Beautiful Virtues of the Companions

A Story of Devotion and the Qualities Allah Loves in His Servants

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The Story of Devotion

There is a beautiful story that circulates among Muslims about the Prophet ﷺ asking his companions what they love most in this world. While not authentically reported as a hadith, it contains profound wisdom about the qualities Allah loves in His servants.

The story tells that the Prophet ﷺ asked his companions:

ماذا تَحبُ من الدنيا؟

Each companion responded with virtues that reflect the highest aspirations of faith:

The Companions’ Beautiful Responses

Abu Bakr (رضي الله عنه)

“I love three things: sitting before you, looking at you, and spending my wealth for your sake.”

أحبُ منها ثــلاث: الجلوس بين يديك والنظر إليك، وإنفاقُ مالي عليك
Umar (رضي الله عنه)

“I love three things: speaking good even if in secret, forbidding evil even if publicly, and speaking the truth even if it’s bitter.”

أحبُ منها ثـلاث: قولٌ بالمعروف ولو كان سراً ونهيٌ عن المنكر ولو كان جهراً وقول الحقِ ولو كان مُــــراً
Uthman (رضي الله عنه)

“I love three things: feeding the hungry, spreading peace, and praying at night while people sleep.”

أحبُ منها ثــلات: إطعام الطعامِ ، وإفشاء السلام ، والصلاة في الليلِ والناس نيام
Ali (رضي الله عنه)

“I love three things: honoring the guest, fasting in summer, and fighting the enemy with the sword.”

أحبُ ثلاثـاً: إكرمُ الضيفِ. ، والصومِ في الصيف ، وضربِ العدو بالسيف
Abu Dharr (رضي الله عنه)

“I love three things: hunger, sickness, and death.”
When asked why, he replied: “I love hunger to soften my heart, sickness to purify my sins, and death to meet my Lord.”

أحبُ ثلاث: الجوع ، والمرض ، والموت
قال: أحب الجوع ليرق قلبي و أحب المرض ليخف ذنبي وأحب الموت لألقى ربي

The story continues that Jibreel (عليه السلام) then descended and said:

“I love three things from your world: delivering the message, fulfilling the trust, and loving the poor.”

أنا أحبُ من دنياكُم ثـــلاثً: إبلاغ الرسالة ، وآداة الآمــانةة ، وحب المساكين

Then Allah sent His greetings and said:

“I love three things: a tongue that remembers Me, a heart that fears Me, and a body that is patient with trials.”

وأنا أحبُ ثـــلاث: لســـانـــاً ذاكـــــرا. وقلبـــاً خاشــعــــــا. وجسداً على البــلاء صـــابـرا

إِنَّمَا الْمُؤْمِنُونَ الَّذِينَ إِذَا ذُكِرَ اللَّهُ وَجِلَتْ قُلُوبُهُمْ وَإِذَا تُلِيَتْ عَلَيْهِمْ آيَاتُهُ زَادَتْهُمْ إِيمَانًا وَعَلَىٰ رَبِّهِمْ يَتَوَكَّلُونَ

سورة الأنفال: ٢

“The believers are only those who, when Allah is mentioned, their hearts become fearful, and when His verses are recited to them, it increases them in faith; and upon their Lord they rely.”

Authentic Teachings That Support These Virtues

While this specific story is not authentically reported, each of these virtues is supported by authentic hadiths and Quranic verses.

The Quran and authentic Sunnah emphasize these same qualities:

Remembering Allah: “Verily, in the remembrance of Allah do hearts find rest.” (13:28)
Speaking Good: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should speak good or remain silent.” (Bukhari)
Forbidding Evil: “You are the best nation produced for mankind. You enjoin what is right and forbid what is wrong.” (3:110)
Feeding the Hungry: “They give food, despite their love for it, to the needy, the orphan, and the captive.” (76:8)
Night Prayer: “The best prayer after the obligatory prayers is the night prayer.” (Muslim)
Honoring Guests: “Whoever believes in Allah and the Last Day should honor his guest.” (Bukhari)
Patience: “Allah loves those who are patient.” (3:146)
Trust in Allah: “And upon Allah let the believers rely.” (3:122)

وَالْعَصْرِ ۞ إِنَّ الْإِنسَانَ لَفِي خُسْرٍ ۞ إِلَّا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا وَعَمِلُوا الصَّالِحَاتِ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالْحَقِّ وَتَوَاصَوْا بِالصَّبْرِ

سورة العصر: ١-٣

“By time, indeed, mankind is in loss, except for those who have believed and done righteous deeds and advised each other to truth and advised each other to patience.”

