The Group of People from whom Death was taken away

This hadeeth shows the example of longevity of nation from the past from whom death was taken away, it also shows ill-effect of the life without death.

36 - علي بن إبراهيم، عن أبيه، عن ابن أبي عمير، عن هشام بن سالم، عن أبي عبد الله (عليه السلام) قال: إن قوما فيما مضى قالوا لنبي لهم: ادع لنا ربك يرفع عنا الموت فدعا لهم فرفع الله عنهم الموت فكثروا حتى ضاقت عليهم المنازل وكثر النسل ويصبح الرجل يطعم أباه وجده وأمه وجد جده ويوضيهم (4) ويتعاهدهم فشغلوا عن طلب المعاش، فقالوا: سل لنا ربك أن يردنا إلى حالنا التي كنا عليها فسأل نبيهم ربه فردهم إلى حالهم.

Imam al-Sadiq (AS) said, ‘A group of the people of the past said to their prophet, ‘Pray to your Lord to take death away from us. He did so and Allah took death away from them. They became so many that their houses became crowded and their offspring became too many. A man had to feed his father, mother and grandfather, and his great grandfather, and they had to cleanse and take care of them. They became too occupied to seek a livelihood, so they said, ‘Ask your Lord to return us to our previous state. So, their Prophet asked his Lord and He returned them to their original state.’

Source:Al-Kafi by Kulayni,Vol 3,Pg 260,H 36

Grading:

1. Majlisi:"Hasan" (Mirat ul Uqool 14/263)
2. Hadi Najafi:"Saheeh Sanad" (Mawsu'at Ahadith Ahl al-Bayt 11/335)

-It is also narrated in At-Tawheed by Sheikh Sadooq,Pg 401,H 4 with saheeh chain.