“I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which people are most severely tested?’ He said: ‘The Prophets, then the next best and the next best. A person is tested according to his religious commitment. If he is steadfast in his religious commitment, he will be tested more severely, and if he is frail in his religious commitment, his test will be according to his commitment. Trials will continue to afflict a person until they leave him walking on the earth with no sin on him.’”  

قُلْتُ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلاَءً؟ قَالَ: «الأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الأَمْثَلُ، فَالأَمْثَلُ يُبْتَلَى الْعَبْدُ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ۔ فَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ صُلْبًا اشْتَدَّ بَلاَؤُهُ، وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي دِينِهِ رِقَّةٌ ابْتُلِيَ عَلَى حَسَبِ دِينِهِ، فَمَا يَبْرَحُ الْبَلاَءُ بِالْعَبْدِ حَتَّى يَتْرُكَهُ يَمْشِي عَلَى الأَرْضِ وَمَا عَلَيْهِ مِنْ خَطِيئَةٍ۔»  

“I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ when he was suffering from a fever, I placed my hand on him and felt heat with my hand from above the blanket. I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, how hard it is for you!’ He said: ‘We (Prophets) are like that. The trial is multiplied for us and so is the reward.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, which people are most severely tested?’ He said: ‘The Prophets.’ I said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, then who?’ He said: ‘Then the righteous, some of whom were tested with poverty until they could not find anything except a cloak to put around themselves. One of them will rejoice at calamity as one of you would rejoice at ease.’”  

دَخَلْتُ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَهُوَ يُوعَكُ فَوَضَعْتُ يَدِي عَلَيْهِ فَوَجَدْتُ حَرَّهُ بَيْنَ يَدَىَّ فَوْقَ اللِّحَافِ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا أَشَدَّهَا عَلَيْكَ قَالَ إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ يُضَعَّفُ لَنَا الْبَلاَءُ وَيُضَعَّفُ لَنَا الأَجْرُ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَىُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلاَءً قَالَ الأَنْبِيَاءُ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ مَنْ قَالَ ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ إِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمْ لَيُبْتَلَى بِالْفَقْرِ حَتَّى مَا يَجِدُ أَحَدُهُمْ إِلاَّ الْعَبَاءَةَ يُحَوِّيهَا وَإِنْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمْ لَيَفْرَحُ بِالْبَلاَءِ كَمَا يَفْرَحُ أَحَدُكُمْ بِالرَّخَاءِ  

“It is as if I can see the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, telling us the story of one of the Prophets: ‘His people beat him, and he was wiping the blood from his face and saying: “O Lord forgive my people, for they do not know.’”  

كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ يَحْكِي نَبِيًّا مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ ضَرَبَهُ قَوْمُهُ وَهُوَ يَمْسَحُ الدَّمَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ وَيَقُولُ رَبِّ اغْفِرْ لِقَوْمِي فَإِنَّهُمْ لاَ يَعْلَمُونَ  

“We are more likely to express doubt than Ibrahim when he said: “My Lord! Show me how You give life to the dead.’ He (Allah) said: ‘Do you not believe?’ He (Ibrahim) said: ‘Yes (I believe), but to be stronger in Faith.’[2:260] And may Allah have mercy on Lut. He wished to have a powerful support. And if i were to stay in prison as long as Yusuf stayed, I would have accepted the offer.’”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَحْنُ أَحَقُّ بِالشَّكِّ مِنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ إِذْ قَالَ {رَبِّ أَرِنِي كَيْفَ تُحْيِي الْمَوْتَى قَالَ أَوَ لَمْ تُؤْمِنْ قَالَ بَلَى وَلَكِنْ لِيَطْمَئِنَّ قَلْبِي} وَيَرْحَمُ اللَّهُ لُوطًا لَقَدْ كَانَ يَأْوِي إِلَى رُكْنٍ شَدِيدٍ وَلَوْ لَبِثْتُ فِي السِّجْنِ طُولَ مَا لَبِثَ يُوسُفُ لأَجَبْتُ الدَّاعِيَ  

On the Day of Uhud, a molar of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was broken and he was wounded. Blood started pouring down his face, and he started to wipe his face and say: “How can any people prosper if they soak the face of their Prophet with blood when he is calling them to Allah?” Then Allah revealed: “Not for you is the decision.”[3:128]  

لَمَّا كَانَ يَوْمُ أُحُدٍ كُسِرَتْ رَبَاعِيَةُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَشُجَّ فَجَعَلَ الدَّمُ يَسِيلُ عَلَى وَجْهِهِ وَجَعَلَ يَمْسَحُ الدَّمَ عَنْ وَجْهِهِ وَيَقُولُ كَيْفَ يُفْلِحُ قَوْمٌ خَضَبُوا وَجْهَ نَبِيِّهِمْ بِالدَّمِ وَهُوَ يَدْعُوهُمْ إِلَى اللَّهِ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ ﷻ {لَيْسَ لَكَ مِنَ الأَمْرِ شَىْءٌ}  

“One day, Jibril (as) came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when he was sitting in a sorrowful state with his face soaked with blood, because some of the people of Makkah had struck him. He said: ‘What is the matter with you?’ He said: ‘These people did such and such to me.’ He said: ‘Would you like me to show you a sign?’ He said: ‘Yes, show me.’ He looked at a tree on the far side of the valley and said: ‘Call that tree.’ So he called it, and it came walking until it stood before him. He said: ‘Tell it to go back.’ So he told it, and it went back to its place. Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘That is sufficient for me.’”  

