The reward for a child whom a man loses before him

Abd al-Rahman bin al-Asbahani said: Abu Salih came to me to console me over a son of mine, and he narrated a hadith from Sayyiduna Abu Sa'id (al-Khudri) and Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with them both) that once the women said to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Set aside a special day for us too, as you have done for the men." So he (peace and blessings be upon him) came to the women, admonished them, taught them, and gave them (various) commands, and said to them: "There is no woman who has three young children buried, but they will be a screen for her from the Fire of Hell." A woman said: "O Messenger of Allah, two of my children have died." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Three." Then he (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "(Yes) two, two (as well)." Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) said: This means children who have not yet reached puberty.

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him), attributing it to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him): "Whoever sends ahead three of his children will not enter the Fire, except to fulfil the oath."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that a woman brought her child to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah Almighty for this child (that Allah may grant him a long life), for I have already buried three children." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "You have buried three children?" She said: "Yes." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, they are a strong barrier for you against the Fire (on the Day of Resurrection)."

Abdullah bin Qays said: I was sitting with Abu Burdah one night when Sayyiduna al-Harith bin Uqaysh (may Allah be pleased with him) came in to us, and that night he narrated to us that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Any Muslim husband and wife who lose four young children, Allah will admit them both into Paradise." The Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, and three children?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Three." The Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, and two children?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And two as well."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Mu'adh bin Jabal (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Paradise is obligatory for those who lose three young children." The Companions said: "O Messenger of Allah, and those with two children?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "For those with two children too, Paradise has become obligatory."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Umamah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Any Muslim parents who lose three young children who have not reached puberty, Allah Almighty will admit them (the parents) into Paradise by the bounty of His mercy."

Sayyidah Umm Sulaym (may Allah be pleased with her) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Any Muslim parents who lose three young children who have not reached puberty, Allah Almighty will admit them (the parents) into Paradise by the bounty of His mercy."

Sayyidah Aishah (may Allah be pleased with her) said: Whoever loses three young children while remaining patient and hoping for reward, they will be a screen for that person from the Fire, by the permission of Allah.

Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: I heard the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) say: "Any Muslim parents who lose three young children who have not reached puberty, Allah Almighty will admit them (the parents) into Paradise by the bounty of His mercy."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abdullah (bin Mas'ud) (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Any Muslim parents whose three children die before reaching puberty, Allah Almighty will admit them both into Paradise." Sayyiduna Abu Dharr (may Allah be pleased with him) said: "O Messenger of Allah, two of my children have died." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And two as well (Paradise is obligatory)." Sayyiduna Abu al-Mundhir, the master of the Qur'an reciters (may Allah be pleased with him), said: "O Messenger of Allah, one of my children has died." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "And one as well, and that is at the first shock."

Mu'awiyah bin Qurrah narrates from his father that a man came to the Prophet, and his young son was with him. He (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Do you love him?" He said: "Yes." He said: "May Allah Almighty love you as you love him." Then (some time later) he (peace and blessings be upon him) missed the child and said: "What happened to your son?" The man said: "Did you not know that he has died?" Then the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: "Are you not pleased that you will not come to any of the gates of Paradise to have it opened, but your son will come running and have the gate of Paradise opened for you?" Someone said: "O Messenger of Allah, is this for him alone or for people in general?" He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "It is for all of you."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Indeed, the miscarried child will plead insistently with his Lord when his parents are entered into the Fire, until it will be said: 'O miscarried child who pleads with his Lord, go back, for I have admitted your parents into Paradise.'" And he said: "He will drag them both (the parents) by his umbilical cord until he brings them into Paradise."

It is narrated from Sayyiduna Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "A miscarried child whom I send ahead of me is dearer to me than that he should become a horseman who comes after me (on the field of jihad)."

Muhammad bin Sirin said: A woman named Mawiyah, who used to come to us, narrated to me that she went to Ubaydullah bin Ma'mar, and with him was one of the Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). That Companion narrated that a woman brought her child to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: "O Messenger of Allah, pray that Allah Almighty keeps him alive, for three of my children have already died." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said to her: "Since you became a Muslim?" She said: "Yes." He (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "They are a fortified shield for you from the Fire." Except that he said to her three times: "Since you became a Muslim?" (and then:) "A fortified shield from the Fire." She said: Then Ubaydullah said to me: "O Mawiyah, come and listen to this hadith." He (Ibn Sirin) said: So she heard it, then she left Ubaydullah, came to us and narrated it to us.