وَعَن أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ: «إِنَّ ثَلَاثَة فِي بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ أَبْرَصَ وَأَقْرَعَ وَأَعْمَى فَأَرَادَ اللَّهُ أَنْ يَبْتَلِيَهُمْ فَبَعَثَ إِلَيْهِمْ مَلَكًا فَأَتَى الْأَبْرَصَ فَقَالَ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ لَوْنٌ حَسَنٌ وَجِلْدٌ حَسَنٌ وَيَذْهَبُ عَنِّي الَّذِي قَدْ قَذِرَنِي النَّاسُ» قَالَ: «فَمَسَحَهُ فَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ قَذَرُهُ وَأُعْطِيَ لَوْنًا حَسَنًا وَجِلْدًا حَسَنًا قَالَ فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ الْإِبِلُ - أَوْ قَالَ الْبَقر شكّ إِسْحَق - إِلَّا أَنَّ الْأَبْرَصَ أَوِ الْأَقْرَعَ قَالَ أَحَدُهُمَا الْإِبِلُ وَقَالَ الْآخَرُ الْبَقَرُ قَالَ فَأُعْطِيَ نَاقَةً عُشَرَاءَ فَقَالَ بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِيهَا» قَالَ: «فَأتى الْأَقْرَع فَقَالَ أَي شَيْء أحب إِلَيْك قَالَ شَعَرٌ حَسَنٌ وَيَذْهَبُ عَنِّي هَذَا الَّذِي قَدْ قَذِرَنِي النَّاسُ» . قَالَ: " فَمَسَحَهُ فَذَهَبَ عَنْهُ وَأُعْطِيَ شَعَرًا حَسَنًا قَالَ فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ الْبَقَرُ فَأُعْطِيَ بَقَرَةً حَامِلًا قَالَ: «بَارَكَ اللَّهُ لَكَ فِيهَا» قَالَ: «فَأَتَى الْأَعْمَى فَقَالَ أَيُّ شَيْءٍ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ أَنْ يَرُدَّ اللَّهُ إِلَيَّ بَصَرِي فَأُبْصِرَ بِهِ النَّاسَ» . قَالَ: «فَمَسَحَهُ فَرَدَّ اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ بَصَرَهُ قَالَ فَأَيُّ الْمَالِ أَحَبُّ إِلَيْكَ قَالَ الْغَنَمُ فَأُعْطِيَ شَاة والدا فأنتج هَذَانِ وَولد هَذَا قَالَ فَكَانَ لِهَذَا وَادٍ مِنِ الْإِبِلِ وَلِهَذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الْبَقَرِ وَلِهَذَا وَادٍ مِنَ الْغَنَمِ» . قَالَ: «ثُمَّ إِنَّهُ أَتَى الْأَبْرَصَ فِي صُورَتِهِ وَهَيْئَتِهِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِسْكِينٌ قَدِ انْقَطَعَتْ بِيَ الْحِبَالُ فِي سَفَرِي فَلَا بَلَاغَ لِيَ الْيَوْمَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ثُمَّ بِكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِالَّذِي أَعْطَاكَ اللَّوْنَ الْحسن وَالْجَلد الْحسن وَالْمَال بَعِيرًا أتبلغ عَلَيْهِ فِي سَفَرِي فَقَالَ الْحُقُوق كَثِيرَة فَقَالَ لَهُ كَأَنِّي أَعْرِفُكَ أَلَمْ تَكُنْ أَبْرَصَ يَقْذَرُكَ النَّاسُ فَقِيرًا فَأَعْطَاكَ اللَّهُ مَالًا فَقَالَ إِنَّمَا وَرِثْتُ هَذَا الْمَالَ كَابِرًا عَنْ كَابِرٍ فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِبًا فَصَيَّرَكَ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَا كُنْتَ» . قَالَ: «وَأَتَى الْأَقْرَعَ فِي صُورَتِهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ مِثْلَ مَا قَالَ لِهَذَا وَرَدَّ عَلَيْهِ مِثْلَ مَا رَدَّ عَلَى هَذَا فَقَالَ إِنْ كُنْتَ كَاذِبًا فَصَيَّرَكَ اللَّهُ إِلَى مَا كُنْتَ» . قَالَ: «وَأَتَى الْأَعْمَى فِي صُورَتِهِ وَهَيْئَتِهِ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِسْكِينٌ وَابْنُ سَبِيلٍ انْقَطَعَتْ بِيَ الْحِبَالُ فِي سَفَرِي فَلَا بَلَاغَ لِيَ الْيَوْمَ إِلَّا بِاللَّهِ ثُمَّ بِكَ أَسْأَلُكَ بِالَّذِي رَدَّ عَلَيْكَ بَصَرَكَ شَاةً أَتَبَلَّغُ بِهَا فِي سَفَرِي فَقَالَ قَدْ كُنْتُ أَعْمَى فَرَدَّ اللَّهُ إِلَيَّ بَصَرِي فَخُذْ مَا شِئْتَ وَدَعْ مَا شِئْتَ فَوَاللَّهِ لَا أجهدك الْيَوْم شَيْئا أَخَذْتَهُ لِلَّهِ فَقَالَ أَمْسِكْ مَالَكَ فَإِنَّمَا ابْتُلِيتُمْ فقد رَضِي عَنْك وَسخط على صاحبيك»

