أَخْبَرَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ وَهُوَ ابْنُ أَبِي الزَّرْقَائِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مُعَاوِيَةَ بْنَ قُرَّةَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ قَالَ کَانَ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ إِذَا جَلَسَ يَجْلِسُ إِلَيْهِ نَفَرٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ وَفِيهِمْ رَجُلٌ لَهُ ابْنٌ صَغِيرٌ يَأْتِيهِ مِنْ خَلْفِ ظَهْرِهِ فَيُقْعِدُهُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهِ فَهَلَکَ فَامْتَنَعَ الرَّجُلُ أَنْ يَحْضُرَ الْحَلْقَةَ لِذِکْرِ ابْنِهِ فَحَزِنَ عَلَيْهِ فَفَقَدَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالَ مَالِي لَا أَرَی فُلَانًا قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ بُنَيُّهُ الَّذِي رَأَيْتَهُ هَلَکَ فَلَقِيَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّی اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ بُنَيِّهِ فَأَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ هَلَکَ فَعَزَّاهُ عَلَيْهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ يَا فُلَانُ أَيُّمَا کَانَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْکَ أَنْ تَمَتَّعَ بِهِ عُمُرَکَ أَوْ لَا تَأْتِي غَدًا إِلَی بَابٍ مِنْ أَبْوَابِ الْجَنَّةِ إِلَّا وَجَدْتَهُ قَدْ سَبَقَکَ إِلَيْهِ يَفْتَحُهُ لَکَ قَالَ يَا نَبِيَّ اللَّهِ بَلْ يَسْبِقُنِي إِلَی بَابِ الْجَنَّةِ فَيَفْتَحُهَا لِي لَهُوَ أَحَبُّ إِلَيَّ قَالَ فَذَاکَ لَکَ
سنن نسائی · Hadith 2094
“When the Prophet of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم sat, some of his Companions would sit with him. Among them was a man who had a little son who used to come to him from behind, and he would make him sit in front of him. He (the child) died, and the man stopped attending the circle because it reminded him of his son, —d made him feel sad. The missed him and said: Why do I not see so-and-so?’ They said: ‘Messenger of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم, his son whom you saw has died.’ The prophet met him and asked him about his son, and he told him that be had died. He offered his condolences and said: ‘so-and so, which would you like better, to enjoy his company all your life, or to come to any of the gates of Paradise on the Day of Resurrection, and find that he arrived there before you, and he is opening the gate for you?’ He said: ‘Prophet of Allah صلی اللہ علیہ وآلہ وسلم! For him to get to the gate of Paradise before me and open it for me is dearer to me.’ He said: ‘You will have that.” (Sahih)
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020