Volume 3, Book 34, Number 418:
Narrated Ibn ‘Umar:
The Prophet said, “While three persons were walking, rain began to fall and they had to enter a
cave in a mountain. A big rock rolled over and blocked the mouth of the cave. They said to each oth –
er, ‘Invoke Allah with the best deed you have performed (so Allah might remove the rock)’. One of
them said, ‘O Allah! My parents were old and I used to go out for grazing (my animals). On my re –
turn I would milk (the animals) and take the milk in a vessel to my parents to drink. After they had
drunk from it, I would give it to my children, family and wife. One day I was delayed and on my re –
turn I found my parents sleeping, and I disliked to wake them up. The children were crying at my
feet (because of hunger). That state of affairs continued till it was dawn. O Allah! If You regard that I
did it for Your sake, then please remove this rock so that we may see the sky.’ So, the rock was moved
a bit. The second said, ‘O Allah! You know that I was in love with a cousin of mine, like the deepest
love a man may have for a woman, and she told me that I would not get my desire fulfilled unless I
paid her one-hundred Dinars (gold pieces). So, I struggled for it till I gathered the desired amount,
and when I sat in between her legs, she told me to be afraid of Allah, and asked me not to deflower
her except rightfully (by marriage). So, I got up and left her. O Allah! If You regard that I did if for
Your sake, kindly remove this rock.’ So, two-thirds of the rock was removed. Then the third man
said, ‘O Allah! No doubt You know that once I employed a worker for one Faraq (three Sa’s) of millet,
and when I wanted to pay him, he refused to take it, so I sowed it and from its yield I bought cows
and a shepherd. After a time that man came and demanded his money. I said to him: Go to those
cows and the shepherd and take them for they are for you. He asked me whether I was joking with
him. I told him that I was not joking with him, and all that belonged to him. O Allah! If You regard
that I did it sincerely for Your sake, then please remove the rock.’ So, the rock was removed com –
pletely from the mouth of the cave.”