Each narration below is shown in its original Arabic alongside an English translation, with its chapter, number, and reference.
" أَفَلاَ أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا "
Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) kept standing in prayer (for such long hours) that his feet were swollen. They (his Companions) said: Verily, Allah has pardoned for thee the earlier and the later of thine sins. Thereupon he said: Should I not prove myself to be a grateful servant (of Allah)?
" يَا عَائِشَةُ أَفَلاَ أَكُونُ عَبْدًا شَكُورًا "
Allah's Messenger you do this (in spite of the fact) that your earlier and later sins have been pardoned for you? Thereupon, he said. A'isha should I not prove myself to be a thanksgiving servant (of Allah)?
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، وَأَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، عَنْ شَقِيقٍ، قَالَ كُنَّا جُلُوسًا عِنْدَ بَابِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ نَنْتَظِرُهُ فَمَرَّ بِنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ النَّخَعِيُّ فَقُلْنَا أَعْلِمْهُ بِمَكَانِنَا . فَدَخَلَ عَلَيْهِ فَلَمْ يَلْبَثْ أَنْ خَرَجَ عَلَيْنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ فَقَالَ إِنِّي أُخْبَرُ بِمَكَانِكُمْ فَمَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أَخْرُجَ إِلَيْكُمْ إِلاَّ كَرَاهِيَةُ أَنْ أُمِلَّكُمْ إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَتَخَوَّلُنَا بِالْمَوْعِظَةِ فِي الأَيَّامِ مَخَافَةَ السَّآمَةِ عَلَيْنَا .
We were sitting at the door of Abdullah (b. Mas'ud) waiting for him (to come out and deliver a sermon to us). It was at this time that there happened to pass by us Yazid b. Mu'awiya an-Nakha'i. We said: Inform him ('Abdullah b. Mas'ud) of our presence here. He went in and Abdullah b. Mas'ud lost no time in coming out to us and said: I was informed of your presence here but nothing hindered me to come out to you but the fact that I did not like to bore you (by stuffing your minds with sermons) as Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not deliver us sermon on certain days fearing that it might prove to be boring for us.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَعِيدٍ الأَشَجُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا مِنْجَابُ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ التَّمِيمِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ مُسْهِرٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ خَشْرَمٍ، قَالاَ أَخْبَرَنَا عِيسَى، بْنُ يُونُسَ ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، كُلُّهُمْ عَنِ الأَعْمَشِ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ . نَحْوَهُ . وَزَادَ مِنْجَابٌ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ عَنِ ابْنِ مُسْهِرٍ قَالَ الأَعْمَشُ وَحَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ مُرَّةَ عَنْ شَقِيقٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ مِثْلَهُ .
This hadith has been narrated on the authority of 'Abdullah through other chains of transmitters.
وَحَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، ح وَحَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، - وَاللَّفْظُ لَهُ - حَدَّثَنَا فُضَيْلُ بْنُ عِيَاضٍ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ، عَنْ شَقِيقٍ أَبِي وَائِلٍ، قَالَ كَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ يُذَكِّرُنَا كُلَّ يَوْمِ خَمِيسٍ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ إِنَّا نُحِبُّ حَدِيثَكَ وَنَشْتَهِيهِ وَلَوَدِدْنَا أَنَّكَ حَدَّثْتَنَا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ . فَقَالَ مَا يَمْنَعُنِي أَنْ أُحَدِّثَكُمْ إِلاَّ كَرَاهِيَةُ أَنْ أُمِلَّكُمْ . إِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَتَخَوَّلُنَا بِالْمَوْعِظَةِ فِي الأَيَّامِ كَرَاهِيَةَ السَّآمَةِ عَلَيْنَا .
Abu 'Abd al-Rahman, we love your talk and so we yearn (to listen to you) and earnestly desire that you should deliver us lecture every day. Thereupon he said: There is nothing to hinder me in giving you talk (every day) but the fact that you may be bored. Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) did not deliver sermons on certain days (fearing that we might be bored).