[Machine] He received news that his son had died, so the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote to him to offer condolences. The message said: "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah, to Muadh ibn Jabal: Peace be upon you. I praise Allah to you, there is no deity except Him. After that, may Allah grant you great reward, inspire you with patience, and provide us and you with gratitude. Indeed, our lives, wealth, families, and children are gifts from Allah, the Exalted. Enjoy them with happiness and pleasure, and when the time comes, may you receive great reward for it. May Allah bless you with prayers, mercy, and guidance if you seek it. Be patient, and do not let your grief undermine your reward, causing you to regret. Know that grief does not repel anything or alleviate sadness. That is all, peace be upon you." This is a strange, good narration, except that the inclusion of Mujashi' ibn 'Amr is not a condition for this letter.

أَنَّهُ مَاتَ لَهُ ابْنُ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُعَزِّيهِ عَلَيْهِ «بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ إِلَى مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلُ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ فَإِنِّي أَحْمَدُ اللَّهَ إِلَيْكَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعْظَمَ اللَّهُ لَكَ الْأَجْرَ وَأَلْهَمَكَ الصَّبْرَ وَرَزَقَنَا وَإِيَّاكَ الشُّكْرَ فَإِنَّ أَنْفُسَنَا وَأَمْوَالَنَا وَأَهَلِينَا وَأَوْلَادَنَا مِنْ مَوَاهِبِ اللَّهِ ﷻ الْهَنِيئَةِ وَعَوَارِيهِ الْمُسْتَوْدَعَةِ مَتَّعَكَ بِهِ فِي غِبْطَةٍ وَسُرُورٍ وَقَبَضَهُ مِنْكَ بِأَجْرٍ كَبِيرِ الصَّلَاةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ وَالْهُدَى إِنِ احْتَسَبْتَهُ فَاصْبِرْ وَلَا يُحْبِطُ جَزَعُكَ أَجْرَكَ فَتَنْدَمَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْجَزَعَ لَا يَرُدُّ شَيْئًا وَلَا يَدْفَعُ حُزْنًا وَمَا هُوَ نَازِلٌ فَكَانَ قَدْ وَالسَّلَامُ» غَرِيبٌ حَسَنٌ إِلَّا أَنَّ مُجَاشِعَ بْنَ عَمْرٍو لَيْسَ مِنْ شَرْطِ هَذَا الْكِتَابِ ذا من وضع مجاشع بن عمرو

[Machine] Amr ibn Bakr ibn Bakkār al-Qa'nabi narrated to me, Itha Mūjaši'a ibn 'Amr ibn Ḥassān al-Asadi narrated to me, Itha Layth ibn Sa'd narrated to me, from 'Āsim ibn 'Umar ibn Qatāda, from Maḥmūd ibn Labīd, from Mu'ādh ibn Jabal, that his son had died. So the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wrote to him to console him regarding his son. He wrote to him, "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, to Mu'adh ibn Jabal: peace be upon you. Indeed, I praise to you Allah, whom there is no deity except Him. As for what follows, may Allah increase your reward, inspire you with patience, and grant us and you thankfulness. Verily, our souls, our wealth, and our families are from the blessed endowments of Allah, which He allows us to enjoy for a designated time and then takes back at an appointed time. And indeed, we ask Him for gratitude for what He has given us and patience when He tests us. And indeed, your son was from the blessed endowments of Allah, which He allowed you to enjoy with happiness and joy, and then He retrieved him from you with abundant reward, prayers, mercy, and guidance, if you seek reward in patience and do not let your grief diminish your reward, causing regret. And know that grief does not bring the dead back nor does it remove sorrow. And what has happened is as if you have bid farewell."

حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ بَكْرِ بْنِ بَكَّارٍ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ ثنا مُجَاشِعُ بْنُ عَمْرِو بْنِ حَسَّانٍ الْأَسَدِيُّ ثنا اللَّيْثُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ قَتَادَةَ عَنْ مَحْمُودِ بْنِ لَبِيدٍ عَنْ مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ أَنَّهُ مَاتَ ابْنٌ لَهُ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ يُعَزِّيهِ بِابْنِهِ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ إِلَى مُعَاذِ بْنِ جَبَلٍ سَلَامٌ عَلَيْكَ فَإِنِّي أَحْمَدُ إِلَيْكَ اللهَ الَّذِي لَا إِلَهَ إِلَّا هُوَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ فَأَعْظَمَ اللهُ لَكَ الْأَجْرَ وأَلْهَمَكَ الصَّبْرَ وَرَزَقَنَا وَإِيَّاكَ الشُّكْرَ فَإِنَّ أَنْفُسَنَا وَأَمْوَالَنَا وَأَهْلِينا مِنْ مَوَاهِبِ اللهِ الْهَنِيئةِ وَعَوَارِيهِ الْمُسْتَوْدَعَةِ يُمَتِّعُ بِهَا إِلَى أَجْلٍ ويَقْبِضُهَا إِلَى وَقْتٍ مَعْلُومٍ وَإِنَّا نَسْأَلُهُ الشُّكْرَ عَلَى مَا أَعْطَى وَالصَّبْرَ إِذَا ابْتَلَى وَكَانَ ابْنُكَ مِنْ مَوَاهِبِ اللهِ الْهَنِيئةِ وَعَوَارِيهِ الْمُسْتَوْدَعَةِ مَتَّعكَ اللهُ بِهِ فِي غِبْطَةٍ وَسُرُورٍ وَقَبَضَهُ مِنْكَ بِأَجْرٍ كَثِيرٍ الصَّلَاةِ وَالرَّحْمَةِ وَالْهُدَى إِنِ احْتَسَبَتْهُ فَاصْبِرْ وَلَا يُحْبِطْ جَزَعُكَ أَجْرَكَ فَتَنْدمَ وَاعْلَمْ أَنَّ الْجَزَعَ لَا يَرُدُّ مَيِّتًا وَلَا يَدْفَعَ حُزْنًا وَمَا هُوَ نَازِلٌ فَكَأَنْ قَدْ وَالسَّلَامُ

"مِنْ مُحَمَّدٍ رسولِ الله إلى مُعَاذِ بنِ جَبَلٍ: سَلامٌ عَليكَ، إِنِّي أَحْمد اللهَ إليكَ الَّذي لا إِلهَ إِلا هُو، أما بعدُ: فإنَّ ابنَك فلانًا قَدْ تُوُفِّي في يومِ كَذَا، فَأَعْظَم اللهُ لكَ الأجرَ، وأَلهمكَ الصبرَ، ورِزْق الصَّبْرِ عند البلاءِ، والشُّكْرَ عِندَ الرَّخَاءِ، أَنْفُسنا وأموالنَا وأهلُونا مِن مواهب اللهِ الهَنِيَّة وعواريه المستودَعَةِ، يُمتِّعنا بها إِلى أَجَلٍ مَعْدُودٍ، وَيَقْبِضُها لِوَقْت مَعْلُوم، وحَقُّه علينَا هُنَاكَ إِذَا أَبْلانَا الصَّبْرُ، فَعَلَيكَ بِتَقْوى اللهِ، وحُسنِ العَزاءِ، فإن الحُزنَ لا يَرُدُّ مَيِّتًا، ولا يُؤَخَرُ أَجَلًا، وَإِنَّ الأَسفَ لا يَرُدُّ ما هو نازلٌ بِالعِبَادِ".