Authenticity of Hadith on Losing One’s Son

Question: There is a hadith to the effect that the reward for losing one’s son is Paradise?

Answer:

Wa alaykum assalam wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuh,

Dear questioner,

Thank you for your important question.

This hadith is narrated by Abd ibn Hamid and Ahmad in their Musnads, and Ibn Manda and Abu Nuaym, and is weak (Marifat al Sahaba, Ibn Manda; Musnad Ahmad, ed. Al Arnaut).

The hadith translates as follows:

A man had a boy who had come of age, and he and his son used to frequently come and see the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). But then the boy died and the man was beside himself out of sorrow for him for about six days and stopped coming to see the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him).

The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) then asked about him, ‘Where is So-and-so?’
‘O Messenger of Allah,’ they said, ‘His son died and he is beside himself with sorrow.’
When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) finally saw him, he said to him, ‘Would you prefer to have your son back as good and clever as any other boy? Would you prefer to have your son back as brave as any other boy? Would you prefer to have your son back as a good and fully adult man (kahl)? Or would you prefer it to be said to you, ‘Enter Paradise as a reward for what We took from you!?’

Despite the fact that the hadith is weak, there are many sound hadiths that tell us the meaning is true.

I pray this helps.

[Ustadh] Farid

Checked and Approved by Shaykh Faraz Rabbani

Ustadh Farid Dingle has completed extensive years of study in the sciences of the Arabic language and the various Islamic Sciences. During his studies, he also earned a CIFE Certificate in Islamic Finance. Over the years he has developed a masterful ability to craft lessons that help non-Arabic speakers gain a deep understanding of the language. He currently teaches courses in the Arabic Language