Hadith 1696
Hadeeth of Abu 'Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah, whose name was 'Amir bin Abdullah
Abu Hisbah Muslim bin Ukyas, the freed slave of ‘Abdullah bin ‘Amir, narrated from Abu "Ubaidah bin al-Jarrah:
a man entered upon him [Abu "Ubaidah] and found him weeping. He said: Why are you weeping, O Abu "Ubaidah? He said: We are weeping because the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned one day the victories that Allah would grant to the Muslims and how much booty lie would grant them, and he even mentioned Syria. He said: “If you live long, O Abu ‘Ubaidah, three servants will be enough for you: a servant to serve you, a servant to travel with you and a servant to serve your family and take care of them. And three mounts will be sufficient for you: a mount to carry you, a mount to carry your luggage and a mount to carry your slave.” And now here I am, look at my house, it is filled with slaves, and look at my stable, it is filled with mounts and horses. How can I meet the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) after this? The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) advised us: “The dearest of you to me and the closest of you to me is the one who meets me in the same state as he was when he left me.”
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