37/1. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4103 — Wealth and Enoughness
Indifference towards this world
Hadith About Wealth, Contentment, and Taking What Is Enough
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4103
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4103
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الصَّبَّاحِ، أَنْبَأَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، عَنْ سَمُرَةَ بْنِ سَهْمٍ، - رَجُلٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهِ - قَالَ نَزَلْتُ عَلَى أَبِي هَاشِمِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ وَهُوَ طَعِينٌ فَأَتَاهُ مُعَاوِيَةُ يَعُودُهُ فَبَكَى أَبُو هَاشِمٍ فَقَالَ مُعَاوِيَةُ مَا يُبْكِيكَ أَىْ خَالِ أَوَجَعٌ يُشْئِزُكَ أَمْ عَلَى الدُّنْيَا فَقَدْ ذَهَبَ صَفْوُهَا قَالَ عَلَى كُلٍّ لاَ وَلَكِنْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ عَهِدَ إِلَىَّ عَهْدًا وَدِدْتُ أَنِّي كُنْتُ تَبِعْتُهُ قَالَ " إِنَّكَ لَعَلَّكَ تُدْرِكُ أَمْوَالاً تُقْسَمُ بَيْنَ أَقْوَامٍ وَإِنَّمَا يَكْفِيكَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ خَادِمٌ وَمَرْكَبٌ فِي سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ " . فَأَدْرَكْتُ فَجَمَعْتُ .
Samurah bin Sahm Narrated from:
We stopped with Abu Hashim bin ‘Utbah, who had been stabbed, and Mu’awiyah came to visit him. Abu Hashim wept and Mu’awiyah said to him: ‘Why are you weeping, O maternal uncle? Is there some pain bothering you, or is it because of this world, the best of which has already passed?’ He said: ‘It is not for any of these reasons. But the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) gave me some advice and I wish that I had followed it. He (ﷺ) said: “There may come a time when you will see wealth divided among the people, and all you will need of that is a servant and a mount to ride in the cause of Allah.” That time came, but I accumulated wealth.’”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4103In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 4English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4103
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4103
This Hadith shows a personal moment of regret. Abu Hashim was ill and wept, not because of pain and not because he was attached to the world. He remembered advice from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. The advice was that when wealth would be divided among people, what would be enough for him was a servant and a mount to ride in the cause of Allah. Abu Hashim then said that the time came, but he accumulated wealth. The Hadith focuses on contentment and the danger of collecting more than one needs. It does not say every possession is forbidden. It shows how a Companion feared that he had gone beyond the level of simple sufficiency advised to him.
What we learn from this hadith
- A person may regret taking more of the world than he needed.
- Sufficiency is a key theme in the Prophet’s advice here.
- Wealth can test whether a person follows sincere advice.
- Remembering prophetic guidance can awaken the heart even near death.
