Skip to content

Hadith about asceticism and piety

118 hadith on this topic, one card per hadith and its versions; authentic ones first. 89 are translated into English.

Not graded The Forty Hadith of an-Nawawi 31

A man came to the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) and said, “O Messenger of Allah, direct me to an act which, if I do it, [will cause] Allah to love me and the people to love me.” So he (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, “Renounce the world and Allah will love you…

عَنْ أَبِي الْعَبَّاسِ سَهْلِ بْنِ سَعْدٍ السَّاعِدِيّ رَضِيَ اللهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: جَاءَ رَجُلٌ إلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه و سلم فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ! دُلَّنِي عَلَى عَمَلٍ إذَا عَمِلْتُهُ أَحَبَّنِي اللهُ…

Narrated by Sahl ibn Sa‘d + 3 other versions

Not graded Riyad as-Salihin 474

(When he died) Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) left neither a dinar nor a dirham nor a male slave nor a female slave, nor anything else except his white riding mule, his weapons and his land which he had given in charity to wayfarers. [Al- Bukhari].

وعن عمرو بن الحارث أخي الجويرية بنت الحارث أم المؤمنين، رضي الله عنهما، قال‏:‏ ما ترك رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم، عند موته ديناراً ولا درهماً، ولا عبداً، ولا امة، ولا شيئا إلا بغلته البيضاء التى كان يركبها، وسلاحه…

+ 8 other versions

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Riyad as-Salihin 490

The family of Muhammad (ﷺ) never ate to the fill the bread of barley for two successive days until he died. [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]. Another narration is: 'Aishah (May Allah be pleased with her) said: Never did the family of Muhammad (ﷺ) eat to the fill, since their arrival to Al-Madinah, the bread…

وعن عائشة، رضي الله عنها ، قالت‏:‏ ما شبع آل محمد، صلى الله عليه وسلم ، من خبز شعير يومين متتابعين حتى قبض‏.‏ ‏(‏‏(‏متفق عليه‏)‏‏)‏‏.‏ وفي رواية‏:‏ ما شبع آل محمد، صلى الله عليه وسلم ، منذ قدم المدينة من طعام البر ثلاث…

+ 5 other versions

Not graded Riyad as-Salihin 253

A man passed by the Prophet (ﷺ), so he asked a man who was sitting near him, "What is your opinion about this man?" That man replied: "He is one of the noblest men. By Allah he is certainly a proper person for (a girl) being given in marriage if he seeks to marry, and his recommendation is fit to…

وعن أبي العباس سهل بن سعد الساعدي رضي الله عنه قال‏:‏ مر رجل على النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، فقال لرجل عنده جالس‏:‏ ‏"‏ما رأيك في هذا‏؟‏‏"‏ فقال‏:‏ رجل من أشراف الناس، هذا والله حري إن خطب أن ينكح، وإن شفع أن يشفع ‏.‏…

Narrated by Sahl ibn Sa‘d + 3 other versions

Not graded Riyad as-Salihin 495

Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had never seen bread made out of fine flour throughout his life, since Allah commissioned him until his death. He was asked, "Did you not have sieves at the time of the Messenger of Allah?" He replied, "Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) never saw a sieve." He was asked, "How did you…

وعن سهل بن سعد رضي الله عنه، قال‏:‏ ما رأى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم النقي من حين ابتعثة الله تعالى حتى قبضه الله تعالى، فقيل له‏:‏ هل كان لكم في عهد رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم مناخل‏؟‏ قال‏:‏ ما رأى رسول الله صلى…

Narrated by Sahl ibn Sa‘d + 2 other versions

Not graded Riyad as-Salihin 593

Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) had a slave who brought him his earnings and Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) would eat from it. One day he brought him something and when Abu Bakr (May Allah be pleased with him) had eaten some of it, the slave asked him whether he knew where he had…

وعن عائشة رضي الله عنها، قالت‏:‏ كان لأبي بكر الصديق رضي الله عنه غلام يخرج له الخراج وكان أبو بكر يأكل من خراجه فجاء يوماً بشئ، فأكل منه أبو بكر، فقال له الغلام‏:‏ تدرى ما هذا‏؟‏ فقال أبو بكر‏:‏ ما هو‏؟‏ قال‏:‏ كنت…

