Compiled by Imam Muslim ibn al-Hajjaj
حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الأَعْلَى، - وَتَقَارَبَا فِي اللَّفْظِ - قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ أَبِي السَّلِيلِ، عَنْ أَبِي حَسَّانَ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لأَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ إِنَّهُ قَدْ مَاتَ لِيَ ابْنَانِ فَمَا أَنْتَ مُحَدِّثِي عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِحَدِيثٍ تُطَيِّبُ بِهِ أَنْفُسَنَا عَنْ مَوْتَانَا قَالَ قَالَ نَعَمْ " صِغَارُهُمْ دَعَامِيصُ الْجَنَّةِ يَتَلَقَّى أَحَدُهُمْ أَبَاهُ - أَوْ قَالَ أَبَوَيْهِ - فَيَأْخُذُ بِثَوْبِهِ - أَوْ قَالَ بِيَدِهِ - كَمَا آخُذُ أَنَا بِصَنِفَةِ ثَوْبِكَ هَذَا فَلاَ يَتَنَاهَى - أَوْ قَالَ فَلاَ يَنْتَهِي - حَتَّى يُدْخِلَهُ اللَّهُ وَأَبَاهُ الْجَنَّةَ " . وَفِي رِوَايَةِ سُوَيْدٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو السَّلِيلِ وَحَدَّثَنِيهِ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى - يَعْنِي ابْنَ سَعِيدٍ - عَنِ التَّيْمِيِّ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ وَقَالَ فَهَلْ سَمِعْتَ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم شَيْئًا تُطَيِّبُ بِهِ أَنْفُسَنَا عَنْ مَوْتَانَا قَالَ نَعَمْ .
I said to Abu Huraira that my two children had died. Would you narrate to me anything from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) a hadith which would soothe our hearts in our bereavements? He said: Yes. Small children are the fowls of Paradise. If one of them meets his father (or he said his parents) he would take hold of his cloth, or he said with his hand as I take hold of the hem of your cloth (with my hand). And he (the child) would not take off (his hand) from it until Allah causes his father to enter Paradise. This hadith has been narrated on the authority of Tamim with the same chain of transmitters. And he is reported to have said: Did you hear from Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) anything which may soothe our heart in our bereavements? He said: Yes.