What is Sahih Muslim 6789 about?

This hadith from Sahih Muslim (Book of The Book of Repentance), narrated by Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:, states: "What is your opinion about the delight of a person whose camel loaded with the provisions of food and drink is lost and that moves about with its nosestring trailing upon the waterless desert in which…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih Muslim, which contains 7,459 hadiths across 57 books. It is hadith number 6789 in the Book of The Book of Repentance.

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#6788

#6789

Sahih Muslim

#6790

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Sahih Muslim #6789

The Book of Repentance

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، وَجَعْفَرُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ جَعْفَرٌ حَدَّثَنَا وَقَالَ، يَحْيَى أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِيَادِ بْنِ لَقِيطٍ، عَنْ إِيَادٍ، عَنِ الْبَرَاءِ بْنِ عَازِبٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ كَيْفَ تَقُولُونَ بِفَرَحِ رَجُلٍ انْفَلَتَتْ مِنْهُ رَاحِلَتُهُ تَجُرُّ زِمَامَهَا بِأَرْضٍ قَفْرٍ لَيْسَ بِهَا طَعَامٌ وَلاَ شَرَابٌ وَعَلَيْهَا لَهُ طَعَامٌ وَشَرَابٌ فَطَلَبَهَا حَتَّى شَقَّ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ مَرَّتْ بِجِذْلِ شَجَرَةٍ فَتَعَلَّقَ زِمَامُهَا فَوَجَدَهَا مُتَعَلِّقَةً بِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قُلْنَا شَدِيدًا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَلَّهُ أَشَدُّ فَرَحًا بِتَوْبَةِ عَبْدِهِ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ بِرَاحِلَتِهِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ جَعْفَرٌ حَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِيَادٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ ‏.‏

What is your opinion about the delight of a person whose camel loaded with the provisions of food and drink is lost and that moves about with its nosestring trailing upon the waterless desert in which there is neither food nor drink, and lie wanders about in search of that until he is completely exhausted and then accidentally it happens to pass by the trunk of a tree and its nosestring gets entangled in that and he finds it entangled therein? He (in response to the question of the Holy Prophet) said: Allah's Messenger, he would feel highly delighted. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said. By Allah, Allah is more delighted at the repentance of His servant than that person (as he finds his lost) camel.

Narrated by Al-Bara' b. 'Azib reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:

Context

In this hadith narrated by Al-Bara' b. 'Azib, the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ compares the joy of a man who finds his lost camel in a desert to Allah's joy when a servant repents. The imagery of a desperate search for sustenance in a barren land illustrates the depth of despair and the overwhelming relief and happiness upon finding what was lost. This highlights the importance of repentance in Islam.

Modern Application

This principle of repentance is relevant today as it encourages individuals to seek forgiveness and turn back to Allah after making mistakes. It reminds us that no matter how far we stray, the path to redemption is always open, and Allah's mercy is vast.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Repentance because it emphasizes the joy of Allah in response to a servant's sincere repentance, illustrating the importance of seeking forgiveness.

Repentance