَأَعْطَانِى اثْنَتَيْنِ وَرَدَّ عَلَىَّ وَاحِدَةً، سَأَلْتُهُ: أَنْ لا يُسَلِّطَ عَلَيْهِمْ عَدُوّا مِنْ غَيْرِهِمْ، فَأَعْطَانِيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ لا يُهْلِكَهُمْ غَرْقًا، فَأعَطانيهَا، وَسَأَلْتُهُ أَنْ (لا) يَجْعَلَ بَأسَهُمْ بَيْنَهُمْ، فَرُدَّتْ عَلَىَّ".