Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2151
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، قال: حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَامِرٍ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سَعْدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مِنْ سَعَادَةِ ابْنِ آدَمَ رِضَاهُ بِمَا قَضَى اللَّهُ لَهُ وَمِنْ شَقَاوَةِ ابْنِ آدَمَ تَرْكُهُ اسْتِخَارَةَ اللَّهِ وَمِنْ شَقَاوَةِ ابْنِ آدَمَ سَخَطُهُ بِمَا قَضَى اللَّهُ لَهُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ . وَيُقَالُ لَهُ أَيْضًا حَمَّادُ بْنُ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ وَهُوَ أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمَدَنِيُّ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ بِالْقَوِيِّ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Bashshar narrated to us: Abu ‘Amir narrated to us, from Muhammad ibn Abi Humayd, from Isma‘il ibn Muhammad ibn Sa‘d ibn Abi Waqqas, from his father, from Sa‘d, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, ‘Part of the felicity of the son of Adam is his contentment with what Allah has decreed for him; and part of his wretchedness is his abandoning the seeking of Allah’s guidance (istikhara); and part of his wretchedness is his resentment toward what Allah has decreed for him.’ Abu ‘Isa said: This hadith is gharīb; we know it only through the narration of Muhammad ibn Abi Humayd. He is also called Hammad ibn Abi Humayd, and he is Abu Ibrahim al-Madani. Hadith scholars do not consider him strong.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Istikhara literally means seeking that God choose what is best; the text here names seeking Allah’s guidance and does not specify a particular ritual form.
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مِنْ سَعَادَةِ ابْنِ آدَمَ رِضَاهُ بِمَا قَضَى اللَّهُ لَهُ وَمِنْ شَقَاوَةِ ابْنِ آدَمَ تَرْكُهُ اسْتِخَارَةَ اللَّهِ وَمِنْ شَقَاوَةِ ابْنِ آدَمَ سَخَطُهُ بِمَا قَضَى اللَّهُ لَهُ " .
The English witness glosses the middle phrase as leaving ‘istikhara’; the Arabic says leaving the seeking of Allah’s choice, and the ritual scope is not specified.
Render the phrase as abandoning the seeking of Allah’s guidance without narrowing it to a particular ritual.
وَيُقَالُ لَهُ أَيْضًا حَمَّادُ بْنُ أَبِي حُمَيْدٍ وَهُوَ أَبُو إِبْرَاهِيمَ الْمَدَنِيُّ وَلَيْسَ هُوَ بِالْقَوِيِّ عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْحَدِيثِ .
The source appends the transmitter’s alternate name and Abu ‘Isa’s evaluation of his strength, beyond the saying itself.
Retain the complete narrator note in the translation.