The warning regarding worldly pleasures, amusements and competing against each other

Narrated 'Amr bin 'Auf:

(an ally of the tribe of Bani 'Amir bin Lu'ai and one of those who had witnessed the battle of Badr with Allah's Apostle) Allah's Apostle sent Abu 'Ubaida bin AlJarrah to Bahrain to collect the Jizya tax. Allah's Apostle had concluded a peace treaty with the people of Bahrain and appointed Al 'Ala bin Al-Hadrami as their chief;
Abu Ubaida arrived from Bahrain with the money. The Ansar heard of Abu 'Ubaida's arrival which coincided with the Fajr (morning) prayer led by Allah's Apostle. When the Prophet finished the prayer, they came to him. Allah's Apostle smiled when he saw them and said, "I think you have heard of the arrival of Abu 'Ubaida and that he has brought something." They replied, "Yes, O Allah's Apostle! " He said, "Have the good news, and hope for what will please you. By Allah, I am not afraid that you will become poor, but I am afraid that worldly wealth will be given to you in abundance as it was given to those (nations) before you, and you will start competing each other for it as the previous nations competed for it, and then it will divert you (from good) as it diverted them." '

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ عُقْبَةَ، قَالَ ابْنُ شِهَابٍ حَدَّثَنِي عُرْوَةُ بْنُ الزُّبَيْرِ، أَنَّ الْمِسْوَرَ بْنَ مَخْرَمَةَ، أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَمْرَو بْنَ عَوْفٍ وَهْوَ حَلِيفٌ لِبَنِي عَامِرِ بْنِ لُؤَىٍّ كَانَ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ بَعَثَ أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ بْنَ الْجَرَّاحِ إِلَى الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَأْتِي بِجِزْيَتِهَا، وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ هُوَ صَالَحَ أَهْلَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ، وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْهِمُ الْعَلاَءَ بْنَ الْحَضْرَمِيِّ، فَقَدِمَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ بِمَالٍ مِنَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ، فَسَمِعَتِ الأَنْصَارُ بِقُدُومِهِ فَوَافَتْهُ صَلاَةَ الصُّبْحِ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَلَمَّا انْصَرَفَ تَعَرَّضُوا لَهُ فَتَبَسَّمَ حِينَ رَآهُمْ وَقَالَ " أَظُنُّكُمْ سَمِعْتُمْ بِقُدُومِ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، وَأَنَّهُ جَاءَ بِشَىْءٍ ". قَالُوا أَجَلْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ " فَأَبْشِرُوا وَأَمِّلُوا مَا يَسُرُّكُمْ، فَوَاللَّهِ مَا الْفَقْرَ أَخْشَى عَلَيْكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ أَخْشَى عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تُبْسَطَ عَلَيْكُمُ الدُّنْيَا، كَمَا بُسِطَتْ عَلَى مَنْ كَانَ قَبْلَكُمْ، فَتَنَافَسُوهَا كَمَا تَنَافَسُوهَا وَتُلْهِيَكُمْ كَمَا أَلْهَتْهُمْ ".

Narrated 'Uqba bin 'Amir:

The Prophet went out and offered the funeral prayer for the martyrs of the (battle of) Uhud and then ascended the pulpit and said, "I am your predecessor and I am a witness against you. By Allah, I am now looking at my Tank-lake (Al-Kauthar) and I have been given the keys of the treasures of the earth (or the keys of the earth). By Allah! I am not afraid that after me you will worship others besides Allah, but I am afraid that you will start competing for (the pleasures of) this world."

حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الْخَيْرِ، عَنْ عُقْبَةَ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ خَرَجَ يَوْمًا فَصَلَّى عَلَى أَهْلِ أُحُدٍ صَلاَتَهُ عَلَى الْمَيِّتِ، ثُمَّ انْصَرَفَ إِلَى الْمِنْبَرِ فَقَالَ " إِنِّي فَرَطُكُمْ وَأَنَا شَهِيدٌ عَلَيْكُمْ، وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لأَنْظُرُ إِلَى حَوْضِي الآنَ، وَإِنِّي قَدْ أُعْطِيتُ مَفَاتِيحَ خَزَائِنِ الأَرْضِ ـ أَوْ مَفَاتِيحَ الأَرْضِ ـ وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تُشْرِكُوا بَعْدِي، وَلَكِنِّي أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ أَنْ تَنَافَسُوا فِيهَا ".

Narrated Abu Sa'id Al-Khudri:

Allah's Apostle ﷺ said, "The thing I am afraid of most for your sake, is the worldly blessings which Allah will bring forth to you." It was said, "What are the blessings of this world?" The Prophet ﷺ said, "The pleasures of the world." A man said, "Can the good bring forth evil?" The Prophet kept quiet for a while till we thought that he was being inspired divinely. Then he started removing the sweat from his forehead and said," Where is the questioner?" That man said, "I (am present)." Abu Sa'id added: We thanked the man when the result (of his question) was such. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Good never brings forth but good. This wealth (of the world) is (like) green and sweet (fruit), and all the vegetation which grows on the bank of a stream either kills or nearly kills the animal that eats too much of it, except the animal that eats the Khadira (a kind of vegetation). Such an animal eats till its stomach is full and then it faces the sun and starts ruminating and then it passes out dung and urine and goes to eat again. This worldly wealth is (like) sweet (fruit), and if a person earns it (the wealth) in a legal way and spends it properly, then it is an excellent helper, and whoever earns it in an illegal way, he will be like the one who eats but is never satisfied."

حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " إِنَّ أَكْثَرَ مَا أَخَافُ عَلَيْكُمْ مَا يُخْرِجُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ مِنْ بَرَكَاتِ الأَرْضِ ". قِيلَ وَمَا بَرَكَاتُ الأَرْضِ قَالَ " زَهْرَةُ الدُّنْيَا ". فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ هَلْ يَأْتِي الْخَيْرُ بِالشَّرِّ فَصَمَتَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ حَتَّى ظَنَنَّا أَنَّهُ يُنْزَلُ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ جَعَلَ يَمْسَحُ عَنْ جَبِينِهِ فَقَالَ " أَيْنَ السَّائِلُ ". قَالَ أَنَا. قَالَ أَبُو سَعِيدٍ لَقَدْ حَمِدْنَاهُ حِينَ طَلَعَ ذَلِكَ. قَالَ " لاَ يَأْتِي الْخَيْرُ إِلاَّ بِالْخَيْرِ، إِنَّ هَذَا الْمَالَ خَضِرَةٌ حُلْوَةٌ، وَإِنَّ كُلَّ مَا أَنْبَتَ الرَّبِيعُ يَقْتُلُ حَبَطًا أَوْ يُلِمُّ، إِلاَّ آكِلَةَ الْخَضِرَةِ، أَكَلَتْ حَتَّى إِذَا امْتَدَّتْ خَاصِرَتَاهَا اسْتَقْبَلَتِ الشَّمْسَ، فَاجْتَرَّتْ وَثَلَطَتْ وَبَالَتْ، ثُمَّ عَادَتْ فَأَكَلَتْ، وَإِنَّ هَذَا الْمَالَ حُلْوَةٌ، مَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِحَقِّهِ وَوَضَعَهُ فِي حَقِّهِ، فَنِعْمَ الْمَعُونَةُ هُوَ، وَمَنْ أَخَذَهُ بِغَيْرِ حَقِّهِ، كَانَ الَّذِي يَأْكُلُ وَلاَ يَشْبَعُ ".

Narrated Zahdam bin Mudarrib:

'Imran bin Husain said: The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best people are my contemporaries (i.e., the present (my) generation) and then those who come after them (i.e., the next generation)." Imran added: I am not sure whether the Prophet repeated the statement twice after his first saying. The Prophet added, "And after them there will come people who will bear witness, though they will not be asked to give their witness;
and they will be treacherous and nobody will trust them, and they will make vows, but will not fulfill them, and fatness will appear among them."

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا جَمْرَةَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي زَهْدَمُ بْنُ مُضَرِّبٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عِمْرَانَ بْنَ حُصَيْنٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " خَيْرُكُمْ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ ". قَالَ عِمْرَانُ فَمَا أَدْرِي قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ بَعْدَ قَوْلِهِ مَرَّتَيْنِ أَوْ ثَلاَثًا " ثُمَّ يَكُونُ بَعْدَهُمْ قَوْمٌ يَشْهَدُونَ وَلاَ يُسْتَشْهَدُونَ، وَيَخُونُونَ وَلاَ يُؤْتَمَنُونَ، وَيَنْذِرُونَ وَلاَ يَفُونَ وَيَظْهَرُ فِيهِمُ السِّمَنُ ".

Narrated 'Abdullah :

The Prophet ﷺ said, "The best people are those of my generation, and then those who will come after them (the next generation), and then those who will come after them (i.e. the next generation), and then after them, there will come people whose witness will precede their oaths, and whose oaths will precede their witness."

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي حَمْزَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، عَنْ عَبِيدَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ قَالَ " خَيْرُ النَّاسِ قَرْنِي، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ الَّذِينَ يَلُونَهُمْ، ثُمَّ يَجِيءُ مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ قَوْمٌ تَسْبِقُ شَهَادَتُهُمْ أَيْمَانَهُمْ وَأَيْمَانُهُمْ شَهَادَتَهُمْ ".

Narrated Qais:

I heard Khabbab, who had branded his abdomen with seven brands, saying, "Had Allah's Apostle not forbidden us to invoke Allah for death, I would have invoked Allah for death. The companions of Muhammad have left this world without taking anything of their reward in it (i.e., they will have perfect reward in the Hereafter), but we have collected of the worldly wealth what we cannot spend but on earth (i.e. on building houses)."

حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ خَبَّابًا، وَقَدِ اكْتَوَى يَوْمَئِذٍ سَبْعًا فِي بَطْنِهِ وَقَالَ لَوْلاَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَهَانَا أَنْ نَدْعُوَ بِالْمَوْتِ لَدَعَوْتُ بِالْمَوْتِ، إِنَّ أَصْحَابَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ مَضَوْا وَلَمْ تَنْقُصْهُمُ الدُّنْيَا بِشَىْءٍ، وَإِنَّا أَصَبْنَا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا مَا لاَ نَجِدُ لَهُ مَوْضِعًا إِلاَّ التُّرَابَ.

Narrated Qais:

I came to Khabbab while he was building a wall, and he (Khabbab) said, "Our companions who have left this world, did not enjoy anything of their reward therein, while we have collected after them, much wealth that we cannot spend but on earth (i.e., on building)."

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي قَيْسٌ، قَالَ أَتَيْتُ خَبَّابًا وَهْوَ يَبْنِي حَائِطًا لَهُ فَقَالَ إِنَّ أَصْحَابَنَا الَّذِينَ مَضَوْا لَمْ تَنْقُصْهُمُ الدُّنْيَا شَيْئًا، وَإِنَّا أَصَبْنَا مِنْ بَعْدِهِمْ شَيْئًا، لاَ نَجِدُ لَهُ مَوْضِعًا إِلاَّ التُّرَابَ.