حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي خَالِدٍ عَنْ أَبِي بَكْرِ بْنِ أَبِي زُهَيْرٍ الثَّقَفِيِّ قَالَ لَمَّا نَزَلَتْ لَيْسَ بِأَمَانِيِّكُمْ وَلَا أَمَانِيِّ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ مَنْ يَعْمَلْ سُوءًا يُجْزَ بِهِ قَالَ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنُجَازَى بِكُلِّ سُوءٍ نَعْمَلُهُ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ أَلَسْتَ تَنْصَبُ أَلَسْتَ تَحْزَنُ أَلَسْتَ تُصِيبُكَ اللَّأْوَاءُ فَهَذَا مَا تُجْزَوْنَ بِهِ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 71
It was narrated that Abu Bakr bin Abi Zuhair ath-Thaqafi said: When the 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] was revealed, Abu Bakr (RA); said: O Messenger of Allah, will we receive recompense for every bad deed we do? The Messenger of Allah said: "May Allah have mercy on you, O Abu Bakr. Do you not become exhausted? Do you not feel sad? Don't calamities befall you? This is the recompense that you receive.”
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020