Seeing someone worse off than you
Whoever says it will be spared that trial, whatever it was.
مَنْ رَأَى صَاحِبَ بَلاَءٍ فَقَالَ الْحَمْدُ لِلَّهِ الَّذِي عَافَانِي مِمَّا ابْتَلاَكَ بِهِ وَفَضَّلَنِي عَلَى كَثِيرٍ مِمَّنْ خَلَقَ تَفْضِيلاً إِلاَّ عُوفِيَ مِنْ ذَلِكَ الْبَلاَءِ كَائِنًا مَا كَانَ مَا عَاشَ
Al-ḥamdu lillāhi-lladhī ʿāfānī mimma-btalāka bihi wa faḍḍalanī ʿalā kathīrin mimman khalaqa tafḍīlā.
“All praise is for Allah, who kept me safe from what He tested you with, and favoured me over much of what He created.”
Said quietly, never within their hearing. Gratitude is not something to perform in front of someone who is suffering.
The full narration
Umar narrated that:The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: “Whoever sees a person afflicted and say: ‘All praise is due to Allah Who saved me from that which He has afflicted you with, and blessed me greatly over many of those whom He has created, (Al-ḥamdulillāhi alladhī `āfānī mimmabtalāka bihī wa faḍḍalanī `alā kathīrin mimman khalaqa tafḍīla)’ then he shall be saved from that affliction for as long as he lives.”
Source
Jāmiʿ at-Tirmidhī · 3431
- Ahmad Muhammad Shakir: Hasan
- Al-Albani: Hasan
- Zubair Ali Zai: Daif
Note on the chain. Scholars differ on this chain. Zubair Ali Zai grades it Daif. The majority (2 of 3) authenticate it.
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