The story
The Prophet ﷺ told of three men from the people before us who set out together and took shelter in a cave at night. A huge rock rolled down the mountain and closed its mouth. They said to each other that nothing would save them except calling on Allah by a good deed each had done purely for His sake.
The first man: his parents
He had elderly parents and never gave his family milk before them. One night he came home late and found them asleep. He would not wake them, and he would not feed his family first, so he stood holding the bowl until dawn, when they woke and drank. He asked Allah: if I did that for You, relieve us. The rock moved a little, but not enough to get out.
The second man: walking away from sin
He loved a cousin of his and wanted to sin with her. In a year of famine she came to him in need, and he gave her money on that condition. When he was about to do it, she reminded him of Allah and that this was only lawful through marriage. He left her, and left the money with her, though she was the person he loved most. The rock moved a little more.
The third man: a worker's wages
He had hired workers and paid them all except one, who left without his wage. He invested it until it grew into camels, cows and sheep. Years later the worker came back asking for his pay, and he told him: all of this is yours. The worker thought he was being mocked. He was not, and the worker drove the whole herd away. The rock rolled back completely, and the three walked out (Bukhari 2272; also Sahih Muslim 2743).
What we can take from it
- Sincere deeds are saved for the day you need them. None of the three had an audience.
- It is good to ask Allah by your sincere deeds. Scholars cite this hadith for making dua through one’s own good actions.
- Honour your parents, guard your chastity, pay what you owe. Three ordinary choices, each heavy enough to move a rock.