Sahih
Muslim
صحيح مسلم
The Book of Heart-Melting Traditions
كتاب الرقاق
Chapter 2: The Story Of Three Men In The Cave And Their Tawossul (Seeking To Draw Close To Allah) By Means Of Righteous Deeds
باب قِصَّةِ أَصْحَابِ الْغَارِ الثَّلاَثَةِ وَالتَّوَسُّلِ بِصَالِحِ الأَعْمَالِ
Sahih Muslim 2743 a
'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said
Three persons set out on a journey. They were overtaken by rain and they had to find protection in a mountain cave where at its mouth there fell a rock of that mountain and thus blocked them altogether. One of them said to the others: Look to your good deeds that you performed for the sake of Allah and then supplicate Allah, the Exalted, that He might rescue you (from this trouble). One of them said: 0 Allah, I had my parents who were old and my wife and my small children also. I tended the flock and when I came back to them in the evening, I milked them (the sheep, goats, cows, etc.) and first served that milk to my parents. One day I was obliged to go out to a distant place in search of fodder and I could not come back before evening and found them (the parents) asleep. I milked the animals as I used to milk and brought milk to them and stood by their heads avoiding to disturb them from sleep and I did not deem it advisable to serve milk to my children before serving them. My children wept near my feet. I remained there in that very state and my parents too until it was morning. And (0 Allah) if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, grant us riddance from this trouble. (The rock slipped a bit) that they could see the sky. The second one said: 0 Allah, I had a female cousin whom I loved more than the men love the women. I wanted to have sexual intercourse with her; she refused but on the condition of getting one hundred dinirs. It was with very great difficulty that I could collect one hundred dinirs and then paid them to her and when I was going to have a sexual intercourse with her, that she said: Servant of Allah, fear Allah and do not break the seal (of chastity) but by lawful means. I got up. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did this in order to seek Thine pleasure, rid us from this trouble. The situation was somewhat eased for them. The third one said: Allah, I employed a workman for a measure of rice. After he had finished his work I gave him his dues (in the form of) a measure of rice, but he did not accept them. I used these rice as seeds, and that gave a bumper crop and I became rich enough to have cows and flocks (in my possession). He came to me and said: Fear Allah, and commit no crueltv upon me in regard to my dues. I said to him: Takeaway this flock of cows and sheep. He said: Fear Allah and do not make a fun of me. I said: I am not making a fun of you. You take the cows and the flocks. So he took them. 0 Allah, if Thou art aware that I did it for Thine pleasure, case the situation for us. And Allah relieved them from the rest of the trouble.حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ الْمُسَيَّبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَنَسٌ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عِيَاضٍ أَبَا ضَمْرَةَ - عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ نَافِعٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ، عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَّهُ قَالَ " بَيْنَمَا ثَلاَثَةُ نَفَرٍ يَتَمَشَّوْنَ أَخَذَهُمُ الْمَطَرُ فَأَوَوْا إِلَى غَارٍ فِي جَبَلٍ فَانْحَطَّتْ عَلَى فَمِ غَارِهِمْ صَخْرَةٌ مِنَ الْجَبَلِ فَانْطَبَقَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ بَعْضُهُمْ لِبَعْضٍ انْظُرُوا أَعْمَالاً عَمِلْتُمُوهَا صَالِحَةً لِلَّهِ فَادْعُوا اللَّهَ تَعَالَى بِهَا لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ يَفْرُجُهَا عَنْكُمْ . فَقَالَ أَحَدُهُمُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ كَانَ لِي وَالِدَانِ شَيْخَانِ كَبِيرَانِ وَامْرَأَتِي وَلِيَ صِبْيَةٌ صِغَارٌ أَرْعَى عَلَيْهِمْ فَإِذَا أَرَحْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ حَلَبْتُ فَبَدَأْتُ بِوَالِدَىَّ فَسَقَيْتُهُمَا قَبْلَ بَنِيَّ وَأَنَّهُ نَأَى بِي ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ الشَّجَرُ فَلَمْ آتِ حَتَّى أَمْسَيْتُ فَوَجَدْتُهُمَا قَدْ نَامَا فَحَلَبْتُ كَمَا كُنْتُ أَحْلُبُ فَجِئْتُ بِالْحِلاَبِ فَقُمْتُ عِنْدَ رُءُوسِهِمَا أَكْرَهُ أَنْ أُوقِظَهُمَا مِنْ نَوْمِهِمَا وَأَكْرَهُ أَنْ أَسْقِيَ الصِّبْيَةَ قَبْلَهُمَا وَالصِّبْيَةُ يَتَضَاغَوْنَ عِنْدَ قَدَمَىَّ فَلَمْ يَزَلْ ذَلِكَ دَأْبِي وَدَأْبَهُمْ حَتَّى طَلَعَ الْفَجْرُ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ لَنَا مِنْهَا فُرْجَةً نَرَى مِنْهَا السَّمَاءَ . فَفَرَجَ اللَّهُ مِنْهَا فُرْجَةً فَرَأَوْا مِنْهَا السَّمَاءَ . وَقَالَ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنَّهُ كَانَتْ لِيَ ابْنَةُ عَمٍّ أَحْبَبْتُهَا كَأَشَدِّ مَا يُحِبُّ الرِّجَالُ النِّسَاءَ وَطَلَبْتُ إِلَيْهَا نَفْسَهَا فَأَبَتْ حَتَّى آتِيَهَا بِمِائَةِ دِينَارٍ فَتَعِبْتُ حَتَّى جَمَعْتُ مِائَةَ دِينَارٍ فَجِئْتُهَا بِهَا فَلَمَّا وَقَعْتُ بَيْنَ رِجْلَيْهَا قَالَتْ يَا عَبْدَ اللَّهِ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تَفْتَحِ الْخَاتَمَ إِلاَّ بِحَقِّهِ . فَقُمْتُ عَنْهَا فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ لَنَا مِنْهَا فُرْجَةً . فَفَرَجَ لَهُمْ . وَقَالَ الآخَرُ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي كُنْتُ اسْتَأْجَرْتُ أَجِيرًا بِفَرَقِ أَرُزٍّ فَلَمَّا قَضَى عَمَلَهُ قَالَ أَعْطِنِي حَقِّي . فَعَرَضْتُ عَلَيْهِ فَرَقَهُ فَرَغِبَ عَنْهُ فَلَمْ أَزَلْ أَزْرَعُهُ حَتَّى جَمَعْتُ مِنْهُ بَقَرًا وَرِعَاءَهَا فَجَاءَنِي فَقَالَ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تَظْلِمْنِي حَقِّي . قُلْتُ اذْهَبْ إِلَى تِلْكَ الْبَقَرِ وَرِعَائِهَا فَخُذْهَا . فَقَالَ اتَّقِ اللَّهَ وَلاَ تَسْتَهْزِئْ بِي . فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي لاَ أَسْتَهْزِئُ بِكَ خُذْ ذَلِكَ الْبَقَرَ وَرِعَاءَهَا . فَأَخَذَهُ فَذَهَبَ بِهِ فَإِنْ كُنْتَ تَعْلَمُ أَنِّي فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ ابْتِغَاءَ وَجْهِكَ فَافْرُجْ لَنَا مَا بَقِيَ . فَفَرَجَ اللَّهُ مَا بَقِيَ .