جَاءَ جِبْرِيلُ عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ حَزِينٌ قَدْ خُضِبَ بِالدِّمَاءِ قَدْ ضَرَبَهُ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ فَقَالَ مَا لَكَ فَقَالَ فَعَلَ بِي هَؤُلاَءِ وَفَعَلُوا قَالَ أَتُحِبُّ أَنْ أُرِيَكَ آيَةً قَالَ نَعَمْ أَرِنِي فَنَظَرَ إِلَى شَجَرَةٍ مِنْ وَرَاءِ الْوَادِي فَقَالَ ادْعُ تِلْكَ الشَّجَرَةَ فَدَعَاهَا فَجَاءَتْ تَمْشِي حَتَّى قَامَتْ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ قَالَ قُلْ لَهَا فَلْتَرْجِعْ فَقَالَ لَهَا فَرَجَعَتْ حَتَّى عَادَتْ إِلَى مَكَانِهَا فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَسْبِي  

“Count for me all those who have uttered (the word of) Islam.” We said: “O Messenger of Allah, do you fear for us when we number between six and seven hundred?” The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: “You do not know, perhaps you will be tested.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْصُوا لِي كُلَّ مَنْ تَلَفَّظَ بِالإِسْلاَمِ قُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَتَخَافُ عَلَيْنَا وَنَحْنُ مَا بَيْنَ السِّتِّمِائَةِ إِلَى السَّبْعِمِائَةِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ إِنَّكُمْ لاَ تَدْرُونَ لَعَلَّكُمْ أَنْ تُبْتَلَوْا قَالَ فَابْتُلِينَا حَتَّى جَعَلَ الرَّجُلُ مِنَّا مَا يُصَلِّي إِلاَّ سِرًّا  

from the Prophet ﷺ that on the night of Isrā he smelled a fine fragrance so he asked: “O Jibril, what is this good fragrance?” He said: “This is the fragrance of the grave of the hairdresser and her two sons and her husband.” He said: “That began when Khadir, who was one of the nobles of the Children of Israel, used to pass by a monk in his cell. The monk used to meet him and he taught him Islam. When Khadir reached adolescence, his father married him to a woman. He taught her and made her promise not to teach it to anyone. He used not to touch women, so he divorced her, then his father married him to another woman, and he taught her and made her promise not to teach it to anyone. One of them kept the secret but the other disclosed it, so he fled until he came to an island in the sea. Two men came, gathering firewood, and saw him. One of them kept the secret but the other disclosed it and said: ‘I have seen Khadir.’ It was said: ‘Who else saw him besides you?’ He said: ‘So-and-so.’ (The other man) was questioned but he kept silent. According to their religion, the liar was to be killed.

The woman who had kept the secret got married, and while she was combing the hair of Pharoah’s daughter, she dropped the comb and said: ‘May Pharoah perish!’ (The daughter) told her father about that. The woman had two sons and a husband. (Pharoah) sent for them, and tried to make the woman and her husband give up their religion, but they refused. He said: ‘I am going to kill you.’ They said: ‘It would be an act of kindness on your part, if you kill us, to put us in one grave.’ So he did that.” When the Prophet ﷺ was taken on the Night Journey (Isra’), he noticed a good fragrance and asked Jibril about it and he told him.”  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ لَيْلَةَ أُسْرِيَ بِهِ وَجَدَ رِيحًا طَيِّبَةً فَقَالَ يَا جِبْرِيلُ مَا هَذِهِ الرِّيحُ الطَّيِّبَةُ قَالَ هَذِهِ رِيحُ قَبْرِ الْمَاشِطَةِ وَابْنَيْهَا وَزَوْجِهَا قَالَ وَكَانَ بَدْءُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّ الْخَضِرَ كَانَ مِنْ أَشْرَافِ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَكَانَ مَمَرُّهُ بِرَاهِبٍ فِي صَوْمَعَتِهِ فَيَطْلُعُ عَلَيْهِ الرَّاهِبُ فَيُعَلِّمُهُ الإِسْلاَمَ فَلَمَّا بَلَغَ الْخَضِرُ زَوَّجَهُ أَبُوهُ امْرَأَةً فَعَلَّمَهَا الْخَضِرُ وَأَخَذَ عَلَيْهَا أَنْ لاَ تُعْلِمَهُ أَحَدًا وَكَانَ لاَ يَقْرَبُ النِّسَاءَ فَطَلَّقَهَا ثُمَّ زَوَّجَهُ أَبُوهُ أُخْرَى فَعَلَّمَهَا وَأَخَذَ عَلَيْهَا أَنْ لاَ تُعْلِمَهُ أَحَدًا فَكَتَمَتْ إِحَدَاهُمَا وَأَفْشَتْ عَلَيْهِ الأُخْرَى فَانْطَلَقَ هَارِبًا حَتَّى أَتَى جَزِيرَةً فِي الْبَحْرِ فَأَقْبَلَ رَجُلاَنِ يَحْتَطِبَانِ فَرَأَيَاهُ فَكَتَمَ أَحَدُهُمَا وَأَفْشَى الآخَرُ وَقَالَ قَدْ رَأَيْتُ الْخَضِرَ فَقِيلَ وَمَنْ رَآهُ مَعَكَ قَالَ فُلاَنٌ فَسُئِلَ فَكَتَمَ وَكَانَ فِي دِينِهِمْ أَنَّ مَنْ كَذَبَ قُتِلَ قَالَ فَتَزَوَّجَ الْمَرْأَةَ الْكَاتِمَةَ

