The Weeping of the Companions

On the authority of al-'Irbad ibn Sariyah (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) who said:     

"The Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) gave us a profound admonition which caused our hearts to tremble and our eyes to shed tears." (Reported by Abu Dawud, at-Tirmidhi, Ibn Majah)

On the authority of Anas (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) who said:  

"The Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) gave us a sermon, the like of which we had never heard before. He (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said "If you knew what I know you would laugh little and weep much!". Thereupon the Companions of the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) covered their faces, weeping and sniffing (Reported by Bukhari and Muslim)[1]".

The Weeping of Abu Bakr (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)

Abu Bakr's recitation in prayer could not be heard due to his excessive weeping, as we have been informed by 'Aisha (radhyAllahu ‘anha) who said:

 "During his illness the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said: "Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer". 'Aisha said, "I told the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that indeed, if Abu Bakr stands in your place (to lead the people in prayer) the people will not be able to hear him due to his (excessive) weeping. So order 'Umar to lead the prayer." The Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said again: "Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer". Then 'Aisha told Hafsah: "Tell the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) that if Abu Bakr stands in your place, the people will not be able to hear him due to his weeping, so order 'Umar to lead the people in prayer". So Hafsah did this and the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) replied: "Desist! Verily you are like the companions of Yusuf [2]. Order Abu Bakr to lead the prayer."" (Reported by al Bukhari)

"Indeed Abu Bakr is a man of tender feelings, if he takes your place he will not be able to lead the people in prayer". (Reported by al Bukhari)

The Weeping of ‘Umar (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)

The weeping of 'Umar (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) could be heard from the last rows, as it has been reported to us by 'Abdullah ibn Shaddad, who said:

"I heard the sobbing of 'Umar from the last rows while he was reciting the verse from the Qur’an: "I only complain of my grief and sorrow to Allah". (Surah Yusuf, 12:86) (Reported by al Bukhari, al Bayhaqi (2/251), Sahih)

The Weeping of 'Uthman ibn 'Affan (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)

On the authority of Hani, the freed slave of 'Uthman, who said:

 "When ‘Uthman ibn 'Affan stood at a grave he would weep until his beard was wet. So it was said to him: "Indeed you make mention of Paradise and Hellfire and you do not weep, and you are weeping at this?". He replied, "Indeed the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, "Verily the grave is the first abode of the Hereafter, if one is saved from it then what follows is made easier for him. And if one is not saved from it, then what follows is more severe". He also (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) said, "I have never seen a sight more horrid than the grave"" (Reported by at-Tirmidhi -ghareeb, Ibn Majah)

The Weeping of 'Aisha (radhyAllahu ‘anha)

Ibn al-Harith the nephew of 'Aisha (radhyAllahu ‘anha) the wife of the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) narrated that she was told that 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr (on hearing that she was selling of giving a gift) said:

"By Allah, if 'Aisha does not give this up, I will make hijrah (ie boycott) from her." She asked, "Did he say this?". They replied, "Yes". Then 'Aisha said, "I vow to Allah that I will never speak to Ibn az-Zubayr." When this desertion was prolonged, 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr sought intercession with the people concerning her but she said, "By Allah I will not accept the intercession of anyone on his behalf and will not commit a sin by breaking my vow". When this state of affairs was prolonged on Ibn az-Zubayr (ie he felt it hard on himself), he spoke to al-Miswar bin Makhramah and 'Abdur Rahman bin al-Aswad bin 'Abd Yaghuth, who were from the tribe of Bani Zuhrah, saying "I beseech you by Allah to (help) me to enter upon 'Aisha, for it is unlawful for her to vow to cut off relations with me [3] ". So al-Miswar and 'Abdur Rahman went with him wrapping their cloaks around themselves, they went to 'Aisha and asked her permission (to enter) saying "Assalamu alayki wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu! May we come in?" 'Aisha responded "Come in". They asked, "All of us?". She replied "Yes, come in, all of you" unaware that Ibn az-Zubayr was also with them. So when they entered, Ibn az-Zubayr entered the place which screened ('Aisha from the other men and embraced 'Aisha and started requesting her to excuse him and wept. al-Miswar and 'Abdur Rahman also started urging her to speak to him and to accept his apology. They said to her: "You know what the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) forbade regarding deserting (not speaking to your Muslim brethren), for it is unlawful for any Muslim not to talk to his brother for more than three nighst". So when they increased in reminding her (of the superiority of having good relations with kith and kin, and of excusing others sins) and of the unhappy and unpleasant constrictions that are a consequence of breaking the ties of relationship, she started reminding them while she wept saying, "I have made a vow, and (the issue of a) vow is a different one". They persisted in their appeal until she spoke to 'Abdullah ibn az-Zubayr and she freed forty slaves as an expiation for her vow. Later on whenever she remembered her vow, she would weep so profusely that her veil would become wet with her tears". (Reported by al Bukhari)

