مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 1056

It was narrated that 'Ali bin Rabee'ah said: I rode behind 'Ali (RA). When he put his foot in the stirrup, he said: Bismillah (in the Name of Allah). When he got on his mount, he said: Al-Hamdu Lillalt. "Glory be to the One Who has placed this (transport) at our service and we ourselves would not have been capable of that, and to our Lord is our final destiny" [az-Zukhruf 43:13, 14], Abu Sa'eed, the freed slave of Banu Ha shim, said: Then he said al- hamdu lillah three times and Allalni Akbar three times, then he said Subhan Allah three times. Then he said: There is no god but You. Then he [the narrator] went back to the hadeeth of Wakee' and said: Glory be to You, i have wronged myself, so forgive me; no one forgives sins but You. Then he smiled, and I said: What made you smile? He said: I was riding behind the Messenger of Allah (PBUH), and he did what you have seen me do, then he smiled and I said: What made you smile, O Messenger of Allah? He said: "Allah, may He be blessed and exalted, says: How remarkable is My slave; He knows that no one forgives sin except Me."

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020