A Time for This and a Time for That

From Hanzalah al-Usayyidee who said: Abu Bakr met me and asked: How are you O Hanzalah? I Replied: Hanzalah is guilty of hypocrisy! He said: Free is Allaah and far removed from all defects! What are you saying? I said: When we are with Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) and he reminds us of the Fire and Paradise it is as if we were seeing it with our own eyes. Then when we depart from Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) and attend our wives, our children and our business, then much of this slips from our mind. Abu Bakr said: By Allaah we also experience the same. So I went with Abu Bakr until we entered upon Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam). I said: Hanzalah is guilty of hypocrisy O Messenger of Allaah (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam). So Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam) said: And how is that? I said When we are with you, you remind us of the Fire and of Paradise and it is as if we are seeing it with our own eyes. Then when we depart from you and attend our wives, our children and our business then much of this slips from our minds. So Allaah's Messenger (salallaahu 'alaihi wa'sallam said: By Him in whose hand is my soul if you remained continually as you are when you are with me and in remembering (Allaah) then the angels would shake hands with you upon your beds and upon your roads. But O Hanzalah, (there is) a time for this and a time for that, (there is) a time for this and a time for that, (there is) a time for this and a time for that.



Reported by Muslim (Eng. Trans. Vol.4, p.1436, no.6223)