441 – Saʿid ibn Sulayman narrated to us; Sulayman ibn al-Mughira narrated to us, from Humayd ibn Hilal, who said:

We were with ʿAbd Allah ibn al-Samit in the main mosque when he remarked, “How I wish that, on my return to my household—after they have eaten their supper and drunk their beverage—they would wake up dead.”

Someone in the gathering said, “Why would you wish such a thing for your family? Are you not a man of wealth?”

He replied, “Indeed I am, but I fear that what Abu Dharr once told me may overtake me. He said:

‘It will not be long, my nephew; if your appointed time is delayed, the man who is lightly burdened and quick will be more envied than twelve of them altogether, and you yourself will be saying, “My Lord, keep me firm.”

Nor will it be long, my nephew; if your life is prolonged, you will pass by a funeral and a man will shake his head and say, “Would that I were in its place,” though he does not know whether that soul is in Paradise or in the Fire.’

I said, ‘Who are these people, Abu Dharr, if not a sign that a great calamity will afflict mankind?’ ⦗625⦘ He answered, ‘Indeed so, my nephew.’