Mishkat al-Masabih

Mishkat al-Masabih 145

Arabic hadith text

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ يَقُولُ جَاءَ ثَلَاثَة رَهْط إِلَى بيُوت أَزْوَاجِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَسْأَلُونَ عَنْ عِبَادَةِ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَلَمَّا أخبروا كَأَنَّهُمْ تقالوها فَقَالُوا وَأَيْنَ نَحْنُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَدْ غُفِرَ لَهُ مَا تَقَدَّمَ مِنْ ذَنْبِهِ وَمَا تَأَخَّرَ قَالَ أحدهم أما أَنا فَإِنِّي أُصَلِّي اللَّيْل أبدا وَقَالَ آخر أَنا أَصوم الدَّهْر وَلَا أفطر وَقَالَ آخر أَنَا أَعْتَزِلُ النِّسَاءَ فَلَا أَتَزَوَّجُ أَبَدًا فَجَاءَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِلَيْهِمْ فَقَالَ: «أَنْتُمُ الَّذِينَ قُلْتُمْ كَذَا وَكَذَا أَمَا وَاللَّهِ إِنِّي لَأَخْشَاكُمْ لِلَّهِ وَأَتْقَاكُمْ لَهُ لَكِنِّي أَصُومُ وَأُفْطِرُ وَأُصَلِّي وَأَرْقُدُ وَأَتَزَوَّجُ النِّسَاءَ فَمَنْ رَغِبَ عَنْ سُنَّتِي فَلَيْسَ مني»

Translation

Anas ibn Mālik reported: Three men came to the homes of the Prophet’s wives, asking about the Prophet’s worship. When they were told about it, they considered it little and said, ‘How far we are from the Prophet! His past and future sins have been forgiven.’ One of them said, ‘As for me, I will pray throughout every night.’ Another said, ‘I will fast continually and never break my fast.’ The third said, ‘I will keep away from women and never marry.’ The Messenger of God came to them and said, ‘Are you the ones who said such-and-such? By God, I am the most God-fearing and devout among you; yet I fast and break my fast, I pray and sleep, and I marry women. Whoever turns away from my Sunnah is not of me.’