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.
nasai:3151ʿUbaydullāh b. Saʿīd > Yaḥyá / Ibn Saʿīd al-Qaṭṭān > Yaḥyá / Ibn Saʿīd al-Anṣārī > Dhakwān Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

"Were it not that it would be too difficult for my Ummah, I would not have stayed behind from any expedition. But they could not find mounts, and I could not find any mounts for them, and it would be too hard for them to stay behind when I went out. And I wish that I could be killed in the cause of Allah, then brought back to life, then killed, then brought back to life, then killed," three times.  

النسائي:٣١٥١أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدٍ الْقَطَّانَ عَنْ يَحْيَى يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدٍ الأَنْصَارِيَّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ذَكْوَانُ أَبُو صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ وَلَكِنْ لاَ يَجِدُونَ حَمُولَةً وَلاَ أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنِّي وَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي قُتِلْتُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ ثُمَّ قُتِلْتُ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ ثُمَّ قُتِلْتُ ثَلاَثًا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Mālik, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá
bukhari:2972Musaddad > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd al-Anṣārī > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Were it not for the fear that it would be difficult for my followers, I would not have remained behind any Sariya, (army-unit) but I don't have riding camels and have no other means of conveyance to carry them on, and it is hard for me that my companions should remain behind me. No doubt I wish I could fight in Allah's Cause and be martyred and come to life again to be martyred and come to life once more."  

البخاري:٢٩٧٢حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الأَنْصَارِيِّ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو صَالِحٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي مَا تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ وَلَكِنْ لاَ أَجِدُ حَمُولَةً وَلاَ أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَىَّ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنِّي وَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي قَاتَلْتُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَقُتِلْتُ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ ثُمَّ قُتِلْتُ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ  

malik:21-42Mālik > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān > Abū Hurayrah

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said from Abu Salih as-Samman from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Had I not been concerned for my community, I would have liked never to stay behind a raiding party going out in the way of Allah. However, I do not find the means to carry them to it, nor do they find anything on which to ride out and it is grievous for them that they should stay behind me. I would like to fight in the way of Allah and be killed, then brought to life so I could be killed and then brought to life so I could be killed."  

مالك:٢١-٤٢وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ لاَ أَتَخَلَّفَ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ تَخْرُجُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنِّي لاَ أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَلاَ يَجِدُونَ مَا يَتَحَمَّلُونَ عَلَيْهِ فَيَخْرُجُونَ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا بَعْدِي فَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي أُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَأُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أُحْيَا فَأُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أُحْيَا فَأُقْتَلُ  

ahmad:9480Abū Muʿāwiyah > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: "I had the intention not to miss a military expedition that goes out in the path of Allah, even though I do not have what I can carry with me. And I wish that I am killed in the path of Allah, then revived, and then killed again, and then revived, and then killed again."  

أحمد:٩٤٨٠حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَقَدْ هَمَمْتُ أَنْ لَا أَتَخَلَّفَ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ تَخْرُجُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَيْسَ عِنْدِي مَاأَحْمِلُهُمْ وَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي أُقْتَلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ثُمَّ أَحْيَا ثُمَّ أُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أَحْيَا ثُمَّ أُقْتَلُ  

ahmad:10126Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Yaḥyá / Ibn Saʿīd > Dhakwān Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

"Were it not that it would be too difficult for my Ummah, I would not have stayed behind from any expedition. But they could not find mounts, and I could not find any mounts for them, and it would be too hard for them to stay behind when I went out. And I wish that I could be killed in the cause of Allah, then brought back to life, then killed, then brought back to life, then killed," three times. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3151)   

أحمد:١٠١٢٦حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي ذَكْوَانُ أَبُو صَالِحٍ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي مَا تَخَلَّفْتُ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ تَخْرُجُ وَلَكِنْ لَا يَجِدُونَ حَمُولَةً وَلَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنِّي وَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي قَاتَلْتُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَقُتِلْتُ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ ثُمَّ قُتِلْتُ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ ثُمَّ قُتِلْتُ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ  

ahmad:10442Ibn Numayr > Yaḥyá > Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If it were not for the hardship on my Ummah (community) or on the people, I would have loved not to fall behind a secret mission in the cause of Allah. However, I do not find what they carry burdensome on themselves, and they do not find what they bear burdensome on me, so they go forth. I wish to fight in the cause of Allah, then get killed, then be resurrected, then get killed again, then be resurrected again, then get killed again."  

