A man who asked for his punishment early
He had gone so thin he was like a fledgling.
أَفَلاَ قُلْتَ اللَّهُمَّ آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الآخِرَةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ
Allāhumma ātinā fi-d-dunyā ḥasanatan wa fi-l-ākhirati ḥasanatan wa qinā ʿadhāba-n-nār
“O Allah, give us good in this world and good in the next, and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.”
Where this comes from
He visited a man who had wasted away to nothing and asked whether he had been praying for anything. The man said yes: O Allah, whatever You were going to punish me with in the next life, bring it forward to me here. He said: glory be to Allah, you cannot bear it. Why did you not say this instead. Then he prayed for him, and he recovered.
The full narration
Anas reported that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) visited a person from amongst the Muslims in order to inquire (about his health) who had grown feeble like the chicken. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said:Did you supplicate for anything or beg of Him about that? He said: Yes. I used to utter (these words): Impose punishment upon me earlier in this world, what Thou art going to impose upon me in the Hereafter. Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Hallowed be Allah, you have neither the power nor forbearance to take upon yourself (the burden of His Punishment). Why did you not say this: O Allah, grant us good in the world and good in the Hereafter, and save us from the torment of Fire. He (the Holy Prophet) made this supplication (for him) and he was all right
Source
Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim · 6835
- Agreed upon as authentic (al-Bukhārī / Muslim)