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The woman weeping at a grave

Date
Madinan period · date unknown
Location
Madinah
People
Anas (RA)

Anas (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari that the Prophet ﷺ gently told a grieving woman to be patient; she, not recognising him, pushed him away, and later he told her that real patience is at the first shock.

As it was narrated

The story, in the words of those who were there

Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.

Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا ثَابِتٌ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ مَرَّ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِامْرَأَةٍ تَبْكِي عِنْدَ قَبْرٍ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ اتَّقِي اللَّهَ وَاصْبِرِي ‏"‏‏.‏ قَالَتْ إِلَيْكَ عَنِّي، فَإِنَّكَ لَمْ تُصَبْ بِمُصِيبَتِي، وَلَمْ تَعْرِفْهُ‏.‏ فَقِيلَ لَهَا إِنَّهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏ فَأَتَتْ باب النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمْ تَجِدْ عِن…

Narrated Anas bin Malik:The Prophet (ﷺ) passed by a woman who was weeping beside a grave. He told her to fear Allah and be patient. She said to him, "Go away, for you have not been afflicted with a calamity like mine." And she did not recognize him. Then she was informed that he was the Prophet (ﷺ) . so she went to the house of the Prophet (ﷺ) and there she did not find any guard. Then she said to him, "I did not recognize you." He said, "Verily, the patience is at the first stroke of a calamity

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 1283 · Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz)
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source
Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَسًا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏ "‏ الصَّبْرُ عِنْدَ الصَّدْمَةِ الأُولَى ‏"‏‏.‏

Narrated Anas:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The real patience is at the first stroke of a calamity

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 1302 · Funerals (Al-Janaa'iz)
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source

Lessons

  • He did not take offence at a grieving person's harsh words.
  • Patience is measured at the first moment of pain.

Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.

Pause for a moment

Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.

Send salawat ﷺ

Bibliography

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 1283, 1302 (Anas) · primary source
  • Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)

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