Chapter

To make the Heart Tender (Ar-Riqaq)

كتاب الرقاق

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيِّ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ مَرَّ رَجُلٌ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ لِرَجُلٍ عِنْدَهُ جَالِسٍ ‏"‏ مَا رَأْيُكَ فِي هَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَشْرَافِ النَّاسِ، هَذَا وَاللَّهِ حَرِيٌّ إِنْ خَطَبَ أَنْ يُنْكَحَ، وَإِنْ شَفَعَ أَنْ يُشَفَّعَ‏.‏ قَالَ فَسَكَتَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ثُمَّ مَرَّ رَجُلٌ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ مَا رَأْيُكَ فِي هَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ هَذَا رَجُلٌ مِنْ فُقَرَاءِ الْمُسْلِمِينَ، هَذَا حَرِيٌّ إِنْ خَطَبَ أَنْ لاَ يُنْكَحَ، وَإِنْ شَفَعَ أَنْ لاَ يُشَفَّعَ، وَإِنْ قَالَ أَنْ لاَ يُسْمَعَ لِقَوْلِهِ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ هَذَا خَيْرٌ مِنْ مِلْءِ الأَرْضِ مِثْلَ هَذَا ‏"‏‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`id:

A man passed by Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and the Prophet (ﷺ) asked a man sitting beside him, "What is your opinion about this (passer-by)?" He replied, "This (passer-by) is from the noble class of people. By Allah, if he should ask for a lady's hand in marriage, he ought to be given her in marriage, and if he intercedes for somebody, his intercession will be accepted. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) kept quiet, and then another man passed by and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) asked the same man (his companion) again, "What is your opinion about this (second) one?" He said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! This person is one of the poor Muslims. If he should ask a lady's hand in marriage, no-one will accept him, and if he intercedes for somebody, no one will accept his intercession, and if he talks, no-one will listen to his talk." Then Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "This (poor man) is better than such a large number of the first type (i.e. rich men) as to fill the earth."