This excerpt is taken from Sheikh Abdullah Nasir Rahmani's Explanation of the Book of Tawheed from Sahih Bukhari.
Reference: 7377:
حدثنا أبو النعمان، حدثنا حماد بن زيد، عن عاصم الأحول، عن أبي عثمان النهدي، عن أسامة بن زيد قال: «كنا عند النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم إذ جاءه رسول إحدى بناته يدعوه إلى ابنها في الموت، فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: ارجع، فأخبرها أن لله ما أخذ وله ما أعطى، وكل شيء عنده بأجل مسمى، فمرها فلتصبر ولتحتسب. فأعادت الرسول أنها أقسمت لتأتينها، فقام النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم، وقام معه سعد بن عبادة ومعاذ بن جبل، فدفع الصبي إليه ونفسه تقعقع كأنها في شن، ففاضت عيناه، فقال له سعد: يا رسول الله؟ قال: هذه رحمة جعلها الله في قلوب عباده، وإنما يرحم الله من عباده الرحماء.Usama bin Zaid رضي الله عنهما narrated that: We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when a person sent by one of his daughters, Zainab, came to him and said that her son was suffering from a life-threatening illness and she was calling the Prophet ﷺ. The Prophet ﷺ said to him: Go and tell her that all wealth belongs to Allah; He gives to whom He wills and withholds from whom He wills, and for everything there is a fixed time in His presence. So tell her to be patient and to endure this with the intention of earning reward. The daughter sent again, swearing by him, asking that he must come. So the Prophet ﷺ stood up, and with him stood Saad bin Muadh and Muadh bin Jabal رضي الله عنهما. When he reached the daughter's house, the child was given to him, and his breathing was labored, like the state of an old leather bag. Seeing this, tears filled the eyes of the Prophet ﷺ. Saad رضي الله عنه said: O Messenger of Allah! What is this? The Prophet ﷺ replied: This is mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants, and Allah also has mercy on those servants who are merciful.
Benefits and Inferences: Fazilat al-Sheikh Abdullah Nasir Rahmani Hafizahullah
بناته: refers to the daughter of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, Sayyida Zainab رضي الله عنها.
The words of condolence are: أَنَّ لِلهِ مَا أَخَذَ وَلَهُ مَا أَعْطَى، وَكُلُّ شَيْءٍ عِنْدَهُ بِأَجَلٍ مُسَمًّى، فَلْتَصْبِرْ وَلْتَحْتَسِبْ۔
فمرها فلتصبر ولتحتسب: (meaning) command to be patient and by being patient, take reward from Allah Almighty. (فلتصبر) means to restrain oneself from the following matters according to the self: (lamenting, wailing and panic, making noise, shouting, mourning, beating the cheeks, tearing the garment, etc.) and performing such acts which are contrary to the Shariah. And whoever does not refrain from these acts goes beyond the limits of patience.
ولتحتسب: and seek reward and recompense from Allah, the Lord of Glory.
Question: Why did the Noble Prophet ﷺ not go first?
Answer: From the apparent meaning of the hadith, it is understood that the Noble Prophet ﷺ first sent the prescribed words of condolence to his daughter and advised patience and accountability. However, when she called him again by swearing an oath, then he ﷺ went.
It is also possible that the wisdom in this was that you ﷺ were extremely merciful and tender-hearted, so first you advised patience through a message, and then upon insistence, you went yourself. The measure of your ﷺ mercy and gentleness is evident from this hadith that when you ﷺ saw the condition of the child, tears came to your eyes, and you ﷺ said: This is the mercy that Allah has placed in the hearts of His servants.
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ had to endure many great shocks during his blessed life; your ﷺ sons passed away at a young age, the death of Sayyiduna Ibrahim رضي الله عنه also brought tears to your ﷺ eyes, and the grief of the death of Sayyida Khadijah رضي الله عنها was also very deep for you ﷺ.
Similarly, the prophecy of the Prophet ﷺ regarding Sayyiduna Hasan رضي الله عنه is also a source of reassurance for the believers, in which you ﷺ said: This son of mine is a leader, Allah will bring about peace between two large groups of Muslims through him.
[حدثنا صدقة، حدثنا ابن عيينة، حدثنا أبو موسى، عن الحسن، سمع أبا بكرة، سمعت النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم على المنبر والحسن إلى جنبه ينظر إلى الناس مرة وإليه مرة، ويقول: ابني هذا سيد ولعل الله أن يصلح به بين فئتين من المسلمين]
It was heard from Sayyiduna Abu Bakrah رضي الله عنه that he heard from the Prophet ﷺ: You ﷺ were present on the pulpit and Hasan رضي الله عنه was by your side, you would sometimes turn towards the people and then towards Hasan رضي الله عنه and say: This son of mine is a leader and it is hoped that Allah Almighty will reconcile two groups of Muslims through him.
Reference: (Bukhari:3746)
Sheikh Abdul Mohsin Al-Abbad حفظه الله says:
وقد فهم من هذا أن الحسن سيعيش، وأنه لن يموت طفلاً، بل سيبقى حتى يصلح الله به بين فئتين عظيمتين من المسلمين؛ لأن الرسول صلى الله عليه وسلم أخبر عن ذلك، وخبره لا يتخلف، بل هو صدق، وهو لا ينطق عن الهوى صلوات الله وسلامه وبركاته عليه۔
And from this it is understood that Sayyiduna Hasan رضي الله عنه will live, he will not die in childhood, rather he will remain until Allah Almighty reconciles two large groups of Muslims through him; because the Messenger of Allah ﷺ gave this news, and the news given by you ﷺ cannot be contrary to reality, rather it is absolutely true, and you ﷺ do not speak from your own desire. May Allah's mercy, peace, and blessings be upon you ﷺ. (Sharh Sunan Abi Dawood lil-Abbad: Vol 522 p3)
يَرْحَمُ: is a refutation of the Mu'tazila, who accept the Merciful but deny the attribute of mercy. Here, Yarum is practically described as an attribute of Allah.
الرُّحَمَاءَ: is an intensive form and the plural of Rahim. (Meaning) there is great softness and compassion in their hearts. So Allah Almighty has mercy on His servants.
And the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: These tears are not contrary to the feeling of mercy, nor have they been prohibited.
Mourning, shouting, wailing, tearing clothes, etc., have been prohibited.
And saying such phrases that are based on falsehood has also been prohibited.
Speech and lamentation and wailing have also been prohibited.
And the purpose of the hadith: Affirmation of the attribute of mercy of Allah, the Lord of Glory, and our faith in it, and the mercy of Allah, the Lord of Glory, is true. And what its exact nature is, we do not know.
