Virtues and Merits of the Prophet (pbuh) and his Companions: Hadith 798

Arabic Text

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ الْمَاجِشُونِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ أَبِي صَعْصَعَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَالَ لِي إِنِّي أَرَاكَ تُحِبُّ الْغَنَمَ، وَتَتَّخِذُهَا، فَأَصْلِحْهَا وَأَصْلِحْ رُعَامَهَا، فَإِنِّي سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ ‏ "‏ يَأْتِي عَلَى النَّاسِ زَمَانٌ تَكُونُ الْغَنَمُ فِيهِ خَيْرَ مَالِ الْمُسْلِمِ، يَتْبَعُ بِهَا شَعَفَ الْجِبَالِ ـ أَوْ سَعَفَ الْجِبَالِ ـ فِي مَوَاقِعِ الْقَطْرِ، يَفِرُّ بِدِينِهِ مِنَ الْفِتَنِ ‏"‏‏.‏

English Translation

Narrated Sasaa: Abu Said Al-Khudr said to me, "I notice that you like sheep and you keep them; so take care of them and their food, for I have heard Allah's Apostle saying, 'A time will come upon the people when the best of a Muslim's property will be sheep, which he will take to the tops of mountains and to the places of rain-falls to run away with his religion in order to save it from afflictions.' "