6/65 ــ السادس: عَنْ أبي هُرَيْرَةَ رضي الله عنه أنهُ سَمعَ النَّبيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: «إنَّ ثَلاثَةً مِنْ بَنِي إسْرَائيلَ: أبْرَصَ، وَأقْرَعَ، وَأعْمَى، أرَادَ اللهُ أنْ يَبْتَلِيَهُمْ، فَبَعَثَ إلَيْهِمْ مَلَكاً، فَأتَىٰ الأبْرَصَ فَقَالَ: أيُّ شَيْءٍ أحَبُّ إلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ: لَوْنٌ حسنٌ، وَجِلْدٌ حَسَنٌ، وَيَذْهَبُ عَنِّي الَّذي قَدْ قَذرَنِي النَّاسُ، فَمَسَحَه، فَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ قَذَرُهُ، وَأُعْطِيَ لَوْناً حَسَناً، قَالَ: فَأيُّ الْمَالِ أحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ: الإبلُ ــ أوْ قَالَ الْبَقَرُ ــ شَكَّ الرَّاوِي ـ، فَأُعْطِيَ نَاقَةً عُشَرَاءَ، فَقَالَ: بَارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ فِيهَا.فَأتَىٰ الأقْرَعَ فَقَالَ: أيُّ شَيْءٍ أحَبُّ إلَيْكَ ؟ قال: شَعْرٌ حَسَنٌ، وَيَذْهَبُ عَنِّي هذَا الذي قَذرنِي النَّاسُ، فَمَسَحَهُ، فَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ، وَأُعْطِيَ شَعْراً حَسَناً، قال: فَأيُّ الْمَالِ أحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قَالَ: الْبقَرُ، فَأُعْطِيَ بَقَرَةً حَامِلاً، وقَالَ: بَارَكَ اللهُ لَكَ فِيهَا.
فَأتَىٰ الأعْمَىٰ فَقَالَ: أيُّ شَيْءٍ أحَبُّ إلَيْكَ ؟ قال: أنْ يَرُدَّ الله إلَيَّ بَصَرِي فَأُبْصِرَ النَّاسَ، فَمَسَحَهُ، فَرَدَّ الله إلَيْهِ بَصَرَهُ، قال: فَأيُّ الْمَالِ أحَبُّ إلَيْكَ؟ قال: الْغَنَمُ، فَأُعْطِيَ شَاةً وَالِداً. فَأنْتَجَ هذَانِ، وَوَلَّدَ هذَا، فَكَانَ لهذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الإبِلِ، وَلهذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الْبقَرِ، وَلِهذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ.
ثُمَ إنَّهُ أتَىٰ الأبْرَصَ في صُورَتِهِ وَهَيْئَتِهِ، فَقَالَ: رَجُلٌ مِسْكِينٌ قَدِ انْقَطَعَتْ بِيَ الْحِبَالُ في سَفَرِي، فَلا بَلاغَ لِيَ الْيَوْمَ إلَّا بِالله ثُمَّ بِكَ، أسْألُكَ بِالَّذي أعْطَاكَ اللَّوْنَ الْحَسَنَ، وَالْجِلْدَ الْحَسَنَ، وَالْمَالَ بَعِيراً أتَبَلَّغُ بِهِ في سَفَرِي، فقالَ: الحُقُوقُ كَثِيرَةٌ. فقالَ: كأنِّي أعْرِفُكَ، ألمْ تكُنْ أبْرَصَ يقْذرُك النَّاسُ، فَقيراً فَأعْطَاكَ اللهُ!؟ فقالَ: إنَّمَا وَرِثْتُ هذَا المال كَابِراً عَنْ كابِر، فقالَ: إنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِباً فَصَيَّرَكَ اللهُ إلَىٰ ما كُنْتَ.
وَأتَىٰ الأقْرَعَ في صُورَتِهِ وَهَيْئَتِهِ، فقالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ ما قَالَ لِهذَا، وَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلَ مَا ردَ هذَا، فقالَ: إنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِباَ فَصَيَّرَكَ اللهُ إلَىٰ مَا كُنْتَ.
وَأتَىٰ الأعْمَىٰ في صُورَتِهِ وَهَيْئَتِهِ، فقالَ: رَجُلٌ مِسْكِينٌ وَابْنُ سَبِيلٍ انْقَطَعَتْ بيَ الحِبَالُ في سَفَرِي، فَلا بَلاغَ لِيَ الْيَوْمَ إلَّا بالله ثُمَّ بِكَ، أسْألُكَ بالَّذي رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بَصَرَكَ شَاةً أتبَلَّغُ بِهَا في سَفَري؟ فقالَ: قَدْ كُنْتُ أعْمَىٰ فَرَدَّ اللهُ إلَيَّ بَصَري، فَخُذْ ما شِئْتَ، وَدَعْ مَا شِئْتَ، فَوَاللهِ ما أجْهَدُكَ الْيَوْمَ بِشَيْءٍ أخَذْتَهُ لله _عز وجل_، فقالَ: أمْسِكْ مالَكَ فإنَّمَا ابْتُلِيتُمْ، فَقَدْ رضِي اللهُ عنك، وَسَخِطَ عَلَىٰ صَاحِبَيْكَ». متفقّ عليه.
