146 – “The greatness of the reward matches the greatness of the trial. When Allah loves a people He subjects them to tests; whoever is pleased will have His good pleasure, and whoever is displeased will incur His displeasure.”

It was recorded by al-Tirmidhī (2/64), Ibn Mājah (4031), and Abū Bakr al-Bazzār b. Najīḥ in “the second of his narrations” (227/2) through the chain of Saʿd ibn Sinān, from Anas, from the Prophet ﷺ.

Al-Tirmidhī said: “A ḥadīth ḥasan gharīb.”

I say: Its isnād is ḥasan; all its transmitters are trustworthy—the men of the two Shaykhs—except for Ibn Sinān, who is ṣadūq and has a few singular reports, as stated in Taqrīb al-Tahdhīb.

This ḥadīth establishes something beyond what preceded: tribulation is itself a form of good, and the one who endures it with patience and contentment toward Allah’s decree becomes beloved to Allah, exalted is He. Supporting this is the following ḥadīth:

“I marvel at the affair of the believer; his whole affair is good. If something he loves befalls him, he praises Allah and that is good for him; and if something he dislikes befalls him and he is patient, that too is good for him. No one’s entire affair is good except the believer.”

147 – “I marvel at the affair of the believer; his whole affair is good. If something he loves befalls him, he praises Allah and that is good for him; and if something he dislikes befalls him and he is patient, that too is good for him. No one’s entire affair is good except the believer.”

It was narrated by al-Dārimī (2/318) and Aḥmad (6/16) from Ḥammād ibn Salamah, who said: Thābit related to us from ʿAbd al-Raḥmān ibn Abī Laylā, from Ṣuhayb, who said:

“While the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was seated with his Companions, he laughed. He said, ‘Will you not ask me why I laughed?’ They said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, why did you laugh?’ He replied …” and he mentioned the ḥadīth.

I say: This chain is ṣaḥīḥ according to the criteria of Muslim, and he included it in his Ṣaḥīḥ (8/ …).