Allah, and then through you. I ask you, by the One who granted you a handsome complexion, healthy skin, and wealth, for a camel that will see me through on my journey.’ He replied, ‘I have many obligations to meet.’ The angel said, ‘It seems I recognize you. Were you not once a leper, shunned by people, poor, and then Allah enriched you?’ He retorted, ‘I inherited this wealth, one generation after another.’ The angel said, ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to the state you were in.’

Next he went to the bald man in the very form he had once had and said the same thing to him, and the bald man answered exactly as the leper had answered. So the angel said, ‘If you are lying, may Allah return you to the state you were in.’

Then he came to the blind man in the form he had formerly had and said, ‘I am a poor traveler; my provisions have run out on the road, and I have no means today except Allah and then you. I ask you, by the One who restored your sight, for a single sheep that will help me continue my journey.’ The blind man said, ‘I was blind and Allah restored my sight. Take whatever you wish and leave whatever you wish; by Allah, I will not make matters difficult for you regarding anything you take for Allah’s sake.’

The angel said, ‘Keep your wealth; you were only being tested. Allah is pleased with you and displeased with your two companions.’ (1) Reported by al-Bukhari and Muslim.

–––

(1) “Reported by both” means that the narration is found in the collections of al-Bukhari and Muslim.

Leper: the leprous person is one afflicted with baras, a whiteness that appears on the surface of the skin.