Hadith: Ask whatever you want

عن أنس بن مالك قال: بينما نحن جلوس مع النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم في المسجد دخل رجل على جمل، فأناخه في المسجد ثم عقله، ثم قال لهم: أيكم محمد؟ والنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم متكئ بين ظهرانيهم، فقلنا: هذا الرجل الأبيض المتكئ. فقال له الرجل: يا ابن عبد المطلب فقال له النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: «قد أجبتك». فقال الرجل للنبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: إني سائلك فمشدد عليك في المسألة، فلا تجد علي في نفسك؟ فقال: «سل عما بدا لك» فقال: أسألك بربك ورب من قبلك، آلله أرسلك إلى الناس كلهم؟ فقال: «اللهم نعم». قال: أنشدك بالله، آلله أمرك أن نصلي الصلوات الخمس في اليوم والليلة؟ قال: «اللهم نعم». قال: أنشدك بالله، آلله أمرك أن نصوم هذا الشهر من السنة؟ قال: «اللهم نعم». قال: أنشدك بالله، آلله أمرك أن تأخذ هذه الصدقة من أغنيائنا فتقسمها على فقرائنا؟ فقال النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم: «اللهم نعم». فقال الرجل: آمنت بما جئت به، وأنا رسول من ورائي من قومي، وأنا ضمام بن ثعلبة أخو بني سعد بن بكر.
[صحيح] - [رواه البخاري]

Anas ibn Mālik reported: While we were sitting with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque, a man came riding on a camel. He made his camel kneel down in the mosque, tied its foreleg, and said: "Who amongst you is Muhammad?" At that time, the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was sitting amongst us, leaning on his arm. We replied: "This white man reclining on his arm." The man then addressed him: "O son of ‘Abdul-Muttalib!" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "I am here to answer you." The man said to the Prophet: "I want to ask you something and will be hard in questioning. So do not get angry." The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Ask whatever you want." The man said: "I ask you by your Lord, and the Lord of those who were before you. Has Allah sent you as a messenger to all mankind?" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "By Allah, yes." The man further said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer five prayers in a day and night?" He replied: "By Allah, yes." The man further said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to observe fasts during this month of the year?" He replied: "By Allah, yes." The man said: "I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to take this charity from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people?" The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: "By Allah, yes." Thereupon, that man said: "I have believed in all what you have been sent with, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger. I am Dimām ibn Tha‘labah, from the brothers of Banu Sa‘d ibn Bakr."
Sahih/Authentic. - [Al-Bukhari]

Explanation

Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: While we were sitting with the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) in the mosque, a man came riding a camel. He made it kneel down in the mosque and tied it. Then, he asked: Where is Muhammad? The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) was reclining amongst them, which indicates his modesty. The stranger could not distinguish him from his Companions. We said: This white man who is reclining. 'White' means bright, illuminating, reddish. The man addressed him, saying: O son of ‘Abdul-Muttalib! The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: I am here to answer you. In other words, I can hear you. The man further said: I will ask you some questions and will be hard in questioning, so do not get angry at me. The Prophet said: Ask whatever you want. This points out the Prophet's gentleness and that he was not a tyrant or a king. Rather, he was a servant of Allah and a modest messenger. The man said: I ask you by your Lord and the Lord of those before you. Has Allah sent you to all humankind? He asked the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) by Allah Almighty if he was really a messenger to all people. He replied: By Allah, yes. In saying "by Allah", it is as if he was calling Allah to witness, thus emphasizing his truthfulness. He further said: I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to offer the five prayers in a day and night? These are the five obligatory prayers. He said: By Allah, yes. The man further said: I ask you by Allah. Has Allah ordered you to fast this month of the year, i.e., Ramadan. He replied: By Allah, yes. The man said: Has Allah ordered you to take this charity from our rich people and distribute it amongst our poor people? This is Zakah. The Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him) replied: By Allah, yes. It appears Hajj was not yet ordained at the time of this incident. Thereupon, the man said: I have believed in what you came with, and I have been sent by my people as a messenger. This means he will convey the religion to them and the conversation that took place between him and the Prophet (may Allah’s peace and blessings be upon him). I am Dimām ibn Tha‘labah, from the brothers of Banu Sa‘d ibn Bakr. He heard about the Prophet's Da‘wah and came on behalf of his people to ascertain and verify the matter, as related in the other versions of this Hadīth.