The Blind Man, Leper, and Bald Man

The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ narrated this story to teach about gratitude and the consequences of denying Allah's blessings:

Allah wanted to test three men from the Children of Israel: a leper, a bald man, and a blind man.

He sent an angel to each of them. The angel first came to the leper and asked, "What would you like most?"

He replied, "A good complexion, good skin, and to be rid of that which makes people shun me." The angel touched him, and his leprosy was cured. He was given beautiful skin and a good complexion.

The angel then asked, "What wealth would you like most?"

"Camels," he answered. So he was given a pregnant she-camel, and the angel said, "May Allah bless it for you."

The angel went to the bald man and asked the same question. He requested, "Good hair, and to be rid of this condition that makes people despise me." The angel touched him, and he was given beautiful hair.

"What wealth would you like most?"

"Cows," he replied. He was given a pregnant cow, and the angel blessed it for him.

Then the angel went to the blind man and asked, "What would you like most?"

"I wish that Allah would restore my sight so I can see people." The angel touched him, and his sight was restored.

"What wealth would you like most?"

"Sheep," he replied. He was given a pregnant sheep, and the angel blessed it.

Time passed, and the camels, cows, and sheep multiplied until the three men each had valleys full of livestock. They had become wealthy beyond measure.

Then the angel came to test them, disguised as a poor traveler in desperate need.

He came to the former leper, now a wealthy man, in the same appearance the man had before his cure. He said, "I am a poor traveler, cut off from my journey. I have no one to help me except Allah, then you. I ask you, in the name of the One who gave you this beautiful complexion and skin and wealth, for one camel to help me on my journey."

The man replied, "I have many obligations."

The angel said, "I think I know you. Were you not a leper whom people shunned? Were you not poor, and then Allah gave you wealth?"

The man denied it: "I only inherited this wealth from my forefathers."

The angel said, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to your former state."

The angel went to the former bald man, now with beautiful hair and great wealth. He made the same request in Allah's name.

The man gave the same response, denying that he had ever been bald and poor, claiming he had inherited his wealth.

The angel said, "If you are lying, may Allah return you to your former state."

Finally, the angel came to the former blind man in his original appearance. He made the same request.

The man's response was different: "I was blind, and Allah restored my sight. I was poor, and Allah made me wealthy. Take whatever you want. By Allah, I will not refuse you anything for Allah's sake."

The angel said, "Keep your wealth. This was only a test. Allah is pleased with you and displeased with your two companions."

The Prophet ﷺ taught through this story that true gratitude means acknowledging Allah's blessings and sharing them with others. Denying Allah's favors after receiving them is a form of ingratitude that may result in losing those blessings.