The Virtue Of Constant Dhikr, Thinking Of The Hereafter, And Remembering That Allah Is Always Watching; Permissibility Of Stopping That Sometimes, And Attending To Worldly Matters

Hanzala Usayyidi, who was amongst the scribes of Messenger of Allah ﷺ. reported: I met Abu Bakr. He said: Who are you? He (Hanzala) said: Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. He (Abu Bakr) said: Hallowed be Allah, what are you saying? Thereupon he said: I say that when we are in the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ we ponder over Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our very eyes and when we are away from Messenger of Allah ﷺ we attend to our wives, our children, our business;
most of these things (pertaining to After-life) slip out of our minds. Abu Bakr said: By Allah, I also experience the same. So I and Abu Bakr went to Messenger of Allah ﷺ and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to be a hypocrite. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: What has happened to you? I said: Allah's Messenger, when we are in your company, we are reminded of Hell-Fire and Paradise as if we are seeing them with our own eyes, but whenever we go away from you and attend to our wives, children and business, much of these things go out of our minds. Thereupon Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: By Him in Whose Hand is my life, if your state of mind remains the same as it is in my presence and you are always busy in remembrance (of Allah), the Angels will shake hands with you in your beds and in your paths but, Hanzala, time should be devoted (to the worldly affairs) and time (should be devoted to prayer and meditation). He (the Holy Prophet) said this thrice.

حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى التَّمِيمِيُّ، وَقَطَنُ بْنُ نُسَيْرٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لِيَحْيَى - أَخْبَرَنَا جَعْفَرُ، بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ إِيَاسٍ الْجُرَيْرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ، عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ الأُسَيِّدِيِّ، قَالَ - وَكَانَ مِنْ كُتَّابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ - لَقِيَنِي أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَقَالَ كَيْفَ أَنْتَ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ قَالَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ مَا تَقُولُ قَالَ قُلْتُ نَكُونُ عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ يُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالأَوْلاَدَ وَالضَّيْعَاتِ فَنَسِينَا كَثِيرًا قَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ فَوَاللَّهِ إِنَّا لَنَلْقَى مِثْلَ هَذَا . فَانْطَلَقْتُ أَنَا وَأَبُو بَكْرٍ حَتَّى دَخَلْنَا عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " وَمَا ذَاكَ " . قُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَكُونُ عِنْدَكَ تُذَكِّرُنَا بِالنَّارِ وَالْجَنَّةِ حَتَّى كَأَنَّا رَأْىَ عَيْنٍ فَإِذَا خَرَجْنَا مِنْ عِنْدِكَ عَافَسْنَا الأَزْوَاجَ وَالأَوْلاَدَ وَالضَّيْعَاتِ نَسِينَا كَثِيرًا . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " وَالَّذِي نَفْسِي بِيَدِهِ إِنْ لَوْ تَدُومُونَ عَلَى مَا تَكُونُونَ عِنْدِي وَفِي الذِّكْرِ لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ عَلَى فُرُشِكُمْ وَفِي طُرُقِكُمْ وَلَكِنْ يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً " . ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ .

Hanzala reported: We were in the company of Messenger of Allah ﷺ and he delivered to us a sermon and made a mention of Hell-Fire. Then I came to my house and began to laugh with my children and sport with my wife. (Hanzala) further reported: I went out and met Abu Bakr and made a mention of that to him. Thereupon he said: I have done the same as you have mentioned. So we went to see Allah's Messenger ﷺ and said to him: Allah's Messenger, Hanzala has turned to he a hypocrite. And he (the Holy Prophet) said Show respite. And then I narrated to him the story, and Abu Bakr said: I have done the same as he has done. Thereupon he (the Holy Prophet) said: Hanzala, there is a time for worldly affairs and a time for (worship and devotion), and if your state of mind is always the same as it is at the time of remembrance of Allah, the Angels would shake hands with you and would greet you on the path by saying: As-Salamu-Alaikum.

حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الصَّمَدِ، سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يُحَدِّثُ، حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدٌ، الْجُرَيْرِيُّ عَنْ أَبِي عُثْمَانَ النَّهْدِيِّ، عَنْ حَنْظَلَةَ، قَالَ كُنَّا عِنْدَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَوَعَظَنَا فَذَكَّرَ النَّارَ - قَالَ - ثُمَّ جِئْتُ إِلَى الْبَيْتِ فَضَاحَكْتُ الصِّبْيَانَ وَلاَعَبْتُ الْمَرْأَةَ - قَالَ - فَخَرَجْتُ فَلَقِيتُ أَبَا بَكْرٍ فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ وَأَنَا قَدْ فَعَلْتُ مِثْلَ مَا تَذْكُرُ . فَلَقِينَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقُلْتُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ نَافَقَ حَنْظَلَةُ فَقَالَ " مَهْ " . فَحَدَّثْتُهُ بِالْحَدِيثِ فَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَأَنَا قَدْ فَعَلْتُ مِثْلَ مَا فَعَلَ فَقَالَ " يَا حَنْظَلَةُ سَاعَةً وَسَاعَةً وَلَوْ كَانَتْ تَكُونُ قُلُوبُكُمْ كَمَا تَكُونُ عِنْدَ الذِّكْرِ لَصَافَحَتْكُمُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ حَتَّى تُسَلِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ فِي الطُّرُقِ " .