A man asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him): "When is the Hour?" He said: "What have you prepared for it?

Explanation

A Bedouin man, among the dwellers of the desert, asked the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) about the time of the Hour. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: What righteous deeds have you prepared for it? The questioner said: I have not prepared much deeds for it, except that I love Allah and His Messenger. He did not mention any other act of worship, be it by the heart, body, or property, for these are all branches of love dependent on it, and because true love motivates a person to strive to do righteous deeds. Thereupon, the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said to him: You will be with whom you love in Paradise. The Prophet's Companions greatly rejoiced at this good news. Then, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) informed that he loved the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) and Abu Bakr and ‘Umar and hoped he would be with them, even though his deeds were not like their deeds.

Benefits

• The Hadīth demonstrates the Prophet's wisdom through his reply to the questioner. He guided him to what concerns him and helps him attain salvation, namely to get prepared for the Hereafter by beneficial and pious deeds.
• Allah Almighty has kept knowledge of the Hour hidden from the people so that everyone will always be ready and prepared for meeting Allah.
• It highlights the merit of loving Allah and His Messenger and the righteous believers and warns of loving the polytheists.
• The Prophet's statement "You will be with whom you love" does not mean that they will be equal in rank and status. The meaning is that they will be in Paradise and able to see each other, even if the distance between them is great.
• The Hadīth directs a Muslim to preoccupy himself with things that are better and more beneficial for him and refrain from asking about things that bring him no benefit.

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