Abu Sa'id al-Khudri reported that he came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ while he had a fever. He had a covering over him. He placed his hand on him and discovered that it was hot above the covering. Abu Sa'id exclaimed, 'How hot your fever is, Messenger of Allah!' He said, 'We are like that. The affliction is hard on us, but the reward is doubled for us.' He said, 'Messenger of Allah, which people have the greatest affliction?' He replied, 'The Prophets, and then the righteous. One of them was tested by poverty to such an extent that he could only find a robe to cover himself with and he wore it. Another was tested by fleas until they killed him. They have greater joy in affliction than one of you has in gifts."

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي هِشَامُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، أَنَّهُ دَخَلَ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَهُوَ مَوْعُوكٌ، عَلَيْهِ قَطِيفَةٌ، فَوَضَعَ يَدَهُ عَلَيْهِ، فَوَجَدَ حَرَارَتَهَا فَوْقَ الْقَطِيفَةِ، فَقَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ: مَا أَشَدَّ حُمَّاكَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، قَالَ: إِنَّا كَذَلِكَ، يَشْتَدُّ عَلَيْنَا الْبَلاَءُ، وَيُضَاعَفُ لَنَا الأَجْرُ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَيُّ النَّاسِ أَشَدُّ بَلاَءً؟ قَالَ: الأَنْبِيَاءُ، ثُمَّ الصَّالِحُونَ، وَقَدْ كَانَ أَحَدُهُمْ يُبْتَلَى بِالْفَقْرِ حَتَّى مَا يَجِدُ إِلاَّ الْعَبَاءَةَ يَجُوبُهَا فَيَلْبَسُهَا، وَيُبْتَلَى بِالْقُمَّلِ حَتَّى يَقْتُلَهُ، وَلَأَحَدُهُمْ كَانَ أَشَدَّ فَرَحًا بِالْبَلاَءِ مِنْ أَحَدِكُمْ بِالْعَطَاءِ.