Mukhtasar Bukhari

Narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurairah (may Allah be pleased with him) that he heard the Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) say: “There were three men among the Children of Israel: one was a leper, one was bald, and one was blind. Allah wanted to test them, so He sent an angel to them. The angel came to the leper and said, ‘What do you wish for?’ He replied, ‘A good complexion and good skin, for people dislike me in this condition.’ The angel touched him, and his leprosy was cured, his complexion became good, and his skin became healthy. Then the angel asked, ‘Which wealth do you like most among the worldly possessions?’ He said, ‘Camels,’ or he said, ‘Cows’—Ishaq bin Abdullah, the narrator, was uncertain whether the leper or the bald man had asked for camels and the other for cows. So he was given a pregnant she-camel of ten months, and the angel said, ‘May Allah bless you in it.’

Then the angel came to the bald man and asked, ‘What do you wish for?’ He said, ‘Good hair, so that this baldness may go away, for people dislike me.’ The angel touched him, and his baldness disappeared, and he got beautiful hair. Then the angel asked, ‘Which wealth do you like most in the world?’ He said, ‘Cows.’ The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, ‘Allah will bless you in it.’

Then the angel went to the blind man and asked, ‘What do you wish for?’ He said, ‘That Allah restores my eyesight so that I may see people.’ The angel touched his eyes, and Allah restored his sight. The angel asked, ‘Which wealth do you like most?’ He said, ‘Goats.’ The angel gave him a pregnant goat.

Then the camels, cows, and goats multiplied, so the leper had a valley full of camels, the bald man had a valley full of cows, and the blind man had a valley full of goats.

Then (the same angel), in the same form and appearance as before, came to the leper and said, ‘I am a poor man, all my provisions for the journey are gone, and I cannot reach my destination except with Allah’s help and then your generosity. I ask you, by the One who gave you a good complexion, good skin, and wealth, to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination on my journey.’ The leper replied, ‘There are many debts (upon me).’ The angel said, ‘It seems I recognize you. Were you not a leper, whom people disliked, and you were poor, and Allah granted you all this?’ The leper said, ‘I inherited this wealth from my forefathers.’ The angel said, ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to your former condition.’

Then the angel, in the same form and appearance, went to the bald man and said to him what he had said to the leper, and he gave the same reply. So the angel said, ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to your former condition.’

Then the angel, in the same form, went to the blind man and said, ‘I am a poor and traveling man, and I have no provisions left for my journey. I cannot reach my homeland except with Allah’s help and your generosity. I ask you, by the One who restored your eyesight, to give me a goat so that I may reach my destination on my journey.’ The blind man said, ‘Indeed, I was blind, and Allah gave me sight; I was poor, and He made me wealthy. (Since you ask) in His name, take whatever you wish, for today I will not stop you from taking anything.’ The angel said, ‘(I am not in need), keep your goats. Allah has tested you three; He is pleased with you and displeased with your two companions (the leper and the bald man).’”