Jami' at-Tirmidhi
Jami` at-Tirmidhi 2991
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى، وَرَوْحُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ، عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ أُمَيَّةَ، أَنَّهَا سَأَلَتْ عَائِشَةَ عَنْ قَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى : (إِنْ تُبْدُوا مَا فِي أَنْفُسِكُمْ أَوْ تُخْفُوهُ يُحَاسِبْكُمْ بِهِ اللَّهُ) وَعَنْ قَوْلِهِ : (مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ ) فَقَالَتْ مَا سَأَلَنِي عَنْهَا أَحَدٌ مُنْذُ سَأَلْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ " هَذِهِ مُعَاتَبَةُ اللَّهِ الْعَبْدَ فِيمَا يُصِيبُهُ مِنَ الْحُمَّى وَالنَّكْبَةِ حَتَّى الْبِضَاعَةُ يَضَعُهَا فِي كُمِّ قَمِيصِهِ فَيَفْقِدُهَا فَيَفْزَعُ لَهَا حَتَّى إِنَّ الْعَبْدَ لَيَخْرُجُ مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ كَمَا يَخْرُجُ التِّبْرُ الأَحْمَرُ مِنَ الْكِيرِ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَائِشَةَ لاَ نَعْرِفُهُ إِلاَّ مِنْ حَدِيثِ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Umayyah reported that she asked ‘A’ishah about Allah’s words, “Whether you disclose what is within yourselves or conceal it, Allah will call you to account for it” (Qur’an 2:284), and, “Whoever does evil will be requited for it” (Qur’an 4:123). ‘A’ishah replied, “No one has asked me about this since I asked the Messenger of Allah. He said, ‘This is Allah’s admonition to His servant through whatever befalls him, such as fever or hardship—even a small item he puts in his shirt pocket, then loses and becomes distressed over—until the servant’s sins are removed, just as red gold is refined in a furnace.’” Abu ‘Isa graded this a hasan gharib report from ‘A’ishah, known only through the narration of Hammad ibn Salamah.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The metaphor compares purification from sins through adversity to refining red gold in a furnace.