Twenty traits a believer to possess

I (Suwayd b. al-Ḥārith) visited the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a delegation with six others from my people/nation. When we entered upon him and we spoke to him, he was impressed by our appearance and attire. He asked, "Who are you?" We said, "Believers." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled and said, "Every statement has truth. What is the truth of your statement and your faith?" Suwayd replied, "We said: ˹We have˺ fifteen qualities; (1) five of them are things you commanded us to believe in through your messengers, (2) five things your messenger commanded us to act upon, and (3) five things we possessed during the period of ignorance and we remain upon those except for anything disliked among them."

The Messenger of Allah ﷺ asked, "What are the five qualities your messengers commanded you to believe in?" We said, "Our messengers commanded us (1) to believe in Allah, (2) His angels, (3) His books, (4) His messengers, and (5) the Day of Resurrection." He asked, "What are the five qualities your messengers commanded you to act upon?" We said, "Our messengers commanded us (1) to testify that there is no deity ˹worthy of worship˺ except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah, (2) to establish prayers, (3) give zakat, (4) fast during Ramadan, and (5) perform Hajj if possible." He asked, "What are the five qualities you possessed during the period of ignorance?" We said, "(1) Gratitude during prosperity, (2) patience during adversity, (3) truthfulness when meeting others, (4) fulfillment of promises, and (5) fighting off the enemies – and in different phrasing, patience in the mockery of enemies, and contentment with the Divine Decree." The Messenger of Allah ﷺ smiled and said, "Educated, wise, intellectual, forbearing; as if their character was almost like those of the Prophets: of the most honorable and complete attributes, and with the greatest reward."

Then the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "I advise you with five qualities," – and in another phrasing, "I will show you five qualities" – "that will add yours up to a total of twenty qualities." We asked, "Advise us, O Messenger of Allah." He said, "If you are as you say then (1) do not store up what you will not eat, (2) do not build what you will not live in, (3) do not compete in something you will lose tomorrow, (4) long for what you are advancing toward and where you will forever remain, (5) be conscious of Allah to whom you will return and before whom you will be presented."

He (Suwayd) added, "The people then left the Messenger of Allah ﷺ having memorized his advice and acted upon it. By Allah, no single individual from among them remain, nor any of their fathers, except myself." Then he said, "O Allah, take my ˹soul˺ to You without any change or alteration ˹in this state of mine˺." Abū Sulaymān said, "He died, and by Allah, it was only after a few days."  

وَفَدْتُ عَلَى رَسُولِ الله ﷺ سَابِعَ سَبْعَةٍ مِنْ قَوْمِى، فَلَمَّا دَخَلْنَا عَلَيْهِ، كَلَّمْنَاهُ، أَعْجَبَهُ مَا رَأَى مِنْ سَمْتِنَا وَزِيِّنا. فَقَالَ: «مَا أَنْتُم؟» قُلنَا: مُؤْمِنُونَ. فَتَبَسَّمَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ وَقَالَ: «إِنَّ لِكُلِّ قَوْلٍ حَقِيقَةً، فَمَا حَقيقَةُ قَوْلِكُم وَإِيمَانِكُم؟» قَالَ سُوَيْدٌ: قُلنَا: خَمْسَ عَشْرَة خَصْلَةً، خَمسٌ مِنْهَا أَمَرَتَنَا رُسُلُكَ أَنْ نُؤْمِنَ بِهَا، وَخَمسٌ أَمَرَتْنَا رُسُلُكَ أَنْ نَعْمَلَ بِهَا، وَخَمْسٌ تَخَلَّقْنَا بِهَا فِى الْجَاهليَّةِ، وَنَحْنُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ إِلَّا أَنْ تَكْرَهَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا۔

فَقَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ :«مَا الْخَمْسُ الْخِصَال الَّتِى أَمَرَتْكُم رُسُلِى أَنْ تُؤْمِنُوا بِهَا؟» قُلْنَا: أَمَرَتْنَا رسُلُكَ أَنْ نُؤْمِنَ بِالله، وَمَلاَئِكَتِهِ، وَكُتُبه، وَرُسُلِهِ، وَالْبَعْثِ بَعْدَ الْمَوْتِ. قَالَ: «فَمَا الْخَمْسُ الَّتِى أَمَرَتْكُم رُسُلِى أَنْ تَعْمَلُوا بهِنَّ؟» قُلْنَا: أَمَرَتْنَا رُسُلُكَ أَنْ نَشْهَدَ أَنْ لاَ إِلهَ إِلَّا الله وَأَنَّ مُحَمَّدًا رَسُولُ الله، وَأَنْ نُقِيمَ الصَّلاَةَ، وَنُؤْتِىَ الزَّكَاةَ، وَنَصُومَ رَمَضَانَ، وَنَحُجَّ الْبَيْتَ مَنِ اسْتَطَاعَ إِلَيْهِ سَبِيلًا، فَنَحْنُ عَلَى ذَلِكَ۔ قَالَ: «وَمَا الْخَمْسُ الْخِصَالِ الَّتِى تَخَلَّقْتُم بِهَا فِى الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ؟» قُلنَا: الشُّكْرُ عِنْدَ الرَّخَاءِ، وَالصَّبْرُ عِنْدَ الْبَلاَءِ، وَالصِّدْقُ عِنْدَ اللقَاءِ، وَمُنَاجَزَةُ الأَعْدَاءِ - وَفى لَفْظٍ وَالصَّبْرُ عِنْدَ شَمَاتَةِ الأعْدَاءِ، وَالرِّضَا بِالْقَضَاءِ. فَتَبَسَّمَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ وَقَالَ: «أُدُبَاءُ، فُقَهَاءُ، عُقَلاَءُ، حُلَمَاءُ كَادُوا فِى خُلقِهِمْ أَنْ يَكُونُوا أَنْبِيَاءَ، منْ خِصَالٍ مَا أَشْرَفَهَا وأَدمَهَا، وَأَعْظَمَ ثَوَابَهَا»۔

ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ الله ﷺ: «أُوَصِيكُمْ بِخَمْسِ خِصَالٍ - وَفِى لَفْظٍ وَأَنَا أُرِيكُم خَمْسًا - لِتَكْمُلَ لَكُم عِشْرُونَ خَصْلَةً۔ قُلْنَا: أَوصِنَا يَا رَسُولَ الله، قَالَ: «إِنْ كُنْتُم كَمَا تَقُولُونَ فَلاَ تَجْمَعُوا مَا لاَ تَأكُلُونَهُ، وَلاَ تَبْنُوا مَا لاَ تَسْكُنُونَ، وَلاَ تَنَافَسُوا فِى شَىْءٍ غَدًا عَنْهُ تَزُولُونَ، وَارْغَبُوا فِيمَا عَلَيْه تُقْدِمُونَ وَفِيهِ تُخَلَّدُونَ، وَاتَّقُوا الله الَّذِى إِلَيْهِ تُرْجَعُونَ، وَعَلَيْهِ تُعْرَضُونَ۔»

قَالَ: فَانْصَرَفَ الْقَوْمُ مِنْ عنْدِ رَسُولِ الله ﷺ، وَقَدْ حَفِظُوا وَصِيَّتَهُ وَعَملُوا بِهَا، فَلاَ وَالله يَا أَبَا سُلَيْمَانَ، مَا بَقِىَ مِنْ أُولَئِكَ النَّفَرِ، وَلاَ مِنْ آبَائِهِم غَيْرِى۔ ثُمَّ قَالَ: اللَّهُمَّ اقْبِضْنِى إِلَيْكَ غَيْرَ مُبَدِّلٍ وَلاَ مُغيِّرٍ. قَالَ: أَبُو سُلَيْمَانَ: فَمَاتَ وَالله بَعْدَ أَيَّامٍ قَلاَئِلَ۔