عَنْ أبي هُريْرَةَ رضي اللّهُ عنه أَنَّهُ سمِع النَّبِيَّ صَلّى اللّهُ عَلَيْهِ وسَلَّم يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ ثَلاَثَةً مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرائيلَ: أَبْرَصَ، وأَقْرَعَ، وأَعْمَى، أَرَادَ اللّهُ أَنْ يَبْتَليَهُمْ فَبَعثَ إِلَيْهِمْ مَلَكًا، فأَتَى الأَبْرَصَ فَقَالَ: أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَحبُّ إِلَيْكَ ؟ قَالَ: لَوْنٌ حسنٌ، وَجِلْدٌ حَسَنٌ، ويَذْهَبُ عنِّي الَّذي قَدْ قَذِرَنِي النَّاسُ، فَمَسَحَهُ فذَهَبَ عنهُ قذَرُهُ وَأُعْطِيَ لَوْنًا حَسنًا، قَالَ: فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قال: الإِبلُ -أَوْ قَالَ الْبَقَرُ- شَكَّ الرَّاوِي، فأُعْطِيَ نَاقَةً عُشَرَاءَ، فَقَالَ: بارَك اللّهُ لَكَ فِيها. فأَتَى الأَقْرعَ فَقَالَ: أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَحبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قال: شَعْرٌ حسنٌ، ويذْهبُ عنِّي هَذَا الَّذي قَذِرَني النَّاسُ، فَمسحَهُ فذَهبَ عنْهُ، وأُعْطِيَ شَعرًا حسنًا، قال: فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قال: الْبَقرُ، فأُعِطيَ بقرةً حامِلًا، وقَالَ: بَارَكَ اللّهُ لَكَ فِيهَا. فَأَتَى الأَعْمَى فَقَالَ: أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ؟ قال: أَنْ يرُدَّ اللّهُ إِلَيَّ بَصَري فَأُبْصِرَ النَّاسَ، فَمَسَحَهُ فَرَدَّ اللّهُ إِلَيْهِ بصَرَهُ، قال: فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِليْكَ؟ قال: الْغنمُ، فَأُعْطِيَ شَاةً والِدًا. فَأَنْتجَ هذَانِ وَولَّدَ هذا، فكَانَ لِهذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الإِبِلِ، ولِهذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ، وَلِهذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الْغَنَم. ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أتَى الأبرصَ في صورَتِهِ وَهَيْئتِهِ، فَقَالَ: رَجُلٌ مِسْكينٌ قدِ انقَطعتْ بِيَ الْحِبَالُ في سَفَرِي، فَلا بَلاغَ لِيَ الْيَوْمَ إِلَّا باللّهِ ثُمَّ بِكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ -بِالَّذي أَعْطَاكَ اللَّوْنَ الْحَسَنَ، والْجِلْدَ الْحَسَنَ، والْمَالَ- بَعيِرًا أَتبلَّغُ بِهِ في سفَرِي، فقالَ: الحقُوقُ كَثِيرةٌ، فقال: كَأَنِّي أَعْرفُكُ، أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَبْرصَ يَقْذُرُكَ النَّاسُ، فَقيرًا فَأَعْطَاكَ اللّهُ؟ فقالَ: إِنَّما وَرثْتُ هَذا المالَ كَابرًا عَنْ كابِرٍ، فقالَ: إِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِبًا فَصَيَّركَ اللّهُ إِلى مَا كُنْتَ. وأَتَى الأَقْرَع في صورتِهِ وهيئَتِهِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ مِـثْلَ ما قَالَ لهذَا، وَرَدَّ عَلَيْه مِثْلَ مَا ردَّ هَذا، فَقَالَ: إِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِبًا فَصَيّرَكَ اللهُ إِلى مَا كُنْتَ. وأَتَى الأَعْمَى في صُورتِهِ وهَيْئَتِهِ، فقالَ: رَجُلٌ مِسْكينٌ وابْنُ سَبِيلٍ انْقَطَعَتْ بِيَ الْحِبَالُ في سَفَرِي، فَلا بَلاغَ لِيَ اليَوْمَ إِلَّا بِاللّهِ ثُمَّ بِكَ، أَسْأَلُكَ بالَّذي رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بصرَكَ شَاةً أَتَبَلَّغُ بِهَا في سَفَرِي؟ فقالَ: قَدْ كُنْتُ أَعْمَى فَرَدَّ اللّهُ إِلَيَّ بَصري، فَخُذْ مَا شِئْتَ وَدعْ مَا شِئْتَ، فَوَاللّهِ ما أَجْهَدُكَ الْيَوْمَ بِشْيءٍ أَخَذْتَهُ للّهِ عزَّ وجلَّ، فقالَ: أَمْسِكْ مالَكَ فَإِنَّمَا ابْتُلِيتُمْ، فَقَدْ رضيَ اللّهُ عنك، وَسَخَطَ عَلَى صَاحِبَيْكَ» متفقٌ عليه.