أحمد:١٠٤٤٢حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَقُولُ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي أَوْ عَلَى النَّاسِ لَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ لَا أَتَخَلَّفَ خَلْفَ سَرِيَّةٍ تَخْرُجُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَكِنْ لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يَتَحَمَّلُونَ عَلَيْهِ فَيَخْرُجُونَ فَوَدِدْتُ أَنْ أُقَاتِلَ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَأُقْتَلَ ثُمَّ أُحْيَا ثُمَّ أُقْتَلَ ثُمَّ أُحْيَا ثُمَّ أُقْتَلَ  

ذِكْرُ الْإِخْبَارِ عَنْ جَوَازِ تَخَلُّفِ الْإِمَامِ عَنِ السَّرِيَّةِ إِذَا خَرَجَتْ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ جَلَّ وَعَلَا

ibnhibban:4736al-Ḥusayn b. Idrīs al-Anṣārī > Aḥmad b. Abū Bakr > Mālik > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "If it were not difficult for my Ummah, I would have loved not to be left behind in a secret expedition for the sake of Allah. However, I do not find what I can carry for them, and they do not find what they can bear. It is difficult for them to be left behind after me, and I wish to fight in the cause of Allah, then be killed, then be revived, then be killed, then be revived."  

ابن حبّان:٤٧٣٦أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ الْأَنْصَارِيُّ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي بَكْرٍ عَنْ مَالِكٍ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ «لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ لَا أَتَخَلَّفَ خَلْفَ سَرِيَّةٍ تَخْرُجُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَلَكِنْ لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يَتَحَمَّلُونَ عَلَيْهِ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا بَعْدِي وَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي أُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ فَأُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أَحْيَا فَأُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أَحْيَا فَأُقْتَلُ»  

nasai-kubra:4344ʿUbaydullāh b. Saʿīd > Yaḥyá > Yaḥyá > Dhakwān Abū Ṣāliḥ > Abū Hurayrah

"Were it not that it would be too difficult for my Ummah, I would not have stayed behind from any expedition. But they could not find mounts, and I could not find any mounts for them, and it would be too hard for them to stay behind when I went out. And I wish that I could be killed in the cause of Allah, then brought back to life, then killed, then brought back to life, then killed," three times. (Using translation from Nasāʾī 3151)  

الكبرى للنسائي:٤٣٤٤أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى عَنْ يَحْيَى قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا ذَكْوَانُ أَبُو صَالِحٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ «لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَمْ أَتَخَلَّفْ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ وَلَكِنْ لَا يَجِدُونَ حَمُولَةً وَلَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيَّ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا عَنِّي وَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي قُتِلْتُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ ثُمَّ قُتِلْتُ ثُمَّ أُحْيِيتُ ثَلَاثًا»  

nasai-kubra:8784Muḥammad b. Salamah And al-Ḥārith b. Miskīn > Ibn al-Qāsim > Mālik > Yaḥyá b. Saʿīd > Abū Ṣāliḥ al-Sammān > Abū Hurayrah

[Machine] On the authority of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , he said: "If it were not difficult for my Ummah, I would have loved to never miss out on a secret mission carried out in the cause of Allah. However, I cannot find what I can bear for them, and they cannot find what they can bear for themselves. It burdens them to be left behind after me. If only I could fight in the cause of Allah, be killed, then revived, and be killed again, and revived, and be killed again, and revived."  

الكبرى للنسائي:٨٧٨٤أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ وَالْحَارِثُ بْنُ مِسْكِينٍ قِرَاءَةً عَلَيْهِ عَنِ ابْنِ الْقَاسِمِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي صَالِحٍ السَّمَّانِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ قَالَ «لَوْلَا أَنْ أَشُقَّ عَلَى أُمَّتِي لَأَحْبَبْتُ أَنْ لَا أَتَخَلَّفَ عَنْ سَرِيَّةٍ تَخْرُجُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ وَلَكِنْ لَا أَجِدُ مَا أَحْمِلُهُمْ عَلَيْهِ وَلَا يَجِدُونَ مَا يَتَحَمَّلُونَ عَلَيْهِ وَيَشُقُّ عَلَيْهِمْ أَنْ يَتَخَلَّفُوا بَعْدِي فَلَوَدِدْتُ أَنِّي أُقَاتِلُ فِي سَبِيلِ اللهِ فَأُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أَحْيَا فَأُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أَحْيَا فَأُقْتَلُ ثُمَّ أَحْيَا فَأُقْتَلُ»