Narrated by Ā’ishah + 2 other versions

Not graded Riyad as-Salihin 479

We were repairing our thatchy hut when Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) passed by and asked us, "What are you doing?" We said, "The thatch had gone weak and we are repairing it." He (ﷺ) said, "I see the sure thing (death) approaching sooner than this." [Abu Dawud and At-Tirmdhi, who classified it as Hadith…

وعن عبد الله بن عمرو بن العاص، رضي الله عنهما، قال‏:‏ مر علينا رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ونحن نعالج خصاً لنا فقال‏:‏ ‏"‏ ما هذا‏؟‏‏"‏ فقلنا‏:‏ قد وهي، فنحن نصلحه، فقال‏:‏ ‏"‏ ما أرى الأمر إلا أعجل من ذلك‏"‏‏.‏…

+ 2 other versions

Authentic Sahih al-Bukhari 5386

To the best of my knowledge, the Prophet (ﷺ) did not take his meals in a big tray at all, nor did he ever eat well-baked thin bread, nor did he ever eat at a dining table.

أَكَلَ عَلَى سُكُرُّجَةٍ قَطُّ، وَلاَ خُبِزَ لَهُ مُرَقَّقٌ قَطُّ، وَلاَ أَكَلَ عَلَى خِوَانٍ‏.‏ قِيلَ لِقَتَادَةَ فَعَلَى مَا كَانُوا يَأْكُلُونَ قَالَ عَلَى السُّفَرِ‏.‏

Narrated by Anas ibn Mālik + 8 other versions

Good (hasan) Jami' at-Tirmidhi 3356

{Then, on that Day, you will definitely be questioned about your worldly pleasures.}

When the following verse was revealed {Then, on that Day, you will definitely be questioned about your worldly pleasures.} [Surat at-Takāthur: 8], Az-Zubayr said: "O Messenger of Allah, which pleasures will we be asked about; there are only the two black things: dates and water?" He said: "This…

فَأَىُّ النَّعِيمِ نُسْأَلُ عَنْهُ وَإِنَّمَا هُمَا الأَسْوَدَانِ التَّمْرُ وَالْمَاءُ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ أَمَا إِنَّهُ سَيَكُونُ ‏"

Narrated by Az-Zubayr ibn al-‘Awwām + 2 other versions Explained

Good (hasan) Mishkat al-Masabih 1569

‘Abdallah b. [ash-] Shikhkhir reported God’s messenger as saying, “The son of Adam was created with ninety-nine trials at his side. If the trials miss him he falls into decrepitude till he dies.” Tirmidhi transmitted it, saying that this is a gharib tradition.

وَعَن عبد الله بن شخير قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «مُثِّلَ ابْنُ آدَمَ وَإِلَى جَنْبِهِ تِسْعٌ وَتِسْعُونَ مَنِيَّةً إِنْ أَخْطَأَتْهُ الْمَنَايَا وَقَعَ فِي الْهَرَمِ حَتَّى…

+ 2 other versions

Differing grades Sunan Ibn Majah 4217

“O Abu Hurairah, be cautious, and you will be the most devoted of people to Allah. Be content, and you will be the most grateful of people to Allah. Love for people what you love for yourself, and you will be a (true) believer. Be a good neighbor to your neighbors, and you will be a (true) Muslim…

كُنْ وَرِعًا تَكُنْ أَعْبَدَ النَّاسِ وَكُنْ قَنِعًا تَكُنْ أَشْكَرَ النَّاسِ وَأَحِبَّ لِلنَّاسِ مَا تُحِبُّ لِنَفْسِكَ تَكُنْ مُؤْمِنًا وَأَحَسِنْ جِوَارَ مَنْ جَاوَرَكَ تَكُنْ مُسْلِمًا وَأَقِلَّ الضَّحِكَ فَإِنَّ…

Narrated by Abu Hurayrah + 2 other versions

Weak Muwatta Malik 221

Malik related to me from Abdullah ibn Abi Bakr that Abu Talha al- Ansari was praying in his garden when a wild pigeon flew in and began to fly to and fro trying to find a way out. The sight was pleasing to him and he let his eyes follow the bird for a time and then he went back to his prayer but…

وَحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا طَلْحَةَ الأَنْصَارِيَّ، كَانَ يُصَلِّي فِي حَائِطِهِ فَطَارَ دُبْسِيٌّ فَطَفِقَ يَتَرَدَّدُ يَلْتَمِسُ مَخْرَجًا فَأَعْجَبَهُ ذَلِكَ فَجَعَلَ…

Narrated by Abu Talha