“What is the matter with you that you do not seek what so-and-so seek?” He replied: “I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, say: ‘Ahead of you lies a formidable ascent; those heavily burdened will not cross it.’ I therefore wish to lighten my burden for that ascent.” He said: “Al-Tabarani transmitted it with an authentic chain of transmission.”

I say: He then cited in support of it a similar report from the hadith of Anas, though its chain contains weakness. I also found another supporting report with the wording: “None will cross it except one who is lean and emaciated.” However, its chain is weak and its wording is rejected. I therefore included it in al-Da‘ifah, no. 3176.

“Mukhiff” means one lightly burdened by sins and by whatever leads to them. Al-Nihayah states: “It is said that a man has become lightly burdened, and so he is a mukhiff; likewise, he is called light or lightly burdened when his effects and mount are light, or when he bears little weight. What is meant is one lightly burdened by sins, worldly concerns, and their attachments.”

2481 — “The likeness of the believer and death is that of a man who has three close companions. One of them is his wealth, which says: ‘Take whatever you wish.’ Another says: ‘I am with you, and when you die, I shall lower you into the grave.’ The third says: ‘I am with you, and I shall go forth with you.’ One of them is his wealth, another is his family and children, and the other is his deeds.”

Al-Bazzar transmitted it (313): Muhammad ibn Abi Marhum and Ahmad ibn Jamil narrated to us; they said: Al-Nadr ibn Shumayl narrated to us; Hammad ibn Salamah narrated to us from Simak ibn Harb, from al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir, who said: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, said it. I say: This is a good chain of transmission. Its narrators are trustworthy narrators of Muslim, despite some weakness having been noted in some of them,