Hadith 40467

Chapter 1

باب 1

(1) باب فِي الْحِلْمِ وَأَخْلاَقِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم

(1) Chapter: Regarding forbearance and the character of the Prophet(pbuh)
1
حَدَّثَنَا مَخْلَدُ بْنُ خَالِدٍ الشَّعِيرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا عِكْرِمَةُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَمَّارٍ - قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي إِسْحَاقُ، - يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ - قَالَ قَالَ أَنَسٌ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ أَحْسَنِ النَّاسِ خُلُقًا فَأَرْسَلَنِي يَوْمًا لِحَاجَةٍ فَقُلْتُ وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَذْهَبُ . وَفِي نَفْسِي أَنْ أَذْهَبَ لِمَا أَمَرَنِي بِهِ نَبِيُّ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَ فَخَرَجْتُ حَتَّى أَمُرَّ عَلَى صِبْيَانٍ وَهُمْ يَلْعَبُونَ فِي السُّوقِ فَإِذَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَابِضٌ بِقَفَاىَ مِنْ وَرَائِي فَنَظَرْتُ إِلَيْهِ وَهُوَ يَضْحَكُ فَقَالَ " يَا أُنَيْسُ اذْهَبْ حَيْثُ أَمَرْتُكَ " . قُلْتُ نَعَمْ أَنَا أَذْهَبُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . قَالَ أَنَسٌ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ خَدَمْتُهُ سَبْعَ سِنِينَ أَوْ تِسْعَ سِنِينَ مَا عَلِمْتُ قَالَ لِشَىْءٍ صَنَعْتُ لِمَ فَعَلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا . وَلاَ لِشَىْءٍ تَرَكْتُ هَلاَّ فَعَلْتَ كَذَا وَكَذَا .

Anas said:
the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was one of the best of men in character. One day he sent me to do something, and I said: I swore by Allah that I would not go. But in my heart I felt that I should go to do what the Prophet of Allah (ﷺ) had commanded me; so I went out and came upon some boys who were playing in the street. All of a sudden the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who had come up behind caught me by the back of the neck, and when I looked at him he was laughing. He said: Go where I ordered you, little Anas. I replied: Yes, I am going, Apostle of Allah! Anas said: I swear by Allah, I served him for seven or nine years, and he never said to me about a thing which I had done: Why did you do such and such? Nor about a thing which I left: why did not do such and such?

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 4773

In-book reference: Book 43, Hadith 1

English translation: Book 42, Hadith 4755