Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2872
sahih

Narrated Anas:

The Prophet (ﷺ) had a she camel called Al Adba which could not be excelled in a race. (Humaid, a subnarrator said, "Or could hardly be excelled.") Once a bedouin came riding a camel below six years of age which surpasses it (i.e. Al-`Adba') in the race. The Muslims felt it so much that the Prophet (ﷺ) noticed their distress. He then said, "It is Allah's Law that He brings down whatever rises high in the world."

حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، عَنْ حُمَيْدٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ كَانَ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَاقَةٌ تُسَمَّى الْعَضْبَاءَ لاَ تُسْبَقُ ـ قَالَ حُمَيْدٌ أَوْ لاَ تَكَادُ تُسْبَقُ ـ فَجَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ عَلَى قَعُودٍ فَسَبَقَهَا، فَشَقَّ ذَلِكَ عَلَى الْمُسْلِمِينَ، حَتَّى عَرَفَهُ فَقَالَ ‏

‏ حَقٌّ عَلَى اللَّهِ أَنْ لاَ يَرْتَفِعَ شَىْءٌ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ وَضَعَهُ ‏

‏‏.‏ طَوَّلَهُ مُوسَى عَنْ حَمَّادٍ عَنْ ثَابِتٍ عَنْ أَنَسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 56, Hadith 88
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 124 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
One of the divine norms decreed by Allah, Exalted is He, for His creation is the regular alteration of rise and fall and the constant state of change; nothing remains unchanged in the worldly life. In this hadeeth, Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) narrated that the Prophetﷺhad a she-camel called Al-‘Adbaa,’ a nickname that literally denotes having a cleft ear. The Prophet’s camel did not have a cleft ear, despite the nickname, and it was amazingly fast and could not be excelled and outrun in a race. Once a Bedouin came riding a camel below six years of age which outran Al-‘Adbaa.’The Muslims disliked it so much that the Prophetﷺ noticed their distress and knew that they found it hard to accept such defeat. He ﷺ then said, “It is a divine norm that Allah, Exalted is He, brings down whatever rises high in this worldly life.” The Prophet ﷺ clarified to them that the divine norm decreed by Allah, Exalted is He, in governing the affairs of the worldly life entails that whenever something should rise high and becomes exalted in this worldly life, Allah, Exalted is He, lowers it and brings it down. It is deduced from the hadeeth that it is permissible to organize camel races. The hadeeth warns againstflaunting and boasting about worldly gains..
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