5 Hadiths About Grief
If you have recently experienced some type of grief, please take a look at our five stages of grief article. Then read the five ahadith below to get some comfort from the words and duas that our beloved Prophet (ﷺ) taught us about grief.
1. Khalid al-'Absi said, "A son of mine died and I felt intense grief over his loss. I said, 'Abu Hurayra, have you heard anything from the Prophet (ﷺ), may Allah bless him and grant him peace, to cheer us regarding our dead?' He replied, 'I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, "Your children are roaming freely in the Garden."'"
عَنْ خَالِدٍ الْعَبْسِيِّ قَالَ: مَاتَ ابْنٌ لِي، فَوَجَدْتُ عَلَيْهِ وَجَدَا شَدِيدًا، فَقُلْتُ: يَا أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ، مَا سَمِعْتَ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَيْئًا تُسَخِّي بِهِ أَنْفُسَنَا عَنْ مَوْتَانَا؟ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ مِنَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ: صِغَارُكُمْ دَعَامِيصُ الْجَنَّةِ.
2. Abu Sa'id and abu Huraira reported that they heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) as saying:
Never a believer is stricken with discomfort, hardship or illness, grief or even with mental worry that his sins are not expiated for him.
عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ، وَأَبِي، هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُمَا سَمِعَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " مَا يُصِيبُ الْمؤْمِنَ مِنْ وَصَبٍ وَلاَ نَصَبٍ وَلاَ سَقَمٍ وَلاَ حَزَنٍ حَتَّى الْهَمِّ يُهَمُّهُ إِلاَّ كُفِّرَ بِهِ مِنْ سَيِّئَاتِهِ " .
3. Anas b. Malik said: I used to serve the Prophet (ﷺ) and often hear him say: "O Allah, I seek refuge in You from grief and anxiety, from the hardships of debt, and from being overpowered by men."
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ كُنْتُ أَخْدُمُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَكُنْتُ أَسْمَعُهُ كَثِيرًا يَقُولُ " اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَعُوذُ بِكَ مِنَ الْهَمِّ وَالْحَزَنِ وَضَلْعِ الدَّيْنِ وَغَلَبَةِ الرِّجَالِ " . وَذَكَرَ بَعْضَ مَا ذَكَرَهُ التَّيْمِيُّ .
4. Abdullah b. 'Umar said that Sa'd b. Ubada complained of illness. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came to visit him accompanied by 'Abd al-Rahman b. 'Auf, Sa'd b. Abi Waqqas and 'Abdullah b. Mas'ud. As he entered (his room) he found him in a swoon. Upon this he said:
Has he died? They said: Messenger of Allah, it is not so. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wept. When the people saw Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) weeping, they also began to weep. He said. Listen, Allah does not punish for the tears that the eye sheds or the grief the heart feels, but He punishes for this (pointing to his tongue), or He may show mercy.
عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ اشْتَكَى سَعْدُ بْنُ عُبَادَةَ شَكْوَى لَهُ فَأَتَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَعُودُهُ مَعَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ وَسَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ وَعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ وَجَدَهُ فِي غَشِيَّةٍ فَقَالَ " أَقَدْ قَضَى " . قَالُوا لاَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ . فَبَكَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا رَأَى الْقَوْمُ بُكَاءَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَكَوْا فَقَالَ " أَلاَ تَسْمَعُونَ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لاَ يُعَذِّبُ بِدَمْعِ الْعَيْنِ وَلاَ بِحُزْنِ الْقَلْبِ وَلَكِنْ يُعَذِّبُ بِهَذَا - وَأَشَارَ إِلَى لِسَانِهِ - أَوْ يَرْحَمُ " .
5. Narrated 'Urwa: Aisha used to recommend at-Talbina for the sick and for such a person as grieved over a dead person. She used to say, "I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'at-Talbina gives rest to the heart of the patient and makes it active and relieves some of his sorrow and grief.'"
عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ ـ رضى الله عنها ـ أَنَّهَا كَانَتْ تَأْمُرُ بِالتَّلْبِينِ لِلْمَرِيضِ وَلِلْمَحْزُونِ عَلَى الْهَالِكِ، وَكَانَتْ تَقُولُ إِنِّي سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ " إِنَّ التَّلْبِينَةَ تُجِمُّ فُؤَادَ الْمرِيضِ، وَتَذْهَبُ بِبَعْضِ الْحُزْنِ ".
What's your favorite hadith or dua about grief?
Tags: Dua for grief