Hadeeths on hope for a long life

26-9-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Please help me find Hadeeths that speak about the one who hopes for a long life.

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, the Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, is His Slave and Messenger.

 

Hope and aspiration are mentioned in several Hadeeths, some of which are Saheeh (authentic), while others are Dha'eef (weak). 

 

We will only mention some of the Saheeh Hadeeths:

 

It was narrated on the authority of Ibn Mas‘ood that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, drew a square and then drew a line in the middle and then drew several small lines besides this central line and another line outside the square, and explained that the line in the middle of the square represents man, and the square, which encircles him on all sides, represents his life, and the line outside the square represents his hope, and the small lines are the calamities and troubles which may come upon him. If one of these misses him, another will overtake him, and if the other misses him, a third will overtake him.  [Al-Bukhari]

 

It was also narrated on the authority of Abu Hurayrah and Anas that the Prophet, sallallaahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, said that man dies while his heart still strongly longs for two things: the worldly life and a long life. The narration of Anas reads: "The desire for a long life and the love of money." [Al-Bukhari and Muslim]

 

We ask Allaah The Almighty to grant us contentment and hope in Him and His blessings in the Hereafter.  

 

And Allaah Knows best.