I heard Messenger of Allah ﷺ saying, "Three men from among those who were before you, set out together till they reached a cave at night and entered it. A big rock rolled down the mountain and closed the mouth of the cave. They said (to each other), Nothing could save you from this rock but to invoke Allah by giving reference to the righteous deed which you have done (for Allah's sake only).'"

"So, one of them said, 'O Allah! I had old parents and I never provided my family (wife, children, etc.) with milk before them. One day, by chance I was delayed, and I came late (at night) while they had slept. I milked the sheep for them and took the milk to them, but I found them sleeping. I disliked providing my family with the milk before them. I waited for them and the bowl of milk was in my hand and I kept on waiting for them to get up till the day dawned. Then they got up and drank the milk. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from our critical situation caused by this rock.' So, the rock shifted a little but they could not get out."

The Prophet ﷺ added, "The second man said, 'O Allah! I had a cousin who was the dearest of all people to me and I wanted to have sexual relations with her but she refused. Later she had a hard time in a famine year and she came to me and I gave her one-hundred-and-twenty Dinars on the condition that she would not resist my desire, and she agreed. When I was about to fulfill my desire, she said: It is illegal for you to outrage my chastity except by legitimate marriage. So, I thought it a sin to have sexual intercourse with her and left her though she was the dearest of all the people to me, and also I left the gold I had given her. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from the present calamity.' So, the rock shifted a little more but still they could not get out from there."

The Prophet ﷺ added, "Then the third man said, 'O Allah! I employed few laborers and I paid them their wages with the exception of one man who did not take his wages and went away. I invested his wages and I got much property thereby. (Then after some time) he came and said to me: O Allah's slave! Pay me my wages. I said to him: All the camels, cows, sheep, and slaves you see, are yours. He said: O Allah's slave! Don't mock me. I said: I am not mocking you. So, he took all the herd and drove them away and left nothing. O Allah! If I did that for Your Sake only, please relieve us from the present suffering.' So, that rock shifted completely and they got out walking."  

سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ: «انْطَلَقَ ثَلاَثَةُ رَهْطٍ مِمَّنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ حَتَّى أَوَوُا الْمَبِيتَ إِلَى غَارٍ فَدَخَلُوهُ فَانْحَدَرَتْ صَخْرَةٌ مِنَ الْجَبَلِ فَسَدَّتْ عَلَيْهِمُ الْغَارَ فَقَالُوا إِنَّهُ لاَ يُنْجِيكُمْ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ إِلاَّ أَنْ تَدْعُوا اللَّهَ بِصَالِحِ أَعْمَالِكُمْ۔»

«فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْهُمُ: اللَّهُمَّ كَانَ لِي أَبَوَانِ شَيْخَانِ كَبِيرَانِ وَكُنْتُ لاَ أَغْبِقُ قَبْلَهُمَا أَهْلاً وَلاَ مَالاً فَنَأَى بِي فِي طَلَبِ شَىْءٍ يَوْمًا فَلَمْ أُرِحْ عَلَيْهِمَا حَتَّى نَامَا فَحَلَبْتُ لَهُمَا غَبُوقَهُمَا فَوَجَدْتُهُمَا نَائِمَيْنِ وَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَغْبِقَ قَبْلَهُمَا أَهْلاً أَوْ مَالاً فَلَبِثْتُ وَالْقَدَحُ عَلَى يَدَىَّ أَنْتَظِرُ اسْتِيقَاظَهُمَا حَتَّى بَرَقَ الْفَجْرُ فَاسْتَيْقَظَا فَشَرِبَا غَبُوقَهُمَا۔ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَفَرِّجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ الصَّخْرَةِ۔ فَانْفَرَجَتْ شَيْئًا لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الْخُرُوجَ۔»

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «وَقَالَ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ كَانَتْ لِي بِنْتُ عَمٍّ كَانَتْ أَحَبَّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ فَأَرَدْتُهَا عَنْ نَفْسِهَا فَامْتَنَعَتْ مِنِّي حَتَّى أَلَمَّتْ بِهَا سَنَةٌ مِنَ السِّنِينَ فَجَاءَتْنِي فَأَعْطَيْتُهَا عِشْرِينَ وَمِائَةَ دِينَارٍ عَلَى أَنْ تُخَلِّيَ بَيْنِي وَبَيْنَ نَفْسِهَا فَفَعَلَتْ حَتَّى إِذَا قَدَرْتُ عَلَيْهَا قَالَتْ لاَ أُحِلُّ لَكَ أَنْ تَفُضَّ الْخَاتَمَ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهِ فَتَحَرَّجْتُ مِنَ الْوُقُوعِ عَلَيْهَا فَانْصَرَفْتُ عَنْهَا وَهْىَ أَحَبُّ النَّاسِ إِلَىَّ وَتَرَكْتُ الذَّهَبَ الَّذِي أَعْطَيْتُهَا۔ اللَّهُمَّ إِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ۔ فَانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُمْ لاَ يَسْتَطِيعُونَ الْخُرُوجَ مِنْهَا۔»

قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ: «وَقَالَ الثَّالِثُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي اسْتَأْجَرْتُ أُجَرَاءَ فَأَعْطَيْتُهُمْ أَجْرَهُمْ غَيْرَ رَجُلٍ وَاحِدٍ تَرَكَ الَّذِي لَهُ وَذَهَبَ فَثَمَّرْتُ أَجْرَهُ حَتَّى كَثُرَتْ مِنْهُ الأَمْوَالُ فَجَاءَنِي بَعْدَ حِينٍ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ أَدِّ إِلَىَّ أَجْرِي فَقُلْتُ لَهُ كُلُّ مَا تَرَى مِنْ أَجْرِكَ مِنَ الإِبِلِ وَالْبَقَرِ وَالْغَنَمِ وَالرَّقِيقِ فَقَالَ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ لاَ تَسْتَهْزِئْ بِي فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي لاَ أَسْتَهْزِئُ بِكَ فَأَخَذَهُ كُلَّهُ فَاسْتَاقَهُ فَلَمْ يَتْرُكْ مِنْهُ شَيْئًا اللَّهُمَّ فَإِنْ كُنْتُ فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ عَنَّا مَا نَحْنُ فِيهِ فَانْفَرَجَتِ الصَّخْرَةُ فَخَرَجُوا يَمْشُونَ۔»