“Umar bin
‘Abdul-‘Aziz
sent for me and I came to him upon the riding animal
prepared for
swift mail delivery. When I came to him, he said: ‘We
have caused
you some trouble O Abu Sallam.’ He said: ‘Yes, by Allah, O
Commander of the Believers!’ He said: ‘By Allah, we did not want
to
cause you any hardship, but there is a Hadith which I have heard
that
you narrate from Thawban, the freed slave of the Messenger of
Allah
(ﷺ), concerning the Cistern, and I wanted to hear it directly
from
you.’ He said: “I said: ‘Thawban, the freed slave of the
Messenger of
Allah (ﷺ), told me that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ)
said: “My
Cistern is (wider than) the distance between Ailah and
‘Aden. It is
whiter than milk and sweeter than honey, and its cups
are as many as
the stars in the sky. Whoever drinks from it will
never feel thirst
again. The first ones who come to drink from it
will be the poor
Muhajirin, with dirty clothes and disheveled hair,
who do not marry
refined women and for whom no doors are opened.”
‘Umar wept until his
beard became wet, then he said: ‘But I have
married refined women and
doors have been opened for me. Certainly I
will not wash the clothes
that are on my body until they become dirt,
and I will not comb my
hair until it becomes disheveled.’”
Narrated by It was
narrated that Abu Sallam Al-Habashi said:
Context
In this narration, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) describes his Cistern, a metaphor for the rewards awaiting believers in Paradise. He emphasizes its beauty and sweetness, and mentions that the first to drink from it will be the poor and humble among the believers. This highlights the value of humility and the divine mercy extended to those who may be overlooked in society.
Modern Application
This hadith inspires us to reflect on our own humility and the importance of serving those in need. It encourages us to appreciate the blessings we have and to remember that true worth is not measured by material possessions but by our character and actions.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Paradise and Divine Mercy because it illustrates the rewards of humility and the mercy of Allah towards the less fortunate.
Then one of the two women came to him walking with shyness. She said, "Indeed, my father invites you that he may reward you for having watered for us." So when he came to him and related to him the story, he said, "Fear not. You have escaped from the wrongdoing people."
So he watered [their flocks] for them; then he went back to the shade and said, "My Lord, indeed I am, for whatever good You would send down to me, in need."
O you who have believed, do not enter the houses of the Prophet except when you are permitted for a meal, without awaiting its readiness. But when you are invited, then enter; and when you have eaten, disperse without seeking to remain for conversation. Indeed, that [behavior] was troubling the Prophet, and he is shy of [dismissing] you. But Allah is not shy of the truth. And when you ask [his wives] for something, ask them from behind a partition. That is purer for your hearts and their hearts. And it is not [conceivable or lawful] for you to harm the Messenger of Allah or to marry his wives after him, ever. Indeed, that would be in the sight of Allah an enormity.
O you who have believed, when you rise to [perform] prayer, wash your faces and your forearms to the elbows and wipe over your heads and wash your feet to the ankles. And if you are in a state of janabah, then purify yourselves. But if you are ill or on a journey or one of you comes from the place of relieving himself or you have contacted women and do not find water, then seek clean earth and wipe over your faces and hands with it. Allah does not intend to make difficulty for you, but He intends to purify you and complete His favor upon you that you may be grateful.