Lessons from This Story

Beautiful Qualities to Aspire To

While not an authentic hadith, this story beautifully illustrates qualities that every Muslim should strive to develop:

Devotion to Allah: The companions’ love for being near the Prophet ﷺ reflects the highest level of devotion to Allah and His Messenger.
Speaking Truth: Umar’s response emphasizes the importance of truth, even when it’s difficult – a core Islamic value.
Generosity: Uthman’s focus on feeding others and spreading peace reflects the Islamic emphasis on charity and kindness.
Worship: Ali’s mention of night prayer highlights the value of voluntary worship and spiritual discipline.
Sacrifice: Abu Dharr’s love for hardship shows the Islamic value of patience and contentment with Allah’s decree.
Trustworthiness: Jibreel’s mention of fulfilling trusts emphasizes the Islamic value of amanah (trustworthiness).
Humility: Allah’s love for those who remember Him shows that true greatness comes from humility before the Creator.

The most beautiful aspect of this story is how it shows that true faith manifests in both actions and intentions – in how we treat others and how we relate to our Creator.

إِنَّمَا يَتَقَبَّلُ اللَّهُ مِنَ الْمُتَّقِينَ

سورة المائدة: ٢٧

“Allah only accepts from the righteous [who fear Him].”

How to Develop These Qualities

Practical Steps to Cultivate These Virtues

We can develop these beautiful qualities through:

Regular Dhikr: Increase remembrance of Allah through morning/evening adhkar and regular du’a.
Truthful Speech: Commit to always speaking truth, even when it’s difficult, and avoiding gossip and lies.
Charity: Make feeding the hungry and helping others a regular practice, even in small ways.
Night Prayer: Establish the habit of tahajjud prayer, even if just a few rak’ahs.
Patience in Trials: When facing difficulties, remember they are opportunities for purification and reward.
Fulfilling Trusts: Be reliable in all commitments, big and small, as a form of worship.
Humility: Remember that all good comes from Allah, and maintain humility in success.

The path to developing these qualities is through consistent practice, sincere intention, and seeking Allah’s help through du’a and reliance on Him.

وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّهُ الدَّارَ الْآخِرَةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنْسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا ۖ وَأَحْسِنْ كَمَا أَحْسَنَ اللَّهُ إِلَيْكَ ۖ وَلَا تَبْغِ الْفَسَادَ فِي الْأَرْضِ ۖ إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَا يُحِبُّ الْمُفْسِدِينَ

سورة القصص: ٧٧

“But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world. And do good as Allah has done good to you. And desire not corruption in the land. Indeed, Allah does not like corrupters.”

Conclusion: The Beauty of Sincere Faith

The Essence of True Devotion

This story, while not authentically reported, beautifully captures the essence of sincere faith:

Love for Allah: True faith is built on love for Allah and His Messenger ﷺ.
Service to Others: Faith manifests in how we treat and serve others.
Patience and Contentment: True believers find contentment in Allah’s decree.
Worship and Remembrance: The heart finds peace in remembering and worshipping Allah.
Trust in Allah: Faith means trusting Allah in all circumstances.

May Allah help us develop these beautiful qualities in our own lives, following the example of the righteous who came before us.

Authenticity Note

Important Note About This Story

While this story contains beautiful moral lessons that align with Islamic teachings, it is important to note that this specific conversation between the Prophet ﷺ and the companions in this exact format is not authentically reported in the major hadith collections.

The individual virtues mentioned (remembering Allah, patience, generosity, etc.) are all supported by authentic hadiths, but this particular narration is considered weak (da’if) by hadith scholars. We present it here for its inspirational value, while making clear it should not be attributed to the Prophet ﷺ as an authentic saying.