Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Datuk Mufti. I once heard a sermon from an ustaz where he said that the Prophet PBUH said that there are three signs of happiness which are; a huge house, a good neighbor and an excellent vehicle. Is this hadith true?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrt wbt,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
Yes, there is a hadith as stated by the ustaz. Among them is recorded by Imam al-Bukhari in the book al-Adab al-Mufrad. The sanad and wording of the hadith is as the following:
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ وَقَبِيصَةُ قَالاَ : حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ ، عَنْ حَبِيبِ بْنِ أَبِي ثَابِتٍ ، عَنْ خَمِيلٍ ، عَنْ نَافِعِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الْحَارِثِ ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ : مِنْ سَعَادَةِ الْمَرْءِ الْمَسْكَنُ الْوَاسِعُ ، وَالْجَارُ الصَّالِحُ ، وَالْمَرْكَبُ الْهَنِيءُ
“Abu Nuaim and Qabisah told us. Both said: Sufiyan narrates to us from Habib bin Abi Thabit from Khamil from Nafi’ bin Abdul Harith from the Prophet PBUH. The Prophet PBUH said: "Part of a man's happiness is a spacious dwelling, a good neighbour, and a good mount."
Narrated by al-Bukhari (457) in al-Adab al-Mufrad
The wording of the hadith is also recorded by Imam Ahmad in his Musnad, hadith number 15372 and it is also mentioned by Imam al-Baihaqi in Syu’ab al-Iman hadith number 9558. Al-Hakim also recorded this hadith evaluating the hadith as sahih.
In another narration which states signs other than happiness in a person’s life, the Prophet PBUH also states the signs of sadness for a person. Among the recorded narration is by Ibn Hibban in his sahih. He said:
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ بْنِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ مَوْلَى ثَقِيفٍ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْعَزِيزِ بْنِ أَبِي رِزْمَةَ ، قَالَ : حَدَّثَنَا الْفَضْلُ بْنُ مُوسَى ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي هِنْدٍ ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ سَعْدِ بْنِ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : أَرْبَعٌ مِنَ السَّعَادَةِ : الْمَرْأَةُ الصَّالِحَةُ ، وَالْمَسْكَنُ الْوَاسِعُ ، وَالْجَارُ الصَّالِحُ ، وَالْمَرْكَب الْهَنِيءُ ، وَأَرْبَعٌ مِنَ الشَّقَاوَةِ : الْجَارُ السُّوءُ ، وَالْمَرْأَةُ السُّوءُ ، وَالْمَسْكَنُ الضِّيقُ ، وَالْمَرْكَبُ السُّوءُ
“Muhammad bin Ishak bin Ibrahim Maula to Thaqif told us. We said: Muhammad bin Abdul Aziz bin Abu Rimzah told us. He said: al-Fadhl bin Musa told us. From Abdullah bin Sa’id bin Abu Hind from Ismail Muhammad bin Sa’ad bin Abu Waqqas from his father from his grandfather. His grandfather (Sa’ad bin Abu Waqqas) said: The Prophet PBUH said: 4 signs of happiness. A good wife, a spacious house and an excellent mount. While the 4 signs of sadness are a bad neighbour, a lousy wife, a cramped house and an atrocious mount.”
Narrated by Ibnu Hibban (4032) in his Sahih.
Syeikh Syu’aib al-Arnaut explained that the sanad of the hadith is sahih according to the conditions set by Imam al-Bukhari.
As a conclusion, the hadith is thabit from the Prophet PBUH and sahih. May Allah SWT give us the correct understanding in religion. Wallahua’lam.