Hadith 1835

أَخْبَرَنَا هَنَّادٌ ، عَنْ أَبِي زُبَيْدٍ وَهُوَ عَبْثَرُ بْنُ الْقَاسِمِ , 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 شُرَيْحٌ : فَأَتَيْتُ عَائِشَةَ , فَقُلْتُ : يَا أُمَّ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ , سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ يَذْكُرُ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ حَدِيثًا ، إِنْ كَانَ كَذَلِكَ فَقَدْ هَلَكْنَا , قَالَتْ : وَمَا ذَاكَ ؟ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ " , وَلَكِنْ لَيْسَ مِنَّا أَحَدٌ إِلَّا وَهُوَ يَكْرَهُ الْمَوْتَ , قَالَتْ : قَدْ قَالَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ , وَلَيْسَ بِالَّذِي تَذْهَبُ إِلَيْهِ وَلَكِنْ إِذَا طَمَحَ الْبَصَرُ وَحَشْرَجَ الصَّدْرُ وَاقْشَعَرَّ الْجِلْدُ فَعِنْدَ ذَلِكَ مَنْ أَحَبَّ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ أَحَبَّ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ , وَمَنْ كَرِهَ لِقَاءَ اللَّهِ كَرِهَ اللَّهُ لِقَاءَهُ .
´It was narrated that Abu Hurairah said; "The Messenger of Allah said:` Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him." (One of the narrators) Shuraih said: 'I went to Aishan and said: O mother of the believers! I heard Abu Hurairah narrate from the Messenger of Allah a Hadith which, if that is the case, we are all doomed. She said: 'What is that?' He said: 'The Messenger of Allah said: Whoever loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him. But there is no one among us who does not hate death.' She said: 'The Messenger of Allah did say that, but it is not what you think. When the eyes begin to stare, the death rattle sounds in the chest and the flesh shiver, at that point, whoever loves to meet Allah, Allah loves to meet him, and whoever hates to meet Allah, Allah hates to meet him."'
Hadith Reference سنن نسائي / كتاب الجنائز / 1835
Hadith Grading الألبانی: صحيح  |  زبیر علی زئی: صحيح مسلم
Hadith Takhrij «صحیح مسلم/الذکر والدعاء 5 (2685)، (تحفة الأشراف: 13492) ، مسند احمد 2/313، 346، 420 (صحیح)»
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
1835. Commentary:

➊ When the time of death draws near, the angels become visible and begin their task. At that moment, the believer rejoices that he will meet Allah, while the disbeliever and the hypocrite, due to their previous deeds, dread meeting Allah, because at that time the certainty of death becomes manifest. Otherwise, during life, everyone dislikes death.

➋ Love for meeting Allah does not mean wishing for death. Even without wishing for death, it is possible to love meeting Allah. The desire for death pertains to ordinary life, whereas the love for meeting Allah pertains to the time of death.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 1835