37/3. Chapter:
Sunan Ibn Majah 4111 — Worldly Life Has Little Worth
The likeness of this world
Hadith About Dunya Being Worthless Before Allah
Sunan Ibn Majah : 4111
Sunan Ibn MajahHadith Number 4111
حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ حَبِيبِ بْنِ عَرَبِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ مُجَالِدِ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ أَبِي حَازِمٍ الْهَمْدَانِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُسْتَوْرِدُ بْنُ شَدَّادٍ، قَالَ إِنِّي لَفِي الرَّكْبِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ إِذْ أَتَى عَلَى سَخْلَةٍ مَنْبُوذَةٍ قَالَ فَقَالَ " أَتُرَوْنَ هَذِهِ هَانَتْ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا " . قَالَ قِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مِنْ هَوَانِهَا أَلْقَوْهَا . أَوْ كَمَا قَالَ قَالَ " فَوَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ لَلدُّنْيَا أَهْوَنُ عَلَى اللَّهِ مِنْ هَذِهِ عَلَى أَهْلِهَا " .
Mustawrid bin Shaddad Narrated from:
I was riding with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) when he came across a dead lamb that had been thrown out.’ He said: ‘Don’t you think that this is worthless to its owners?’ It was said: ‘O Messenger of Allah, it is because it is worthless that they have thrown it out, - or words to that effect. He said: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is my soul, this world is more worthless to Allah than this is to its owners.’”
Reference : Sunan Ibn Majah 4111In-book reference : Book 37, Hadith 12English translation : Vol. 5, Book 37, Hadith 4111
Summary of Sunan Ibn Majah Hadith 4111
This Hadith is close in meaning to the narration about the dead sheep. Mustawrid bin Shaddad says he was riding with the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم when they passed a dead lamb that had been thrown out. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked whether it was worthless to its owners. The people said it was thrown out because of its low value. He then swore by Allah that this world is more worthless to Allah than that lamb was to its owners. The Hadith teaches the believer not to be fooled by the shine of dunya. A thing can look large to people but still be small in value before Allah. The lesson is to measure life by faith and the Hereafter.
What we learn from this hadith
- Dunya can seem important to people while having little value before Allah.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used a visible scene to teach a lasting lesson.
- Being thrown away showed the lamb’s low value to its owners.
- A believer should not be deceived by worldly shine.
