438 — “What have I to do with this world? What am I in relation to this world? I and this world are but like a rider who takes shade beneath a tree, then departs and leaves it behind.”

It was recorded by al-Tirmidhi (2/60), al-Hakim (4/310), and al-Tayalisi (p. 36, no. 277); from the latter, Ibn Majah (2/526), Ahmad (1/391, 441), and Abu Nu‘aym in al-Hilyah (2/102, 4/234) narrated it through various routes from al-Mas‘udi, from ‘Amr ibn Murrah, from Ibrahim al-Nakha‘i, from ‘Alqamah, from ‘Abd Allah, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, with this wording.

Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, authentic hadith.”

And it is as he said, for it has a supporting report which follows. It was also narrated by al-Tabarani and Abu al-Shaykh in Kitab al-Thawab, as cited in al-Targhib (4/113).

As for the occasion for it, Ibn Mas‘ud said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, lay down on a reed mat, which left marks on his side. When he awoke, I began to rub his side and said, ‘O Messenger of Allah, why did you not let us know, so that we could spread something over the mat for you?’ The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, then said the hadith.”

439 — “What have I to do with this world? I and this world are but like a rider travelling on a hot summer day, who takes shade beneath a tree for an hour of the day, then departs and leaves it behind.”

It was recorded by Ibn Hibban (2526), al-Hakim (4/309–310), Ahmad (1/301), and al-Diya’.