Abu Hurayrah, may Allah be pleased with him, reported that he heard the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, say:
“There were three men from the Children of Israel: a leper, a bald man, and a blind man. Allah wanted to test them, so He sent an angel to them. The angel came to the leper and said: ‘What do you desire most?’ He said: ‘A good color, good skin, and for the affliction that people find repulsive in me to go away.’ So he passed his hand over him, and his affliction disappeared, and he was given a good color. Then he said: ‘What kind of wealth do you most desire?’ He said: ‘Camels’ — or he said cattle — the narrator was unsure. So he was given a pregnant camel, and he said: ‘May Allah bless you in it.’
Then he went to the bald man and said: ‘What do you desire most?’ He said: ‘Beautiful hair, and for the thing that people find repulsive in me to go away.’ So he passed his hand over him, and it disappeared, and he was given beautiful hair. Then he said: ‘What kind of wealth do you most desire?’ He said: ‘Cattle.’ So he was given a pregnant cow, and he said: ‘May Allah bless you in it.’
Then he went to the blind man and said: ‘What do you desire most?’ He said: ‘That Allah return my sight to me so that I may see people.’ So he passed his hand over him, and Allah returned his sight to him. Then he said: ‘What kind of wealth do you most desire?’ He said: ‘Sheep.’ So he was given a female sheep with young.
Then these two produced offspring, and this one produced offspring, until the first had a valley full of camels, the second had a valley full of cattle, and the third had a valley full of sheep.
Then the angel came to the leper in his original form and appearance and said: ‘I am a poor man, and my means have been cut off during my journey. Today I have no way forward except through Allah, then through you. I ask you by the One who gave you the good color, the good skin, and the wealth, for a camel by which I may continue my journey.’ He said: ‘I have many obligations.’ The angel said: ‘I seem to know you. Were you not the leper whom people found repulsive, poor, and then Allah gave you?’ He said: ‘I inherited this wealth from generation to generation.’ The angel said: ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were.’
Then he came to the bald man in his form and appearance and said to him the same as he said to the first, and he received the same response. So he said: ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to what you were.’
Then he came to the blind man in his form and appearance and said: ‘I am a poor man and a traveler whose means have been cut off during my journey. Today I have no way forward except through Allah, then through you. I ask you by the One who returned your sight to you, for a sheep by which I may continue my journey.’ He said: ‘I was blind, and Allah returned my sight to me, so take what you wish and leave what you wish. By Allah, I will not make it hard for you today in anything you take for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.’ The angel said: ‘Keep your wealth. You were only being tested. Allah is pleased with you and angry with your two companions.’”
Agreed upon.
1. Connection to the Chapter
This hadith belongs under مراقبة because it reveals how the hidden condition of the heart is exposed when Allah gives ease after hardship. The chapter is about living with awareness of Allah’s sight, and this hadith shows that watchfulness is not only needed in suffering, but also in blessing. A person may endure deprivation with patience, then fail the test when Allah opens the doors of relief.
The hadith teaches that blessings are not merely gifts to enjoy. They are tests that reveal whether the servant remembers the Giver or becomes satisfied with the gift alone. Muraqabah keeps the heart from forgetting that every favor is a trust.
2. Key Words Meaning
ابتلاهم — He tested them; the trial was deliberate, not accidental.
قذرني الناس — people found me repulsive; this reflects pain, humiliation, and exclusion.
عشراء — a pregnant camel; a valuable and productive gift.
بارك الله لك فيها — may Allah bless it for you; the blessing is the true increase, not the mere possession.
فإنما ابتليتم — you were only tested; abundance itself is a test, not proof of favor.
صَيَّرَكَ الله إلى ما كنت — may Allah return you to what you once were; a severe response that exposes ingratitude and denial.
رضي الله عنك — Allah is pleased with you; this is the real success of the believer.
3. Hadith Lessons
The first lesson is that hardship and prosperity are both tests. The leper, the bald man, and the blind man each received mercy, but only one responded with humility and gratitude. Allah’s giving does not automatically purify the heart; sometimes it reveals it.
The second lesson is that ingratitude can hide behind comfort. The first two men denied their past and claimed wealth as if it had always been theirs. Their response was not merely a lie; it was a failure to remember Allah. They forgot the humiliation from which Allah had lifted them.
The third lesson is that the grateful servant is not the one who speaks of blessings only, but the one who uses them correctly. The blind man recognized the gift, admitted his former state, and showed readiness to give for Allah’s sake. That is why he is told to keep his wealth and is praised with divine pleasure.
The fourth lesson is that watchfulness includes remembering the source of every blessing. A person who lives with muraqabah does not become spiritually blind when provision arrives. He sees the Hand behind the gift, and that keeps him soft, humble, and generous.
4. Special Reflections
This hadith is especially powerful in a world where people are tempted to worship improvement itself. When someone is healed, promoted, educated, or enriched, it is easy to start imagining that the blessing belongs to the self. The hadith tears that illusion apart. The blessing is from Allah, and the heart must remain morally awake while enjoying it.
It also exposes a painful truth about human nature: many people remain needy in their manners even after they are no longer needy in their circumstances. They remember the pain of the past only until the past becomes inconvenient to admit. The hadith rebukes that cowardice and teaches that gratitude requires memory.
The final scene is especially moving. The blind man does not hide his former state. He names Allah’s favor and is willing to part with what he has for the sake of the One who gave him sight. That is not only gratitude; it is a heart that has not been corrupted by receiving.
5. Three Questions to Close With
- When Allah changes my condition, do I remember who lifted me, or do I start speaking as if I earned everything alone?
- Do my blessings make me more humble and generous, or more forgetful and self-possessed?
- If Allah tested me with recovery, wealth, or relief, would I remain grateful in the same way I hoped to be patient in hardship?