A man passes a grave and wishes he were in it
Appeared
In brief
The Prophet ﷺ said: 'The Hour will not come until a man passes by another man's grave and says: I wish I were in his place.' In a narration in Sahih Muslim, he rolls over the grave as he says it, and it is not his religion that moves him to say it but the hardship of the trials he is living through.
Scholars say this describes times when trials are so heavy that death looks easier: through war, oppression, or the fear of losing one's faith.
Do not wish for death because of hardship. If you must, say: 'O Allah, keep me alive while life is better for me, and take me when death is better for me.'
Where it sits in the sequence
The narrations do not put these in order, and many of them overlap. Sahih al-Bukhari 7121 lists several together.
Strongest narrations
Read all in the archive →Tags are automatic and unreviewed.
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ، حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَمُرَّ الرَّجُلُ بِقَبْرِ الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي مَكَانَهُ ".
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "The Hour will not be established till a man passes by a grave of somebody and says, 'Would that I were in his place
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْيَمَانِ، أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزِّنَادِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى تَقْتَتِلَ فِئَتَانِ عَظِيمَتَانِ، يَكُونُ بَيْنَهُمَا مَقْتَلَةٌ عَظِيمَةٌ، دَعْوَتُهُمَا وَاحِدَةٌ، وَحَتَّى يُبْعَثَ دَجَّالُونَ كَذَّابُونَ، قَرِيبٌ مِنْ ثَلاَثِينَ، كُلُّهُمْ يَزْعُمُ أَنَّهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ، وَحَتَّى يُقْبَضَ الْعِلْمُ، وَتَكْثُرَ الزَّلاَزِلُ، وَيَتَقَارَبَ الزَّمَانُ، وَتَظْهَرَ الْفِتَنُ، وَيَكْثُرَ الْهَرْجُ وَهْوَ الْقَتْلُ، وَحَتَّى يَكْثُرَ فِيكُمُ الْمَالُ فَيَفِيضَ، حَتَّى يُهِمَّ رَبَّ الْمَالِ مَنْ يَقْبَلُ صَدَقَتَهُ، وَحَتَّى يَعْرِضَهُ فَيَقُولَ الَّذِي يَعْرِضُهُ عَلَيْهِ لاَ أَرَبَ لِي بِهِ. وَحَتَّى يَتَطَاوَلَ النَّاسُ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ، وَحَتَّى يَمُرَّ الرَّجُلُ بِقَبْرِ الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي مَكَانَهُ. وَحَتَّى تَطْلُعَ الشَّمْسُ مِنْ مَغْرِبِهَا، فَإِذَا طَلَعَتْ وَرَآهَا النَّاسُ ـ يَعْنِي ـ آمَنُوا أَجْمَعُونَ، فَذَلِكَ حِينَ لاَ يَنْفَعُ نَفْسًا إِيمَانُهَا لَمْ تَكُنْ آمَنَتْ مِنْ قَبْلُ، أَوْ كَسَبَتْ فِي إِيمَانِهَا خَيْرًا، وَلَتَقُومَنَّ السَّاعَةُ وَقَدْ نَشَرَ الرَّجُلاَنِ ثَوْبَهُمَا بَيْنَهُمَا، فَلاَ يَتَبَايَعَانِهِ وَلاَ يَطْوِيَانِهِ، وَلَتَقُومَنَّ السَّاعَةُ وَقَدِ انْصَرَفَ الرَّجُلُ بِلَبَنِ لِقْحَتِهِ فَلاَ يَطْعَمُهُ، وَلَتَقُومَنَّ السَّاعَةُ وَهْوَ يُلِيطُ حَوْضَهُ فَلاَ يَسْقِي فِيهِ، وَلَتَقُومَنَّ السَّاعَةُ وَقَدْ رَفَعَ أُكْلَتَهُ إِلَى فِيهِ فَلاَ يَطْعَمُهَا ".
