When we were with the Prophet on one of his expeditions he came upon some people and asked who they were, to which they replied that they were Muslims. A woman who had a son of hers with her was kindling a fire under her pot, and when the heat increased she moved him away. She then went to the Prophet and asked, “Are you God’s messenger?” On his replying that he was, she said, “You for whom I would give my father and mother as ransom, tell me if God is not the most merciful of those who are merciful.” He replied that He certainly is, and she asked, “Is God not more merciful to His servants than a mother to her child?” and when he assured her that He certainly is, she replied that a mother does not cast her child into the fire. God’s messenger then bowed his head and wept, and afterwards raised it, looked at her and said, “God punishes only those of His servants who act audaciously towards Him and refuse to say that there is no god but God.”
While we were with him, meaning with the Prophet, a man came forward wearing a garment and carrying something wrapped up in his hand. He said, “Messenger of God, I passed by a thicket of trees in which I heard the chirping of young birds, so I took them and put them in my garment. Their mother came and flew round over my head, so I uncovered them to let her see them, and when she alighted on them I wrapped them all up in my garment, and these are what I have with me.” He gave command to put them down, and I did so,* but their mother would not leave them, whereupon God’s messenger said, “Do you wonder at the pity of the young birds’ mother for her young? By Him who sent me with the truth, God shows more pity towards His servants than the mother of young birds shows to her young. Take them back and put them where you got them, their mother being with them.” So he took them back.
*The use of the first person seems strange here. The command was given to the man who was holding the bundle, and so one would have expected "and he did so." This is not the kind of sentence in which the change of person frequently used in Arabic style seems natural. As the text stands it would seem that ‘Amir took the bundle from the man and laid it down.
Thauban reported the Prophet as saying that a servant seeks to please God and keeps on doing so, then God who is great and glorious says to Gabriel, “My servant so and so seeks to please me, therefore my mercy had descended on him.” Gabriel says, “God’s mercy has descended on so and so,” and the bearers of the Throne and those who are around them say it until the inhabitants of the seven heavens say it, after which it comes down to him on the earth.
Abud Darda’ told of his hearing the Prophet delivering a discourse on the pulpit and saying, “He who fears standing before his Lord will have two paradises.” He asked, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals, messenger of God?” but he said a second time, “He who fears standing before his Lord will have two paradises.” He asked a second time, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals, messenger of God?” and he said a third time, “He who fears standing before his Lord will have two paradises.” He asked a third time, “Even if he commits fornication and even if he steals, messenger of God?” to which he replied, “Even in spite of Abud Darda’.”
