Source: Fatāwā ‘Ilmiyyah (Tawdīḥ al-Aḥkām), Vol. 2, p. 498
Question:
Is the hadith, “Indeed Allah loves to see the effects of His blessings upon His servant,” authentic? Please clarify its status in light of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the statements of the ḥadīth scholars.
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Amā baʿd!
This hadith is authentic in both chain and text, and it has been narrated from multiple Companions with reliable chains by the ḥadīth scholars.
Full narration:
Mālik ibn Naḍlah رضي الله عنه said:
“I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a state of poor appearance.
He ﷺ asked: ‘Do you have wealth?’
I replied: ‘Yes.’
He ﷺ asked: ‘What kind of wealth?’
I replied: ‘All kinds — camels, slaves, horses, and sheep.’
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«إذا آتاکَ اللَّهُ مالًا فلْيُرَ أثرُ نِعمةِ اللَّهِ عليكَ»
‘When Allah gives you wealth, the effect of Allah’s blessing should be visible upon you.’”
References:
Note on the chain: Narrated by Abū Isḥāq al-Sabīʿī → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ ibn Mālik ibn Naḍlah → his father. This narration is from before Abū Isḥāq’s ikhtiḷāṭ (memory change), with clear statement of hearing (taṣrīḥ bi-al-samāʿ).
Wording in Sunan Abī Dāwūd:
«فإذا آتاك الله مالاً فلير أثر نعمة الله عليك و كرامته»
“When Allah gives you wealth, the effect of Allah’s blessing and generosity should be visible upon you.”
In Sunan al-Nasā’ī: The same meaning is reported, with slight wording variations.
In Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: Narrated in a shorter form; Imām al-Tirmidhī said:
“This is a ḥadīth ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.” (Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 2006)
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«من أنعم الله علیه نعمةً فإن الله يحب أن يُرَى أثر نعمته على خلقه»
“Whoever Allah has blessed with a favour, Allah loves to see the effect of His blessing upon His creation.”
◈ The hadith is authentic according to multiple hadith scholars.
◈ It is narrated through several Companions with sound chains.
◈ It teaches that Allah loves for His blessings upon a person to be visibly apparent — through clean and decent clothing, good grooming, pleasant fragrance, and overall neatness — as a form of gratitude to Allah.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
Question:
Is the hadith, “Indeed Allah loves to see the effects of His blessings upon His servant,” authentic? Please clarify its status in light of the Qur’an, Sunnah, and the statements of the ḥadīth scholars.
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu wa-s-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh. Amā baʿd!
This hadith is authentic in both chain and text, and it has been narrated from multiple Companions with reliable chains by the ḥadīth scholars.
Narration 1 – Ḥadīth of Mālik ibn Naḍlah رضي الله عنه
Full narration:
Mālik ibn Naḍlah رضي الله عنه said:
“I came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in a state of poor appearance.
He ﷺ asked: ‘Do you have wealth?’
I replied: ‘Yes.’
He ﷺ asked: ‘What kind of wealth?’
I replied: ‘All kinds — camels, slaves, horses, and sheep.’
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said:
«إذا آتاکَ اللَّهُ مالًا فلْيُرَ أثرُ نِعمةِ اللَّهِ عليكَ»
‘When Allah gives you wealth, the effect of Allah’s blessing should be visible upon you.’”
References:
- Musnad Aḥmad (3/473, ḥadīth 15888) – chain is authentic.
- Ṣaḥḥaḥahu Ibn Ḥibbān (ḥadīth 5392, 5416)
- Al-Ḥākim (al-Mustadrak, 4/181, ḥadīth 7364) – Imām al-Dhahabī agreed.
- Sunan Abī Dāwūd (ḥadīth 4063)
- Sunan al-Nasā’ī (8/181, ḥadīth 5225–5226)
Note on the chain: Narrated by Abū Isḥāq al-Sabīʿī → Abū al-Aḥwaṣ ibn Mālik ibn Naḍlah → his father. This narration is from before Abū Isḥāq’s ikhtiḷāṭ (memory change), with clear statement of hearing (taṣrīḥ bi-al-samāʿ).
Wording in Sunan Abī Dāwūd:
«فإذا آتاك الله مالاً فلير أثر نعمة الله عليك و كرامته»
“When Allah gives you wealth, the effect of Allah’s blessing and generosity should be visible upon you.”
In Sunan al-Nasā’ī: The same meaning is reported, with slight wording variations.
In Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī: Narrated in a shorter form; Imām al-Tirmidhī said:
“This is a ḥadīth ḥasan ṣaḥīḥ.” (Jāmiʿ al-Tirmidhī, ḥadīth 2006)
Narration 2 – Ḥadīth of ʿImrān ibn Ḥuṣayn رضي الله عنه
The Prophet ﷺ said:
«من أنعم الله علیه نعمةً فإن الله يحب أن يُرَى أثر نعمته على خلقه»
“Whoever Allah has blessed with a favour, Allah loves to see the effect of His blessing upon His creation.”
- Musnad Aḥmad (4/438, ḥadīth 19934) – chain is authentic.
Conclusion
◈ The hadith is authentic according to multiple hadith scholars.
◈ It is narrated through several Companions with sound chains.
◈ It teaches that Allah loves for His blessings upon a person to be visibly apparent — through clean and decent clothing, good grooming, pleasant fragrance, and overall neatness — as a form of gratitude to Allah.
Hādhā mā ʿindī, wallāhu aʿlam biṣ-ṣawāb.