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "The Hour will not be established (1) till two big groups fight each other whereupon there will be a great number of casualties on both sides and they will be following one and the same religious doctrine, (2) till about thirty Dajjals (liars) appear, and each one of them will claim that he is Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), (3) till the religious knowledge is taken away (by the death of Religious scholars) (4) earthquakes will increase in number (5) time will pass quickly, (6) afflictions will appear, (7) Al-Harj, (i.e., killing) will increase, (8) till wealth will be in abundance ---- so abundant that a wealthy person will worry lest nobody should accept his Zakat, and whenever he will present it to someone, that person (to whom it will be offered) will say, 'I am not in need of it, (9) till the people compete with one another in constructing high buildings, (10) till a man when passing by a grave of someone will say, 'Would that I were in his place (11) and till the sun rises from the West. So when the sun will rise and the people will see it (rising from the West) they will all believe (embrace Islam) but that will be the time when: (As Allah said,) 'No good will it do to a soul to believe then, if it believed not before, nor earned good (by deeds of righteousness) through its Faith.' (6.158) And the Hour will be established while two men spreading a garment in front of them but they will not be able to sell it, nor fold it up; and the Hour will be established when a man has milked his she-camel and has taken away the milk but he will not be able to drink it; and the Hour will be established before a man repairing a tank (for his livestock) is able to water (his animals) in it; and the Hour will be established when a person has raised a morsel (of food) to his mouth but will not be able to eat it
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَنْ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ، عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : " لاَ تَقُومُ السَّاعَةُ حَتَّى يَمُرَّ الرَّجُلُ بِقَبْرِ الرَّجُلِ فَيَقُولُ يَا لَيْتَنِي مَكَانَهُ " .
Yahya related to me from Malik from Abu'z Zinad from al-Araj from Abu Hurayra that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The Hour will not come until a man passes by the grave of another and says, 'If only I were in his place
Weak and ungraded reports on this sign
3
Shown for study, not as established. Includes Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad, which is ungraded and weak overall.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حدثنا عبد الرحمن، عن مالك، عن أبي الزناد، عن الأعرج، عن أبي هريرة، عن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: " لا تقوم الساعة حتى يمر الرجل بقبر الرجل، فيقول: يا ليتني كنت مكانك "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Not graded under this archive's policy. The verdicts recorded are listed.
حدثنا علي، أخبرنا ورقاء، عن أبي الزناد، عن الأعرج، عن أبي هريرة، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم: " لا تقوم الساعة حتى يمر الرجل بقبر الرجل، فيقول: يا ليتني مكانه، ما به حب لقاء الله "
No translation yet. Arabic only.
AI draft, not reviewed by an editor. Read the Arabic for the meaning.
Kitab al-Fitan of Nu'aym ibn Hammad: ungraded, and weak overall. Never established on its own.
ليأتين عليكم يوم يمشي أحدكم إلى قبر أخيه فيقول: يا ليتني مكانه
A day will come upon you when one of you walks to his brother's grave and says: I wish I were in his place
What scholars have said
Scholars cite it as having appeared
Al-Hafiz Ibn Hajar Al-Asqalanid. 852 AH (773-852 AH)
Lists a man wishing for death among the signs that had happened as foretold.
Fath al-Bari, on Sahih al-Bukhari 7121 (Kitab al-Fitan)
Imam Ibn Battal (with Ibn Hajar's commentary)d. 449 AH (~390-449 AH)
Envying the dead in times of trial comes from fear of losing one's religion as falsehood prevails. Ibn Hajar adds that for many it will be worldly hardship instead, as in Muslim's version: 'and it is not religion that drives him, only affliction'.
Fath al-Bari, on Sahih al-Bukhari 7115
Meaning and context
'The Hour will not come until a man passes by the grave of another and says: would that I were in his place' (Sahih al-Bukhari 7115). In Muslim's version he rolls on the grave, 'and it is not religion that drives him, only affliction'. This is about despair in times of trial; it is not about suicide, and it gives no permission to wish for death.
Narrations behind this panel: Sahih al-Bukhari 7115 · Sahih al-Bukhari 7121
What the commentators said it means
- Envying the dead comes from fear of losing one's religion when falsehood prevails: Ibn Battal.
- For many the cause will be worldly affliction, so that death seems the lighter of two calamities: Ibn Hajar, following al-Qurtubi.
- It does not contradict the ban on wishing for death, which concerns bodily harm; fear for one's religion is different: Ibn Abd al-Barr.
Read with care
- If you are in despair, speak to someone you trust today. The Prophet ﷺ taught: if you must, say 'O Allah, keep me alive while life is better for me, and take me when death is better for me' (Sahih al-Bukhari 5671).
Draft: figures and wording await a researcher's check and the scholar board.