What do you think of a man who does a good deed and people praise him for it? He said: That is instant good news for the believer
Narrator in the source: Abu Dharr
Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: 'It was said to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him): "What do you think of a man who does a good deed and people praise him for it?" He said: "That is instant good news for the believer."- Grade in the source
- Authentic hadith
- Reported by
- Narrated by Muslim
- Source entry
- HadeethEnc · 8900 ↗
Original Arabic wording
عن أبي ذر رضي الله عنه قال: قيل لرسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : أرأيت الرَّجل الذي يعمل العمل من الخَير، ويَحمدُه الناس عليه؟ قال: «تلك عاجِل بُشْرَى المؤمن».Understand this hadith
Here we are told of a man who does a righteous deed for the sake of Allah, without intending it for others. People, however, commend him and say that he is a charitable person, etc. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) says that such an appreciation is an instant good news for the believer, because people are witnesses over Allah's creation, so their testimony does count. That is why when a coffin passed by the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and his Companions spoke well of the deceased, he said that they confirmed that he would be admitted to Paradise. Also, when another coffin passed by him and the Companions spoke badly of the deceased, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said that they confirmed that he would be admitted to Hell. In both cases, he justified that people are Allah's witnesses on earth. So, the commendation that a believer gets from people for the good thing that he does is an instant good news for him in the world. However, the one who does something ostentatiously to draw people's attention and favorable remarks, has thus associated partners with Allah. This is what makes the other sincere person greatly different from him.
References (original Arabic)
نزهة المتقين، تأليف: جمعٌ من المشايخ، الناشر: مؤسسة الرسالة، الطبعة الأولى: 1397 هـ الطبعة الرابعة عشر 1407 هـ بهجة الناظرين، تأليف: سليم بن عيد الهلالي، الناشر: دار ابن الجوزي ، سنة النشر: 1418 هـ- 1997م صحيح مسلم، تأليف: مسلم بن الحجاج النيسابوري، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي الناشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت. رياض الصالحين، تأليف : محيي الدين يحيى بن شرف النووي، تحقيق: د. ماهر بن ياسين الفحل ، الطبعة: الأولى، 1428 هـ شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف: محمد بن صالح العثيمين، الناشر: دار الوطن للنشر، 1426 هـ.