Volume 4, Book 56, Number 670:
Narrated Abu Huraira: that he heard Allah’s Apostle saying, “Allah willed to test three Israelis who
were a Leper, a blind man and a bald-headed man. So, he sent them an angel who came to the leper
and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He replied, “Good color and good skin, for the people have a
strong aversion to me.’ The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good
color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, ‘What kind of property do you like best?’ He replied,
‘Camels (or cows).’ (The narrator is in doubt, for either the leper or the bald-headed man demanded
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SAHIH BUKHARI VOLUME 4 > BOOK 56: VIRTUES AND MERITS OF THE PROPHET (PBUH) AND HIS COMPANIONS
camels and the other demanded cows.) So he (i.e. the leper) was given a pregnant she-camei, and the
angel said (to him), ‘May Allah bless you in it.’
The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, ‘What thing do you like most?’ He said, ‘I
like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.’ The angel
touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), ‘What
kind of property do you like bests’ He replied, ‘Cows,’ The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said,
‘May Allah bless you in it.’ The angel went to the blind man and asked, ‘What thing do you like best?’
He said, ‘(I like) that Allah may restore my eye-sight to me so that I may see the people.’ The angel
touched his eyes and Allah gave him back his eye-sight. The angel asked him, “What kind of prop –
erty do you like best?’ He replied, ‘Sheep.’ The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the
three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one
of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley,
and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley. Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance
of a leper, went to the leper and said, I am a poor man, who has lost all means of livelihood while on
a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allah and then you. In the Name of Him Who has giv –
en you such nice color and beautiful skin, and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that
I may reach my destination. The man replied, ‘I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).’ The
angel said, ‘I think I know you; were you not a leper to whom the people had a strong aversion?
Weren’t you a poor man, and then Allah gave you (all this property).’ He replied, ‘(This is all wrong),
I got this property through inheritance from my fore-fathers’ The angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie,
then let Allah make you as you were before. ‘
Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and
said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The
angel said, ‘If you are telling a lie, then let Allah make you as you were before.’
The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, ‘I am a poor man
and a traveler, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to
help me except Allah, and after Him, you yourself. I ask you in the Name of Him Who has given you
back your eye-sight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey’ The man
said, ‘No doubt, I was blind and Allah gave me back my eye-sight; I was poor and Allah made me
rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allah, I will not stop you for taking anything
(you need) of my property which you may take for Allah’s sake.’ The angel replied, ‘Keep your prop –
erty with you. You (i.e 3 men) have been tested and Allah is pleased with you and is angry with your
two companions.”