Hadith #146

Arabic Text

English Translation

Yaʿqūb narrated to us, he said: my father narrated to us, from Ibn Isḥāq, he said: Muḥammad ibn ʿAmr ibn ʿAṭāʾ narrated to me, from Nuʿaym al-Mujmir, from Rabīʿah ibn Kaʿb, who said: I used to serve the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ and attend to his needs all day long, until the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ prayed the late night prayer. Then I would sit at his door when he entered his house, thinking: Perhaps a need may arise for the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ. I would keep hearing the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ say: "Subḥān Allāh, Subḥān Allāh, Subḥān Allāh wa biḥamdihi" until I grew weary and returned, or sleep overcame me and I slept. One day he said to me, seeing my attentiveness to him and my service: "Ask me, O Rabīʿah, and I will give you." I said: Let me think about my matter, O Messenger of Allāh, then I will let you know. I reflected and realized that the world is fleeting and passing, and that my sustenance in it will come to me sufficiently. So I said: I will ask the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ for my Hereafter, for he is with Allāh عز وجل in the station that he is in. I came and he said: "What have you decided, O Rabīʿah?" I said: Yes, O Messenger of Allāh, I ask you to intercede for me with your Lord to free me from the Fire. He said: "Who told you to ask this, O Rabīʿah?" I said: No, by Allāh who sent you with the truth, no one told me. But when you said 'Ask me and I will give you,' and you are with Allāh in the station you are in, I reflected on my matter and realized that the world is fleeting and passing, and that my sustenance will come to me. So I said: I will ask the Messenger of Allāh ﷺ for my Hereafter. The Messenger of Allāh ﷺ was silent for a long time, then said to me: "I will do it. So help me on your behalf with abundant prostration."