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say: "There were three men among the Children of Israel: a leper, a bald man, and a blind man. Allah wished to test them, so He sent to them an angel. The angel came to the leper and asked: 'What thing do you desire most?' He said: 'A good complexion, good skin, and to be rid of that which makes people find me repulsive.' The angel touched him and his affliction was removed, and he was given a good complexion. The angel then asked: 'What type of wealth do you desire most?' He said: 'Camels' -- or he said: 'Cattle' -- the narrator was uncertain. So he was given a pregnant she-camel, and the angel said: 'May Allah bless you in it.' Then the angel went to the bald man and asked: 'What thing do you desire most?' He said: 'Good hair, and to be rid of this condition which makes people find me repulsive.' The angel touched him and his condition was removed, and he was given good hair. The angel asked: 'What type of wealth do you desire most?' He said: 'Cattle.' So he was given a pregnant cow, and the angel said: 'May Allah bless you in it.' Then the angel went to the blind man and asked: 'What thing do you desire most?' He said: 'That Allah restore my eyesight so I can see people.' The angel touched him and Allah restored his sight. The angel asked: 'What type of wealth do you desire most?' He said: 'Sheep.' So he was given a pregnant ewe. The camels, cattle, and sheep all produced offspring, until the first man had a valley full of camels, the second had a valley full of cattle, and the third had a valley full of sheep. Then the angel came to the leper in his former appearance and said: 'I am a poor man whose means of travel have been exhausted. Today I have no way to reach my destination except through Allah and then through you. I ask you, by the One who gave you the good complexion, good skin, and wealth, for a camel to carry me on my journey.' The man replied: 'There are many demands upon me.' The angel said: 'I seem to recognize you. Were you not a leper whom people found repulsive, and were you not poor, and then Allah gave you all this?' He said: 'I merely inherited this wealth from generation to generation.' The angel said: 'If you are lying, may Allah return you to your former condition.' Then the angel went to the bald man in his former appearance and said to him the same as he had said to the leper, and the bald man gave the same reply. So the angel said: 'If you are lying, may Allah return you to your former condition.' Then the angel went to the blind man in his former appearance and said: 'I am a poor man, a wayfarer, whose means of travel have been exhausted. Today I have no way to reach my destination except through Allah and then through you. I ask you, by the One who restored your sight, for a sheep to sustain me on my journey.' The man said: 'I was indeed blind and Allah restored my sight to me. Take whatever you wish and leave whatever you wish. By Allah, I will not make it difficult for you today by refusing anything you take for the sake of Allah, the Mighty and Majestic.' The angel said: 'Keep your wealth, for you were only being tested. Allah is pleased with you and is displeased with your two companions.'" Agreed upon (narrated by al-Bukhari and Muslim).
