Hadith 2685

This hadith is listed as number 6826 in Maktaba Shamila

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو الْأَشْعَثِيُّ ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْثَرٌ ، عَنْ مُطَرِّفٍ ، عَنْ عَامِرٍ ، عَنْ شُرَيْحِ بْنِ هَانِئٍ ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ ، وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ " ، قَالَ : فَأَتَيْتُ عَائِشَةَ ، فَقُلْتُ يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ : سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَذْكُرُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثًا إِنْ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ فَقَدْ هَلَكْنَا ، فَقَالَتْ : إِنَّ الْهَالِكَ مَنْ هَلَكَ بِقَوْلِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَمَا ذَاكَ ؟ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ ، وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ " وَلَيْسَ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ ، فَقَالَتْ : قَدْ قَالَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ وَلَيْسَ بِالَّذِي تَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهِ ، وَلَكِنْ إِذَا شَخَصَ الْبَصَرُ وَحَشْرَجَ الصَّدْرُ وَاقْشَعَرَّ الْجِلْدُ وَتَشَنَّجَتِ الْأَصَابِعُ ، فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ ، وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ ،
Abu Hurairah (RA) reported Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying: He who loves meeting Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah abhors to meet him. I (Shuraih bin Hani, one of the narrators) came to A'isha and said to her: Mother of the faithful, I heard Abu Hurairah (RA) narrate from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) which, if it is actually so, is a destruction to us. Thereupon she said: Those are in fact ruined who are ruined at the words of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) . What are (the words which in your opinion would cause your destruction)? He said that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) had stated: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah too loves to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah too abhors to meet him, and there is none amongst us who does not hate death. Thereupon she said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) has in fact stated this, but it does not mean what you construe, but it implies (the time) when one loses the lustre of the eye, and there is rattling in the throat, shudder in the body and convulsion in fingers (at the time of death). (It is about this time) that it has been said: He who loves to meet Allah, Allah would love to meet him, and he who dislikes to meet Allah, Allah would abhor to meet him
Hadith Reference صحيح مسلم / كتاب الذكر والدعاء والتوبة والاستغفار / 2685
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة
Hadith Takhrij «أحاديث صحيح مسلم كلها صحيحة»
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: From this hadith, it is understood that sometimes a person, due to not correctly understanding the true meaning of a hadith, falls into misunderstanding, or becomes confused regarding the hadith. Therefore, to deny any hadith on the basis of one's limited knowledge is not the way of a Muslim. Rather, one should establish contact with other people of knowledge and seek to understand its correct meaning and interpretation. One should not consider oneself to be the possessor of complete intellect.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 6826
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: Death is the forerunner and gateway to meeting Allah, and the meeting begins after it. Therefore, liking or disliking death is a separate matter. Thus, disliking death is not the same as disliking meeting Allah, because sometimes a believing person, despite naturally disliking death due to the fear of falling into religious trials and tribulations, prefers death in order to attain the blessings of the Hereafter and to remain safe from religious tribulation. And sometimes, due to the hope of increasing righteous deeds (a‘mal salihah) and the opportunity to repent and seek forgiveness for sins, he dislikes death.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 6824
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation:
1:
The meaning is that the desire a person has to meet Allah at the time when the soul is departing and the angels of death have arrived is what is intended here, not in ordinary circumstances, because in normal conditions no one likes to die.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 1067
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
(1)
The angels give glad tidings to the righteous person who passes away.
As a result, he develops a longing to go to Allah,
so that he may quickly attain those blessings which Allah has prepared for His beloved servants.

(2)
The evil person who passes away realizes from the terrifying state of the angels
that he is deserving of punishment.
Then the angels also inform him of this,
which increases his certainty.
That is why he becomes afraid of dying,
and he does not wish to go to Allah.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 4264