حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ الْفَزَارِيُّ أَنْبَأَنَا الْأَزْهَرُ بْنُ رَاشِدٍ الْكَاهِلِيُّ عَنْ الْخَضِرِ بْنِ الْقَوَّاسِ عَنْ أَبِي سُخَيْلَةَ قَالَ قَالَ عَلِيٌّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِأَفْضَلِ آيَةٍ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى حَدَّثَنَا بِهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ مَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مُصِيبَةٍ فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَيَعْفُو عَنْ كَثِيرٍ وَسَأُفَسِّرُهَا لَكَ يَا عَلِيُّ مَا أَصَابَكُمْ مِنْ مَرَضٍ أَوْ عُقُوبَةٍ أَوْ بَلَاءٍ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَبِمَا كَسَبَتْ أَيْدِيكُمْ وَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَكْرَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يُثَنِّيَ عَلَيْهِمْ الْعُقُوبَةَ فِي الْآخِرَةِ وَمَا عَفَا اللَّهُ تَعَالَى عَنْهُ فِي الدُّنْيَا فَاللَّهُ تَعَالَى أَحْلَمُ مِنْ أَنْ يَعُودَ بَعْدَ عَفْوِهِ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 649
It was narrated from al-Khadir bin al-Qawwas from Abu Sukhailah who said: 'Ali (RA) said: Shall I not tell you of the best verse in the Book of Allah, may He be exalted, that the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) told to us? [It is:] "And whatever of misfortune befalls you, it is because of what your hands have earned, And He pardons much" [ash-Shoora 42:30]. [He said:] "I will explain it to you, O 'Ali. 'And whatever of misfortune befalls you', be it sickness or punishment or trials in this world, 'it is because of what your hands have earned'. And Allah is too generous to double the punishment in the Hereafter. Whatever Allah pardons in this world. He is too forbearing to retract His pardon."
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020