الشرح · explanation
أبرص: البَرَص مرض، وهو بياض يظهر في ظاهر البدن بصورة مشوِّهة لصاحبه. يبتليهم: يختبرهم، أي يعاملهم معاملة المختبِر ليُظهر حالهم للناس. قذرني: كرهني الناس وتباعدوا عني. النَّاقةُ الْعُشَرَاءُ: هِيَ الحامِلُ. أَنْتجَ: تَوَلَّى نِتَاجَهَا، والنَّاتِجُ للنَّاقةِ كالْقَابِلَةِ لَلْمَرْأَةِ. ولَّدَ هَذا: أَيْ تَولَّى وِلادَتهَا، وهُوَ بمَعْنىَ القَابِلَةُ. انْقَطَعَتْ بِيَ الحِبالُ: أَي الأَسْبَاب. فلا بلاغ: البلاغ ما يُتوصل به إلى الشيء المطلوب. كابرًا عن كابر: أي أبًا عن جدّ. لا أَجهَدُكَ: لا أَشَقُّ عليْك في رَدِّ شَيْءٍ تَأْخُذُهُ أَوْ تَطْلُبُهُ مِنْ مَالِي.
Abras: leprosy (baras) is a disease; it is white patches that appear on the outer skin in a disfiguring manner. Yabtalihim: to test them, meaning He deals with them as one who tests in order to reveal their true condition to people. Qadhirani: people found me repulsive and shunned me. Al-Naqah al-'Ushara': a pregnant she-camel. Antaj: supervised the birthing of the camels; the one who does this for a camel is like the midwife for a woman. Wallad: supervised the birth of the cattle, acting as a midwife. Inqata'at bi al-hibal: meaning my means (resources) have been cut off. Fa la balagh: 'balagh' is that which enables one to reach the desired goal. Kabiran 'an kabir: meaning from father to grandfather, generation after generation. La ajhaduka: I will not make it difficult for you by refusing anything you take or request from my wealth.
الدروس · lessons
قصّ الرسول صلّى اللّه عليه وسلّم قصتهم علينا لنعتبر ونأخذ العظة ولا نتشبه بالمخالفين. هذه القصة تبين بجلاء أنّ الابتلاء سنّة جارية وقدر نافذ، يبتلي اللّه عباده بالسراء والضراء والخير والشر فتنة. أنّ البخل من أقبح الصفات، فإنه حمل الأبرص والأقرع على نسيان نعمة اللّه تعالى عليهما وجحدِها. البخل والكذب موجبان لغضب اللّه تعالى وسخطه، كما حصل للأبرص والأقرع، أمّا الصدق والكرم من الصفات الحميدة، فقد اتصف بهما ذلك الأعمى، فحملاه على الشكر والجود، فنال بذلك مرضاة اللّه تعالى. الجزاء عند اللّه تعالى على ما يظهر من عمل الإنسان وبحسب نيته. جواز الإخبار عن بني إسرائيل وفي ذلك عبرة وعظة لغيرهم. التوجيه والإرشاد بالقصة أمر مهم، لأنّ تأثيرها أبلغ في النفوس من مجرد الوعظ. على المؤمن أن يتصف بالصدق والكرم ، ويبادر إلى شكر نعم اللّه تعالى بالقول والعمل. الشكر الخالص للّه تعالى يتجلى في اعتراف العبد بفضل اللّه تعالى عليه بقلبه ولسانه والمبادرة إلى الإنفاق في سبيله.
The Messenger (peace be upon him) narrated their story to us so that we may reflect, take heed, and not imitate those who acted wrongly. This story clearly demonstrates that trial is an ongoing divine practice and an operative decree. Allah tests His servants with prosperity and adversity, good and evil, as a trial. Stinginess is among the most reprehensible of traits, as it led the leper and the bald man to forget and deny the blessings of Allah the Exalted upon them. Stinginess and lying earn the wrath and displeasure of Allah the Exalted, as happened to the leper and the bald man. As for truthfulness and generosity, they are praiseworthy traits. The blind man exemplified both, which led him to gratitude and generosity, thereby earning the pleasure of Allah the Exalted. Recompense with Allah the Exalted is based upon what appears from a person's deeds and according to his intention. The permissibility of narrating accounts about the Children of Israel, in which there are lessons and admonitions for others. Guidance and instruction through storytelling is important, because its impact on the soul is more profound than mere preaching. The believer should be characterized by truthfulness and generosity, and should hasten to give thanks for the blessings of Allah the Exalted through both word and deed. Sincere gratitude to Allah the Exalted is manifested in the servant's acknowledgment of Allah's favor upon him with his heart and tongue, and his readiness to spend in His cause.