فَبَيْنَمَا هِيَ تَمْشُطُ ابْنَةَ فِرْعَوْنَ إِذْ سَقَطَ الْمُشْطُ فَقَالَتْ تَعِسَ فِرْعَوْنُ فَأَخْبَرَتْ أَبَاهَا وَكَانَ لِلْمَرْأَةِ ابْنَانِ وَزَوْجٌ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَرَاوَدَ الْمَرْأَةَ وَزَوْجَهَا أَنْ يَرْجِعَا عَنْ دِينِهِمَا فَأَبَيَا فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَاتِلُكُمَا فَقَالاَ إِحْسَانًا مِنْكَ إِلَيْنَا إِنْ قَتَلْتَنَا أَنْ تَجْعَلَنَا فِي بَيْتٍ فَفَعَلَ فَلَمَّا أُسْرِيَ بِالنَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَجَدَ رِيحًا طَيِّبَةً فَسَأَلَ جِبْرِيلَ فَأَخْبَرَهُ  

“The greatest reward comes with the greatest trial. When Allah loves a people He tests them. Whoever accepts that wins His pleasure but whoever is discontent with that earns His wrath.”  

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَّهُ قَالَ عِظَمُ الْجَزَاءِ مَعَ عِظَمِ الْبَلاَءِ وَإِنَّ اللَّهَ إِذَا أَحَبَّ قَوْمًا ابْتَلاَهُمْ فَمَنْ رَضِيَ فَلَهُ الرِّضَا وَمَنْ سَخِطَ فَلَهُ السُّخْطُ  

“The believer who mixes with people and bears their annoyance with patience will have a greater reward than the believer who does not mix with people and does not put up with their annoyance.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ الْمُؤْمِنُ الَّذِي يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَيَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ أَعْظَمُ أَجْرًا مِنَ الْمُؤْمِنِ الَّذِي لاَ يُخَالِطُ النَّاسَ وَلاَ يَصْبِرُ عَلَى أَذَاهُمْ  

“There are three things, whoever has them has found the taste of faith (One of the narrators) Bundar said: ‘The sweetness of faith; When he loves a man and only loves him for the sake of Allah. When Allah and His Messenger are more beloved to him than anything else; and when being thrown into the fire is dearer to him than going back to disbelief after Allah has saved him from it.”  

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ثَلاَثٌ مَنْ كُنَّ فِيهِ وَجَدَ طَعْمَ الإِيمَانِ وَقَالَ بُنْدَارٌ حَلاَوَةَ الإِيمَانِ مَنْ كَانَ يُحِبُّ الْمَرْءَ لاَ يُحِبُّهُ إِلاَّ لِلَّهِ وَمَنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِمَّا سِوَاهُمَا وَمَنْ كَانَ أَنْ يُلْقَى فِي النَّارِ أَحَبَّ إِلَيْهِ مِنْ أَنْ يَرْجِعَ فِي الْكُفْرِ بَعْدَ إِذْ أَنْقَذَهُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ  

“Do not associate anything with Allah, even if you are cut and burned. Do not neglect any prescribd prayer deliberately, for whoever neglects it deliberately no longer has the protection of Allah. And do not drink wine, for it is the key to all evil.”  

أَنْ لاَ تُشْرِكْ بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَإِنْ قُطِّعْتَ وَحُرِّقْتَ وَلاَ تَتْرُكْ صَلاَةً مَكْتُوبَةً مُتَعَمِّدًا فَمَنْ تَرَكَهَا مُتَعَمِّدًا فَقَدْ بَرِئَتْ مِنْهُ الذِّمَّةُ وَلاَ تَشْرَبِ الْخَمْرَ فَإِنَّهَا مِفْتَاحُ كُلِّ شَرٍّ