Story Which Mentions Adam Giving Away a Number of Years of His Life to Prophet Daawood

19-6-2019 | IslamWeb

Question:

Is the story which mentions Adam giving away a number of years of his life to Dawood and then denying that when the Angel of Death appeared to take his life authentic?

Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

The story that you are asking about is confirmed and it was mentioned in an authentic Hadeeth from the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ).

Abu Hurayrah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him narrated that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: "When Allah created Adam, He wiped his back and every person that He created among his offspring until the Day of Resurrection fell off his back. He placed a ray of light between the eyes of every person. Then He showed them to Adam and he said: 'O Lord! Who are these people?' He said: 'These are your offspring.' He [Adam] saw one of them whose ray between his eyes amazed him, so he said: 'O Lord! Who is this?' He said: 'This is a man from the latter nations of your offspring called Daawood.' He said: 'Lord! How long did You make his lifespan?' He said: 'Sixty years.' He said: 'O Lord! Add forty years from my life to his.' So at the end of Adam's life, the Angel of death came to him, and he said: 'Do I not have forty years remaining?' He said: 'Did you not give them to your son Daawood?'" The Prophet said: "Adam denied, so his offspring denied; Adam forgot and his offspring forgot, and Adam sinned, so his offspring sinned." [At-Tirmithi, and Al-Haakim classified it as Saheeh (authentic), and ath-Thahabi agreed with him]

At-Tirmithi said after reporting the Hadeeth:

"This is a Hasan Saheeh Hadeeth and it was narrated with different narrations by Abu Hurayrah  may  Allaah  be  pleased  with  him from the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention )." [End of quote]

Al-Haakim said after reporting this Hadeeth:

"This Hadeeth is Saheeh (authentic) according to the conditions set by Muslim; however, they (Al-Bukhaari and Muslim) did not report it." [End of quote]

Allah knows best.

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