There is none amongst you whose deeds alone would attain salvation for him. They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, not even you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in Mercy and He grants me pardon. Ibn 'Aun pointed towards his head with his hand saying: Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in His Forgiveness and Mercy.
Hadith Text
There is none amongst you whose deeds alone would attain salvation for him. They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, not even you? He (the Holy Prophet) said: Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in Mercy and He grants me pardon. Ibn 'Aun pointed towards his head with his hand saying: Not even I, but that Allah wraps me in His Forgiveness and Mercy.
Source Reference
Book: Characteristics of the Day of Judgment, Paradise, and Hell
Author: Sahih Muslim
Hadith: Sahih Muslim 2816 d
Scholarly Commentary
This profound hadith establishes the fundamental Islamic principle that salvation is attained solely through Allah's mercy, not merely through human deeds. The Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) explicitly includes himself in this reality, demonstrating that even the most righteous among creation cannot claim salvation as an entitlement earned through works alone.
The Companions' question "not even you?" reveals their recognition of the Prophet's exalted status, yet his response humbly affirms complete dependence on divine grace. The term "wraps me in Mercy" (yataghammadanī bi-raḥmatihī) signifies complete envelopment in Allah's compassion, suggesting that salvation requires comprehensive divine protection beyond mere forgiveness.
Ibn 'Aun's subsequent gesture and repetition of this teaching emphasizes its crucial importance for every Muslim. This narration serves as a powerful antidote to spiritual arrogance and reinforces the proper relationship between human effort (which remains necessary) and divine grace (which remains essential). True faith requires both striving in righteous deeds and complete reliance upon Allah's boundless mercy.