Narrations from the Prophet Regarding Contentment
The noble sayings (Hadith) of the Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – encompass all that has been transmitted about him in terms of speech, actions, approvals, or attributes. These narrations serve as the second primary source of Islamic legislation following the Holy Quran. Below are several hadiths that illustrate the concept of contentment in Islamic teachings.
Hadiths on the Servant’s Contentment and God’s Contentment
Contentment signifies the acceptance of God’s commands and destiny with an open heart and sincere intention. The following hadiths reflect the meaning of the servant’s contentment with God:
- The Prophet Muhammad – peace be upon him – stated: “The taste of faith is experienced by those who are pleased with Allah as their Lord, Islam as their religion, and Muhammad as their Prophet.”
- He – peace be upon him – also said: “O Abu Said, whoever is pleased with Allah as their Lord, Islam as their religion, and Muhammad as their Prophet will be granted Paradise.” Abu Said was amazed and requested the Prophet to repeat this statement. The Prophet complied and added, “Moreover, there is another way in which a servant can be elevated a hundred degrees in Paradise, with the distance between each degree being like that between the heavens and the earth.” Abu Said inquired about this, and the Prophet replied: “It is striving in the path of Allah.”
- In another narration, the Prophet – peace be upon him – said: “Indeed, Allah is pleased with three things for you and dislikes three things: He is pleased that you worship Him alone without associating anything with Him, that you hold fast to the rope of Allah collectively and do not divide, and He dislikes gossiping and excessive questioning as well as wasting wealth.” In another narration, it is mentioned similarly, but it specifies that Allah is displeased with three things, excluding the part about not dividing.
- Anas bin Malik – may Allah be pleased with him – narrated: “We entered upon the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – at Abu Sayf the blacksmith’s house, who was a wet nurse for Ibrahim, peace be upon him. The Messenger took Ibrahim, kissed him, and smelled him. Later, we visited him again while Ibrahim was taking his last breaths.”
- Consequently, tears filled the eyes of the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him. Abdullah bin Rawahah asked him: “And you, O Messenger of Allah?” He replied: “O son of Rawahah, this is a mercy.” Then he followed it with another: “Indeed, the eye sheds tears, the heart grieves, and we do not say except what pleases our Lord. Indeed, we are saddened by your departure, O Ibrahim.”
- Ali ibn Abi Talib – may Allah be pleased with him – said: “The magnitude of the reward is directly proportional to the magnitude of the trial. When Allah loves a people, He tests them. Whoever is pleased will receive His pleasure, and whoever is discontented will receive His displeasure.”
Various Hadiths on Contentment
Several prophetic narrations exist about the contentment of individuals toward one another and what pleases Allah for His servants. Some of these are as follows:
- The Prophet – peace be upon him – said: “Wretched is the servant of gold and silver and the fine garments; if he is given, he is pleased, and if he is not given, he is displeased.”
- Allah, the Exalted, says: “O son of Adam, if you are patient and seek reward during the first strike of calamity, I will not reward you with anything less than Paradise.”
- Some Bedouins approached the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – and complained: “There are individuals among the tax collectors who wrong us.” The Prophet responded: “Be content with your collectors.” Jareer remarked: “Since I heard this from the Messenger of Allah – peace be upon him – there has not been a single collector that I have dealt with who was not pleased with me.”
- The Prophet – peace be upon him – told Aisha, the Mother of the Believers – may Allah be pleased with her: “I know when you are pleased with me and when you are displeased. She asked: ‘How do you know that?’ He said: ‘When you are pleased with me, you say: ‘No, by the Lord of Muhammad.’ And when you are displeased, you say: ‘No, by the Lord of Ibrahim.’ She replied: ‘Yes, by Allah – O Messenger of Allah – I only avoid your name.’”