A man passed by a human skull and reflected to himself, then he fell down in prostration. It was said to him, "Raise your head, for you are you, and I am I."
مر رجل بجمجمة إنسان، فحدث نفسه، فخر ساجدا، فقيل له: ارفع رأسك، فأنت أنت، وأنا أنا.
No references are available.
Bazzar narrated it in Kashf Astar (755), from Walid bin Amr bin Sukayn, who said, Habban bin Hilal narrated to us, Jafar bin Sulayman narrated to us, from Muhammad bin Munkadir, from Jabir, who attributed it to the Prophet, saying, and then he mentioned it. Its chain is hasan because of Bazzar's teacher, Walid bin Amr bin Sukayn Basri Dubai, of whom Nasai said, "There is no harm in him." Haythami said in Majma (2/287), "Bazzar narrated it, and its narrators are trustworthy."Khatib Baghdadi also narrated it in Tarikh Baghdad (9/92), by way of Saeed bin Nusayr Baghdadi, who said, Sayar bin Hatim narrated to us, Jafar bin Sulayman Dubai narrated to us, saying, I heard Muhammad bin Munkadir relating from Jabir, who said, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "A man from those who came before you passed by a skull and looked at it, and said something to himself, then said, 'O Lord, You are You and I am I. You are the one who returns with forgiveness, and I am the one who returns to sins.' Then he fell down prostrating to Allah, and it was said to him, 'Raise your head, for you are the one who returns to sins, and I am the one who returns with forgiveness.'"Khatib said, "Sayar bin Hatim was alone in narrating it this way, as a raised hadith, from Jafar bin Sulayman. Abbas bin Walid Narsi narrated it from Jafar, from Ibn Munkadir, from Jabir, as a stopped saying of his own, and that is more sahih."This is as he said, because Sayar bin Hatim has been criticized, while Abbas bin Walid Narsi is trustworthy, though the first chain of transmission strengthens it.The jurisprudence of this chapter is that these hadiths indicate the permissibility of the prostration of gratitude, whether from receiving a blessing, the removal of an affliction, or seeing someone afflicted with an illness or a sin, except that one should not prostrate during the prayer. It is recommended to be in a state of purity from ritual impurity for it, by analogy with the prostration of recitation.Bayhaqi related (2/325) from Ibn Umar that he said, "A man should not prostrate unless he is in a state of purity."