ONE HADITH A DAY
Narrated by Bukhari - Narrated by Bukhari & Muslim · Authentic hadith
عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم يقول: «اللهم إني أعوذ بك من العَجْزِ، والكَسَلِ، وَالجُبْنِ، والهَرَمِ، والبخل، وأعوذ بك من عذاب القبر، وأعوذ بك من فتنة المحيا والممات». وفي رواية: «وَضَلَعِ الدَّيْنِ، وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ».
“Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) used to say: "O Allah, I seek refuge with You from incapacity, laziness, cowardice, senility, and miserliness. And I seek refuge with You from the torment of the grave. And I seek refuge with You from the trials of life and death." Another narration adds: "... and from the burden of heavy debt and the tyranny of men."”
This Hadīth is one of the comprehensively precise statements of the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) as he sought refuge with Allah from a number of evils and obstacles that interrupt the servant's advance along the path to Allah. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) sought refuge from "incapacity and laziness" which are both hindrances to movement. Failing to perform an act may be caused by the person's lack of resolve or willingness to do the act; in other words, laziness. A lazy person is someone with the least resolve and desire to do something. However, in some cases the reason for not doing an act is that the person lacks the ability to do it, and this is what is meant by incapacity. "Cowardice and miserliness": these two characteristics prevent a person from performing his duties as well as doing righteous deeds. Cowardice weakens the heart, thus, the person does not enjoin what is good nor forbid what is evil because of the weakness of his heart and his attachment to people, apart from the Lord of the people. A coward person acts only according to people's desires and orders. He devotes his servitude to people rather than to Allah, the Almighty. Miserliness encourages people to withhold their wealth and refrain from spending it. So, a miserly person does not fulfill the right of Allah by paying the obligatory Zakah, nor does he give the people their rights that they have over him regarding his wealth. A miserly person is disliked by the people and by Allah. "Senility" means that a person reaches the most decrepit age, at wh…