The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Which of you loves the wealth of his heir more than his own wealth?"They replied, "Messenger of Allah, there is none among us who does not love his own wealth more than the wealth of his heir."He said, "Know that there is none among you except that the wealth of his heir is more beloved to him than his own wealth. Your wealth is only what you have sent forward, and your heir's wealth is what you have left behind."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ also said, "Whom do you consider to be the strong wrestler among you?"We said, "The one whom Some men cannot throw down."He said, "No, rather the strong wrestler is the one who controls himself when angry."The Messenger of Allah ﷺ then asked, "Whom do you consider to be the childless among you?"We said, "The one who has no children."He said, "No, rather the childless is the one who has not sent any of his children ahead of him."
حدثنا أبو معاوية حدثنا الأعمش عن إبراهيم التيمي عن الحارث بن سويد
قال رسول الله ﷺ أيكم مال وارثه أحب إليه من ماله قال قالوا يا رسول الله ما منا أحد إلا ماله أحب إليه من مال وارثه قال اعلموا أنه ليس منكم أحد إلا مال وارثه أحب إليه من ماله ما لك من مالك إلا ما قدمت ومال وارثك ما أخرت قال وقال رسول الله ﷺ ما تعدون فيكم الصرعة قال قلنا الذي لا يصرعه الرجال قال قال لا ولكن الصرعة الذي يملك نفسه عند الغضب قال وقال رسول الله ﷺ ما تعدون فيكم الرقوب قال قلنا الذي لا ولد له قال لا ولكن الرقوب الذي لم يقدم من ولده شيئا
Its isnad is sahih. The first part of it was narrated by Bukhari 11:221 from Umar bin Hafs, from his father, from Amash. Nasai narrated it 2:125 from Hannad bin Sari, from Abu Muawiya. Hafiz pointed out in al-Fath that Saeed bin Mansur narrated it in full from Abu Muawiya. The other two parts of it were narrated by Muslim 2:289 through Jareer, Abu Muawiya, and Isa bin Yunus, from Amash.Al-suraah, with the sad vowelled with a damma and the ra with a fatha, Ibn Athir said, it refers to one who excels at wrestling to the point that he is never overcome. The Prophet ﷺ transferred this term to the one who overcomes himself at the moment of anger and subdues it, for when a person masters his own soul he has overcome his strongest enemy and his worst opponent. That is why he said, "Your worst enemy is your own self, between your two sides." This is one of those expressions transferred from its original linguistic meaning by way of extension and figurative usage, and it belongs to the most eloquent kind of speech, because when an angry person is in a state of intense fury, with the impulse of anger raging within him, and he subdues it through his forbearance and throws it down through his steadfastness, he becomes like the wrestler who throws men down but is never thrown down himself.Al-raqub, with the ra vowelled with a fatha, Ibn Athir said, in the language, al-raqub refers to a man or woman who has no surviving child, because such a person watches for and anticipates their own death, fearing for the child's safety. The Prophet transferred this term to the one who has not sent any of his children ahead of him, meaning, none of his children have died before him. This was to teach that the reward and recompense belong to the one who has sent some of his children ahead, that such a loss counts for more and its benefit is greater, and that although losing them is a great matter in this world, the measure of reward and recompense for patience and submission to the divine decree in the hereafter is even greater. It also teaches that a Muslim's true child is the one he has sent ahead and counted upon with Allah, and whoever has not been granted that is like one who has no child at all. The Prophet did not intend by this to nullify the term's original linguistic meaning.