Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 181
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَنْبَأَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ يَعْلَى بْنِ عَطَاءٍ، عَنْ وَكِيعِ بْنِ حُدُسٍ، عَنْ عَمِّهِ أَبِي رَزِينٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " ضَحِكَ رَبُّنَا مِنْ قُنُوطِ عِبَادِهِ وَقُرْبِ غِيَرِهِ " . قَالَ قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَوَ يَضْحَكُ الرَّبُّ قَالَ " نَعَمْ " . قُلْتُ لَنْ نَعْدِمَ مِنْ رَبٍّ يَضْحَكُ خَيْرًا .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah reported to us: Yazid ibn Harun reported to us: Hammad ibn Salamah informed us, from Ya‘la ibn Ata, from Waki ibn Hudus, from his paternal uncle Abu Razin, who said: The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘Our Lord laughed at His servants’ despair, though His relief was near.’ I asked, ‘Messenger of Allah, does the Lord laugh?’ He said, ‘Yes.’ I said, ‘We will never lack good from a Lord who laughs.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic phrase indicates the nearness of Allah’s change of circumstances (ghiyar), rendered here as relief; the comparison is between despair and imminent change.
وَقُرْبِ غِيَرِهِ
Ghiyar can refer to a change of circumstances or relief, and the concise Arabic phrase does not specify the exact event.
Should this be rendered more literally as ‘the nearness of His change’ in the project’s preferred theological style?