مسند الحميدي
Musnad al-Humaydi
Hadiths of Abdullah ibn Mas'ud (may Allah be pleased with him)
Destruction due to minor sins and example of riders
Hadith 98
98 - حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، ثنا سُفْيَانُ، ثنا إِبْرَاهِيمُ الْهَجَرِيُّ أَبُو إِسْحَاقَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَبَا الْأَحْوَصِ يَقُولُ: سَمِعْتُ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ يَقُولُ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّي اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ قَدْ أَيِسَ أَنْ تُعْبَدَ الْأَصْنَامُ بِأَرْضِكُمْ هَذِهِ أَوْ بِبَلَدِكُمْ هَذَا، وَلَكِنَّهُ قَدْ رَضِيَ مِنْكُمْ بِالْمُحَقَّرَاتِ مِنْ أَعْمَالِكُمْ، فَاتَّقُوا الْمُحَقَّرَاتِ فَإِنَّهُنَّ مِنَ الْمُوبِقَاتِ أَوَلَا أُخْبِرُكُمْ بِمَثَلِ ذَلِكَ مَثَلُ رَكْبٍ نَزَلُوا فَلَاةً مِنَ الْأَرْضِ لَيْسَ بِهَا حَطَبٌ فَتَفَرَّقُوا فَجَاءَ ذَا بِعُودٍ، وَجَاءَ ذَا بِعَظْمٍ، وَجَاءَ ذَا بِرَوْثَةٍ حَتَّي أَنْضَجُوا الَّذِي أَرَادُوا فَكَذَلِكَ الذُّنُوبُ»
Sayyiduna Abdullah bin Mas’ud (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: “Satan has despaired of being worshipped in your land (the narrator is in doubt, perhaps these are the words) or in your city, but he will be pleased with you regarding your minor deeds, so you should try to avoid minor sins, because they lead to destruction. Shall I give you an example of this? Its example is like some riders who camp in a barren land where there is no wood. They scatter, so one person brings a stick, another brings a bone, another brings dung, until they gather what they want. Sins are also like this.”
