Hadith Text
وَعَنْ أَبِي يَحْيَىٰ أُسَيْدِ بْنِ حُضَيْرٍ رضي الله عنه أَنَّ رَجُلاً مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ قَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَلا تَسْتَعْمِلُنِي كَمَا اسْتَعْمَلْتَ فُلَانًا؟ فَقَالَ:
«إِنَّكُمْ سَتَلْقَوْنَ بَعْدِي أثَرَةً فَاصْبِرُوا حَتَّىٰ تَلْقَوْنِي عَلَى الْحَوْضِ».مُتَّفَقٌ عَلَيْهِ.
Full Translation
On the authority of Abu Yaḥyā Usayd ibn Ḥudayr (may Allah be pleased with him) that a man from the Ansar said:
“O Messenger of Allah, will you not appoint me to a position of authority as You appointed so-and-so?”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Indeed, after me you will encounter unjust preference of some over others, so be patient until you meet me at the pond.”
Agreed upon.
Meanings of Key Words
- أَلَا تَسْتَعْمِلُنِي — will You not appoint me; the man is asking for a position of responsibility, authority, or leadership.
- كَمَا اسْتَعْمَلْتَ فُلَانًا — as You appointed so-and-so; he is comparing himself to someone else who was given a position.
- أَثَرَةٌ — unjust preference of some over others; giving people positions based on favoritism, tribalism, or personal reasons rather than justice.
- فَاصْبِرُوا — so be patient; the command is not to fight, to seize power, or to force appointment. It is to be patient.
- حَتَّىٰ تَلْقَوْنِي عَلَى الْحَوْضِ — until you meet me at the pond; the Prophet’s ﷺ pond (al-Ḥawḍ) in Paradise, where he will meet his Ummah on the Day of Resurrection.
Hadith Lessons
This hadith shows a very clear moment. A man from the Ansar comes to the Prophet ﷺ and asks for a position of authority. He says: “Why did You give so-and-so a position and not me?” This is not a question of corruption. It is a question of envy, comparison, and desire for leadership.
The Prophet ﷺ does not give him a long explanation. He does not stop to defend His choice. He gives him a prophetic warning and a command:
“Indeed, after me you will encounter unjust preference of some over others, so be patient until you meet me at the pond.”
The Prophet ﷺ is telling him:
- There will be times when people are given positions for the wrong reasons.
- There will be times when you are not appointed even when you deserve it.
- There will be times when the people you see are given preference over you are not as good as you.
- But the command is not to fight, to take power, to force appointment. The command is to be patient until you meet me at the pond in Paradise.
This is a very deep station. The believer does not measure his worth by the positions he gets in this life. He measures his worth by whether he will meet the Prophet ﷺ at the pond in Paradise.
Life Example: The Workplace When Someone Else Gets Promoted
Imagine a person who works hard, gives his time, gives his effort, stays late, and does not demand anything. Then someone else is promoted, and this person is not. The person feels the injustice. He wants to fight, to complain, to force his way, to make his voice heard.
The hadith says:
- There will be times when people are given positions for the wrong reasons.
- There will be times when you are not appointed even when you deserve it.
- But the command is to be patient. Your reward is not in this life. Your reward is at the pond in Paradise.
Example in Family
Imagine a person in a family who does the work, who takes care of the parents, who gives his time, who does not complain. Then another sibling is given more trust, more responsibility, more honor. The person feels the injustice. He wants to fight, to make his voice heard, to force his way.
The hadith says:
- There will be times when people are given positions for the wrong reasons.
- There will be times when you are not appointed even when you deserve it.
- But the command is to be patient. Your reward is not in this life. Your reward is at the pond in Paradise.
What Makes This Hadith Different
This hadith is not about corruption. It is about desire for leadership. The man is not saying: “The system is corrupt.” He is saying: “Why did You give so-and-so a position and not me?” The Prophet ﷺ is telling him:
- Do not measure your worth by positions in this life.
- Do not fight for leadership.
- Be patient. Your reward is at the pond in Paradise.
This is a very deep station. The believer does not measure his worth by the positions he gets in this life. He measures his worth by whether he will meet the Prophet ﷺ at the pond in Paradise.
The Believer’s Position
The believer is in a position of strength. He does not fight for leadership. He does not force his way. He does not become bitter. He trusts Allah for his reward. He knows that his reward is not in this life. His reward is at the pond in Paradise.
Three Questions to Close With
- When I see someone else given a position I deserve, do I feel envy, or do I trust Allah for my reward?
- Do I measure my worth by the positions I get in this life, or by whether I will meet the Prophet ﷺ at the pond in Paradise?
- When I am not appointed even when I deserve it, do I fight for leadership, or do I be patient until I meet the Prophet ﷺ at the pond?