In The Name of Allah, The Most Merciful, The Bestower of Mercy.

Imaam Abdul Azeez Bin Baaz [may Allah have mercy upon him] stated about the hadith we are about to post, “The report is very significant! It was (also) reported by (Imaam) Muslim and it confirms what the Qur’an confirms (as follows), [وَقَلِيلٌ مِّنْ عِبَادِىَ ٱلشَّكُورُ – And few of My servants are grateful]. (1)

Abu Hurairah [may Allah be pleased with him] reported that Allah’s Messenger [peace and blessings of Allah be upon him] said, “Verily, there were three among the children of Israel whom Allah [The Almighty] intended to test: a leper, a bald man, and a blind man. He sent an angel to them and he came to the leper, saying, ‘What would you love most?’ The leper said, ‘I want a beautiful colour and beautiful skin because people have shunned me’. The angel wiped over him and it had gone away, then he was given a beautiful colour and beautiful skin. The angel said, ‘Which property would you love most?’ The man said, ‘Camels’. Thus, he was given a pregnant camel. The angel said, ‘May Allah bless you in it’.

The angel came to the bald man, saying, ‘What would you love most?’ The bald man said, ‘Beautiful hair and to be rid of this because people have shunned me’. The angel wiped over him and it had gone away, then he was given beautiful hair. The angel said, ‘Which property would you love most?’ The man said, ‘Cows’. Thus, he was given a pregnant cow. The angel said, ‘May Allah bless you in it’.

The angel came to the blind man, saying, ‘What would you love most?’ The blind man said, ‘That Allah to return my sight so I can see people’. The angel wiped over him, then Allah returned his sight. The angel said, ‘Which property would you love most?’ The man said, ‘Sheep’. Thus, he was given a pregnant sheep.

The animals had grown and given birth such that one man had a valley of camels, another had a valley of cows, and another had a valley of sheep. Then, the angel came to the former leper while disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper, saying, ‘I am a poor man, bereft of my livelihood while on a journey, none can take care of my needs today except Allah, and then you, so I ask by the One who gave you beautiful color and beautiful skin and a wealth of camels to help me reach my destination!’ The man said, ‘I have many obligations’. The angel said to him, ‘It is as if I recognize you, were you not a leper shunned by people, in poverty, but Allah gave this to you?’ The man said, ‘I have inherited it from my forefathers’. The angel said, ‘If you are lying, then may Allah return you to what you were before!’

The angel came to the former bald man in a similar appearance, saying the same as he had said to the leper and the man responded the same way. The angel said, ‘If you are lying, then may Allah return you to what you were before!’

The angel came to the blind man in a similar form, saying, ‘I am a poor man and wayfarer, bereft of my livelihood while on a journey, none can take care of my needs today except Allah and then you, so I ask by the One who returned your sight and gave you sheep to help me reach my destination!’ The man said, ‘I was once a blind man and Allah returned my sight, I was poor and He enriched me, so take whatever you wish because, by Allah, I will not dispute you today in whatever you take for Allah’s sake’. The angel said, ‘Keep your property because I was only sent to test you and Allah is pleased with you but angry with your two companions'”. (2)

Finally, we remind ourselves of another hadith as follows:

The worldly life is for four types of people. A slave to whom Allah has given wealth and knowledge, he fears his Lord by way of it. He preserves the ties of kinship and acknowledges Allaah’s Rights regarding it. This (type of person) is in the most virtuous position. A slave to whom Allaah has given knowledge but not wealth. He is truthful in his intention and says: `If I had wealth, I would have done the deed of such and such (person).’’ So because of this intention of his, his reward is the same (i.e. the righteous one who has been given wealth and knowledge). A slave to whom Allah has given wealth but not knowledge. He wastes his wealth out of ignorance. He neither fears Allah nor does he keep the ties of kinship, nor does he acknowledge Allah’s rights. This (type of person) is in the evilest position. A slave to whom Allah has neither given wealth nor knowledge and he says: `If I had wealth, I would have done the deed of such and such (person).’’ So by way of his intention, they are similar (i.e. similar to the evil person who wastes his wealth)”. (3)

Al-Allaamah Ubaid Bin Abdillah Al-Jaabiri [may Allah have mercy upon him] said, “The first is a wealthy person who is grateful; as a result of his deed, Allah will elevate him to the position of greatest virtue. The second is an impoverished patient person. He has sincere intentions when it comes to spending what Allah has given him. As a result of his sincere intentions, Allah causes him to attain the most virtuous position. The third is a boastful wealthy individual. He is covetous and stingy, so his deed places him in the most evil position. The fourth is a boastful poor person with evil intentions. As a result, his intention, along with his poverty, propels him to the most evil position. Based on this, we know that Allah raises individuals through their truthful intentions. And evil intent degrades until one is in the most evil position. (4)

May Allah bless beloved brother Abu Aa’isha Amjad Khan for sharing this hadith in one of the Telegram groups. When I asked him where he found this hadith, he told me that he found it in a book titled Kitaab Ar-Rizq, which was sent to him by beloved brother Dawud [may Allah bless him] from Slough.

We ask Allah: [اللهم كما حَسَّنْت خَلْقِي فَحَسِّنْ خُلُقِي – O Allah! Just as You made my external form beautiful, make my character beautiful as well].  https://salaficentre.com/2021/07/31/o-allah-just-as-you-made-my-external-form-beautiful-make-my-character-beautiful-as-well/

[Ref 1: Al-Hulalul Ibreeziyyah Min At-Ta’leeqaat Al-Baaziyyah Alaa Saheeh Al-Bukhaari. Vol 3. page 97]

[Ref 2: Sahih Al-Bukhari 3464 and Saheeh Muslim 2964]

[Ref 3: Tirmidhee 2325. Ahmad 18031. Al-Baghawiy 4097]

[Ref 4: An Excerpt from: البيان المرصع شرح القواعد الأربع- pages 8-9. Slightly paraphrased]