حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَبِي زُهَيْرٍ قَالَ أُخْبِرْتُ أَنَّ أَبَا بَكْرٍ قَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَيْفَ الصَّلَاحُ بَعْدَ هَذِهِ الْآيَةِ لَيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ فَكُلَّ سُوءٍ عَمِلْنَا جُزِينَا بِهِ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَكَ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ أَلَسْتَ تَمْرَضُ أَلَسْتَ تَنْصَبُ أَلَسْتَ تَحْزَنُ أَلَسْتَ تُصِيبُكَ اللَّأْوَاءُ قَالَ بَلَى قَالَ فَهُوَ مَا تُجْزَوْنَ بِهِ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 68
It was narrated that Abu Bakr bin Abi Zuhair said: I was told that Abu Bakr said: O Messenger of Allah, how could we be in a good state after this verse: "It will not be in accordance with your desires (Muslims), nor those of the people of the Scripture (Jews and Christians), whosoever works evil, will have the recompense thereof" [an-Nisa' 4:123]? Will we be punished for every bad deed we do? There Messenger of Allah (PBUH)said: "May Allah forgive you, O Abu Bakr, do you not fall sick? Do you not get exhausted? Do you not feel sad? Don't calamities befall you?" He said: Of course. He said: "That is the recompense you are given."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020