The Weeping of Umm Ayman (radhyAllahu ‘anha) and Her Stirring of Abu Bakr and 'Umar to Weep

On the authority of Anas who said: "Abu Bakr said to 'Umar, after the death of the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam),

"Let us go and visit Umm Ayman (the nursemaid/servant of the Prophet saw during his childhood), as the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) used to visit her." When they finished visiting her (and were about to leave) she began to cry. So they asked her: "What is it that makes you cry? Is not that which is with Allah better for the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)?" So she replied, "I am not crying because I am unaware that that which is with Allah is better for the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) but I am crying because the revelation from the heavens has stopped." This moved them to tears, so they both began to weep with her." (Reported by Muslim)

The Weeping of 'Abdur Rahman ibn 'Auf (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)

On the authority on Sa'd ibn Ibrahim, that his father said:

 'Abdur Rahman ibn 'Aud was brought some food when he had been fasting, and he remarked: "Mus'ab ibn 'Umayr has been martyred, and he was better than me. His shroud was so short, that if his head was covered (with it) then his legs showed, and if his legs were covered, then his head showed, and I witnessed this." He also said, "Hamzah was martyred and he was better than me. And now the world has been spread out for us." Or he said: "We have been given the Abu ndance of the world, and we fear that we have been rewarded for our good deeds here (quickly in this world only)". Then he began to cry, such that he left his food" (Reported by al Bukhari)

The Weeping of Salman al-Farsi (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)

On the authority of Anas (radhyAllahu ‘anhu) who said:

"Salman was suffering from illness, so Sa'd visited him and saw him crying, so he said to him, "What is it that makes you weep, O my brother? Did you not accompany the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam)? Is that not so, is that not so?!" Salman replied, "I am not weeping for either of the following reasons: I am not weeping for the sake of the world nor out of hate of the Hereafter. Rather the Messenger of Allah (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) entrusted me with a pledge, and I can only see myself as having transgressed." So he asked, "What were you entrusted with?" He replied, "He entrusted me with a pledge that the provision of a traveller should suffice anyone of us, and I see myself as only having transgressed. And as for you, O Sa'd! Fear Allah with your ruling when you make a judgement, and fear Him with your distribution when you distribute, and fear Him with your intention when you intend to do something."" (Reported by Ibn Majah and others)

Thabit said:

"I heard that he only left twenty dirhams from the money that he had (after his death)" (Reported by Sahih Sunan Ibn Majah)

The Weeping of Abu Hashim ibn 'Utbah (radhyAllahu ‘anhu)

On the authority of Samurah bin Sahm, who said:

 "I went to Abu Hashim ibn 'Utbah and he had a knife wound. So Mua'wiyah came to visit him, and Abu Hashim was crying. So Mua'wiyah asked: "What is it that makes you cry, O Uncle?! Is it the pain or is it for the world (that you are crying)?" He replied, "Neither, but the Messenger of Allah entrusted me with a trust and I wish that I had carried it out." He said, "Verily you may attain some of the wealth which will be divided between the people. Indeed, sufficient for you is: a servant and a riding animal for the sake of Allah." So I did attain this wealth and accumulated it (ie he acquired more than what the Prophet (sallAllahu ‘alaihi wa sallam) advised him to suffice himself with)." (Reported by Ahmad, at-Tirmidhi, an-Nasa’i, Ibn Majah)