Narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) came to a group of his companions who were laughing and talking. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "By Him in Whose hand is my soul, if you knew what I know, you would laugh little and weep much." Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went back and made the people weep, and Allah the Exalted revealed to him: "O Muhammad! Why do you make My servants despair?" So the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) returned and said: "Rejoice, remain steadfast, and strive to do your deeds correctly."
Hadith Referenceالادب المفرد / كتاب الانبساط إلى الناس / 254
Hadith Gradingالألبانی:صحيح
Hadith Takhrij«صحيح : أخرجه أحمد : 10029 و ابن المبارك فى الزهد : 312/1 و ابن حبان : 113 و البيهقي فى الشعب : 343/2 - الصحيحة : 3194»
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Usman Muneeb
Benefits and Issues: ➊ From these narrations, it is understood that one should not laugh excessively, as this causes the heart to become dead, which in turn distances a person from Allah, the Exalted. The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is: ﴿فَلْیَضْحَکُوْاقَلِیْلًاوَّلْیَبْکُوْاکَثِیْرًا﴾ (al-Tawbah: 82) “They should laugh little and weep much.” ➋ Should the fear of Allah, the Exalted, be greater or the hope in His mercy? There are differing opinions among the scholars regarding this. The preferred view is that in a state of health and well-being, fear should outweigh hope, and when a person is near death, then the aspect of hope in Allah’s mercy should be predominant. ➌ The fear of Allah (khushiyyah) does not at all mean that a person should despair of Allah’s mercy. Despairing of Allah’s mercy is disbelief (kufr); however, weeping and lamenting out of remorse for one’s sins is greatly beloved to Allah, the Exalted. ➍ The meaning of the last sentence of the final hadith is that you should rejoice, for Allah, the Exalted, will grant you a great reward even for your small deeds, as it is explicitly stated that the minimum is tenfold. Do not become despondent thinking, “We cannot do much, so what is the benefit of a few deeds?” Rather, continue to act with steadfastness, avoiding both excess and negligence, and hope for reward from Allah.
Source: Fadlullah al-Ahad: Urdu Commentary on al-Adab al-Mufrad, Page: 254