It was narrated that Abu Hurairah, may Allaah be pleased with him, said: “I heard the Messenger of Allaah, peace and blessing be upon him, saying, "Allaah The Almighty willed to test three Israelis who were a Leper, a blind man and a bald-headed man. So, he sent them an angel who came to the leper and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He replied, "Good color and good skin, for the people have a strong aversion to me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given a good color and beautiful skin. The angel asked him, 'What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Camels (or cows).' (The narrator is in doubt, for either the leper or the bald-headed man demanded camels and the other demanded cows.) So he (i.e. the leper) was given a pregnant she-camel, and the angel said (to him), 'May Allaah bless you in it.'

The angel then went to the bald-headed man and said, 'What thing do you like most?' He said, 'I like good hair and wish to be cured of this disease, for the people feel repulsion for me.' The angel touched him and his illness was cured, and he was given good hair. The angel asked (him), 'What kind of property do you like best' He replied, 'Cows,' The angel gave him a pregnant cow and said, 'May Allaah bless you in it.' The angel went to the blind man and asked, 'What thing do you like best?' He said, '(I like) that Allaah The Almighty may restore my eye-sight to me so that I may see the people.' The angel touched his eyes and Allaah The Almighty gave him back his eye-sight. The angel asked him, "What kind of property do you like best?' He replied, 'Sheep.' The angel gave him a pregnant sheep. Afterwards, all the three pregnant animals gave birth to young ones, and multiplied and brought forth so much that one of the (three) men had a herd of camels filling a valley, and one had a herd of cows filling a valley, and one had a flock of sheep filling a valley. Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a leper, went to the leper and said, I am a poor man, who has lost all means of livelihood while on a journey. So none will satisfy my need except Allaah The Almighty and then you. In the Name of Him Who has given you such nice color and beautiful skin, and so much property, I ask you to give me a camel so that I may reach my destination. The man replied, 'I have many obligations (so I cannot give you).' The angel said, 'I think I know you; were you not a leper to whom the people had a strong aversion? Were not you a poor man, and then Allaah The Almighty gave you (all this property).' He replied, '(This is all wrong), I got this property through inheritance from my fore-fathers' The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allaah The Almighty make you as you were before. '

Then the angel, disguised in the shape and appearance of a bald man, went to the bald man and said to him the same as he told the first one, and he too answered the same as the first one did. The angel said, 'If you are telling a lie, then let Allaah The Almighty make you as you were before.'

The angel, disguised in the shape of a blind man, went to the blind man and said, 'I am a poor man and a traveler, whose means of livelihood have been exhausted while on a journey. I have nobody to help me except Allaah The Almighty, and after Him, you yourself. I ask you in the Name of Him Who has given you back your eye-sight to give me a sheep, so that with its help, I may complete my journey' The man said, 'No doubt, I was blind and Allaah The Almighty gave me back my eye-sight; I was poor and Allaah The Almighty made me rich; so take anything you wish from my property. By Allaah The Almighty, I will not stop you for taking anything (you need) of my property which you may take for Allaah's Sake.' The angel replied, 'Keep your property with you. You (i.e. three men) have been tested and Allaah The Almighty is pleased with you and is angry with your two companions." 

Amongst the lessons drawn from the above-mentioned Hadeeth:

1- Allaah The Almighty tests and tries His worshipers to make evident those who are truthful and liars.

2- Tests can be in lives, wealth, children and the like.

3- Nothing is more beloved for the one who is tested with disease than that his disease dissipates and getting recovered.

4- Allaah The Almighty is the One Who gives and withholds, makes rich and poor according to His Estimation and Wisdom. Thus, Muslim should put all his trust and attach his heart to Allaah The Almighty, fears nothing but Him and hopes for nothing except from Him.

5- Tawheed (i.e. Islamic monotheism) and etiquette indicate not to attribute recovering from illness and richness to anyone but to Allaah The Almighty alone as we see in the Hadeeth (No doubt, I was blind and Allaah The Almighty gave me back my eye-sight).

6- Ignorant person does not give when he becomes rich. However, the sane person gives in plenty, remembering the statement of the Prophet, peace and blessing be upon him: "Every day two angels come down from Heaven and one of them says, 'O Allaah! Compensate every person who spends in Your Cause,' and the other (angel) says, 'O Allaah! Destroy every miser."

7- Some rich people forget their past and the times of their poverty and get angry from those who remind them with such days although this implies good for them i.e. they will remember the Graces of Allaah The Almighty and thus they may thank Him for them.

8- Whoever thanks and gives poor, Allaah The Almighty will increase his richness and bless his life for him. Whoever withholds and be miser, he exposes himself to lose the grace and get Wrath of the Lord who says (what means): {"If you give thanks (by accepting Faith and worshipping none but Allaah), I will give you more (of My Blessings), but if you are thankless (i.e. disbelievers), verily! My Punishment is indeed severe."} [Quran 14: 7]

9- Generosity and fulfilling the obligatory rights bring graces, dissipate wrath, please the Lord and vice versa i.e. not fulfilling the obligatory rights brings evil and cause the wrath of the Lord as Allaah The Almighty says (what means): {Behold! You are those who are called to spend in the Cause of Allaah, yet among you are some who are niggardly. And whoever is niggardly, it is only at the expense of his ownself. But Allaah is Rich (Free of all wants), and you (mankind) are poor. And if you turn away (from Islam and the obedience of Allaah), He will exchange you for some other people, and they will not be your likes.} [Quran 47: 38]

10-        The Hadeeth implies that it is permissible to narrate what occurred to the past generations so that those who listen to them may be admonished. This does not imply any backbiting. This is really the secret behind not mentioning their names.

11-        The Hadeeth gives a warning against denying the Graces of Allaah The Almighty and encourages thanking and acknowledging them and praising Allaah The Almighty for them.

12-        The Hadeeth refers to the virtue of spending in charity and urges adopting kindness with the weak people, being generous with them and fulfilling for them their needs.

13-        The Hadeeth warns against stinginess because it made the miser to be untruthful and deny the graces of Allaah The Almighty.    

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