He said he had heard the Prophet say there were three men among the B. Isra’il, one leprous, one bald and one blind, whom God wished to test. He therefore sent to them an angel who came to the leper and asked him what he would like best and he replied, “A good colour, a good skin, and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people.” Thereupon he stroked him and his loathsomeness departed and he was given a good colour and a good skin. He then asked What property he would like best and he replied that he would like camels—or perhaps he said cattle, for Ishaq* was uncertain, but either the leper or bald man said camels and the other said cattle. He was given a she-camel ten months gone with young, the angel expressing the wish that God’s blessing might accompany it. He then went to the bald man and asked him what he would like best and he replied, "Good hair, and to be rid of what makes me loathsome to people.” Thereupon he stroked him and it departed from him and he was given good hair. He then asked what property he would like best and he replied that he would like cattle, so he was given a pregnant cow, the angel expressing the wish that God’s blessing might accompany it. He then went to the blind man and asked him what he would like best, and he replied, "That God should restore my sight to me so that I may see people.” Thereupon he stroked him and God restored his sight to him. He then asked what property he would like best and he replied that he would like sheep, so he was given a pregnant ewe. Flocks and herds were produced for the three men, the one having a wadi with camels, the second one with cattle, and the third one with sheep. Then the angel came to the one who had been a leper in the form and appearance of a leper and said, “I am a poor man whose resources are exhausted in my journey, and my only means of arriving at my destination are dependent on God and then on you, so I ask you by Him who gave you the good colour, the good skin and the property for a camel by which I may get to the end of my journey,” but he replied, "I have many dues to pay.” He then said, "I seem to recognise you. Were you not a leper whom people found loathsome and a poor man to whom God gave property?” He replied, "I became heir to this property as one great in dignity from one great in dignity.”** Then he said, "If you are lying, may God return you to your former condition.” He went to the one who had been bald in the form of a bald man and said the same as he had said to the other and received a similar reply, so he said, "If you are lying, may God return you to your former condition.” He then went to the one who had been blind in the form and appearance of a blind man and said, "I am a poor man and a traveller whose resources are exhausted in my journey, and my only means of arriving at my destination are dependent on God and then on you, so I ask you by Him who restored your sight to you for a sheep by which I may get to the end of my journey." He replied, “I have been blind and God restored my sight to me, so take what you wish and leave what you wish. I swear by God that I shall not importune you today for anything you take, as I give it for God's sake." He said, “Keep your property, for you have all simply been put to a test, and God is pleased with you and displeased with your two companions.” (Bukhari and Muslim.) * Ishaq b. 'Abdallah, one of the transmitters of the tradition. ** Meaning that, he was the oldest of his family, their leader, and of the best stock. His inheritance had come from people of similar nature.