In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
Ifadah Center
for Humanities Studies and Research
presents:
Abridged Sahih al-Bukhari.
Chapter: Speaking in Persian and Other Foreign Tongues.
Narrated Jabir, may Allah be pleased with him:
On the Day of the Trench, while we were digging,
an extremely hard rock obstructed our work.
So the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, came,
and they said,
"This rock has obstructed the digging in the trench."
He said,
"I am going down."
Then he stood up, with a stone bound over his stomach,
for we had remained three days without tasting any food.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) took the pickaxe
and struck it,
and it turned into a crumbling, flowing mound of sand.
I said,
"O Messenger of Allah,
permit me to go home."
Then I said to my wife,
"I have seen something in the Prophet (peace be upon him)
that I can no longer bear to watch.
Do you have anything?"
She said,
"I have some barley and a young female kid."
So I slaughtered the young kid,
and she ground the barley,
until we placed the meat into the cooking pot.
Then I came to the Prophet (peace be upon him),
while the dough had softened and fermented,
and the cooking pot between the hearthstones had almost finished cooking.
I said,
"A little meal has been prepared for me,
so rise and come, O Messenger of Allah,
along with one or two men."
He said,
"How much is it?"
So I described it to him.
He said,
"That is plenty and good!"
He added,
"Tell her
not to remove the cooking pot,
nor the bread from the oven,
until I arrive."
Then he said,
"Arise, all of you!"
In another narration:
He said,
"O people of the Trench!
Jabir has prepared a feast,
so come along!"
Thus, the Muhajirun and the Ansar stood up.
When Jabir entered upon his wife, he said,
"Woe to you!
The Prophet (peace be upon him) has arrived,
bringing the Muhajirun, the Ansar, and everyone with them!"
She said,
"Did he ask you?"
I said, "Yes."
Then the Prophet (peace be upon him) said,
"Enter, and do not crowd one another."
He then began breaking the bread and placing meat upon it,
covering the cooking pot and the oven whenever he took from them,
and serving his Companions, then drawing more.
He continued breaking the bread and ladling out the stew
until they were all fully sated, and leftover food still remained.
In another narration:
She brought out dough to him, and he spat lightly into it and blessed it,
then he went over to our cooking pot, spat lightly into it, and blessed it.
Then he said,
"Call a baker woman to bake along with you,
and ladle out from your cooking pot, but do not remove it from the fire."
And they were one thousand men.
By Allah, I swear:
they ate until they left it and turned away,
while our cooking pot was still bubbling just as it had been,
and our dough was still being baked just as it had been.
He said,
"Eat of this, and send some as gifts,
for the people have been stricken by famine."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Al-ratanah" means speaking in a language other than Arabic.
"Kudyah" refers to an intensely hard mass of earth or rock
that cannot be penetrated by a pickaxe.
"With a stone bound over his stomach":
meaning he tied a stone over his stomach due to the severity of hunger.
"Dhuwaq":
refers to any food or drink tasted.
"Al-mi'wal":
meaning the pickaxe used to break rocks.
"It turned into a crumbling mound of sand":
meaning it pulverized until it became like loose sand that flows and has no cohesion.
"To my wife":
her name was Suhaylah bint Mas'ud ibn Aws al-Zafariyyah al-Ansariyyah, may Allah be pleased with her.
"I have seen something in the Prophet (peace be upon him)":
meaning the visible signs of extreme hunger.
"'Anaq":
refers to a young female goat.
"And she ground":
meaning she ground a sa' of barley.
"Al-burmah":
refers to the earthenware cooking pot.
"Inkasar":
meaning the dough had softened and fermented.
"Al-athafi":
refers to the tripod stones erected to place the cooking pot upon over the fire.
"Tu'ayyim":
a diminutive form of "ta'am" (food), meaning a modest, small meal.
"Do not remove the cooking pot":
meaning do not take it off the hearthstones.
"Sur":
refers to a banquet or meal to which guests are invited.
"Wayhaki":
an expression of pity and concern spoken to someone facing an undeserved predicament.
"Do not crowd one another":
meaning do not push or jostle each other.
"Covering the cooking pot":
meaning placing a lid over the pot.
"And serving":
meaning placing the food before them.
"And send some as gifts":
derived from "hadiyyah" (gift).
"Maja'ah":
refers to severe, widespread famine.
"So he spat lightly":
meaning he blew with a slight mist of saliva.
"And blessed it":
meaning he supplicated for Allah's blessing upon it,
and blessing (barakah) is the abundance and enduring nature of goodness.
"'Amada":
meaning he headed toward.
"Khabizah":
meaning a woman who bakes bread.
"Iqdahi":
meaning ladle out.
"And do not remove it":
meaning leave the pot over the fire.
"And they turned away":
meaning they finished and departed.
"Li-taghit":
meaning it continued to boil vigorously with a distinct simmering sound.
Lessons Derived from the Hadith:
Among the benefits derived from this hadith are:
An illustration of the severe hardship and austerity
experienced by the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them.
The wisdom behind binding a stone to the stomach during starvation:
to prevent the spine from bowing,
because a starving person's back tends to bend
when hunger becomes severe.
It demonstrates the profound love the Companions (may Allah be pleased with them)
had for the Prophet (peace be upon him),
and how closely they checked on his well-being.
The permissibility of singling out certain companions for an invitation.
The permissibility for an invited guest to invite others,
provided he knows the host will be pleased with that.
The hadith contains one of the clear signs and miracles of Prophethood:
the miraculous multiplication of a tiny amount of food
so that it sufficed a vast multitude of people.
An exhortation to fulfill a fellow Muslim's need
before they even have to ask.
The virtue of gathering together over meals.
The virtue of relieving need
during times of famine and general hardship.
An affirmation of the virtue of gifting food.
An indication of increasing the broth and the excellence of tharid.
Evidence for the purity of human saliva.
The permissibility of taking an oath without being prompted to do so.
The propriety of calling upon someone to assist in preparing a feast.
Narrated Umm Khalid bint Khalid ibn Sa'id, who said:
I came to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) along with my father,
wearing a yellow tunic.
The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Sanah, sanah!"
She said:
I began to play with the Seal of Prophethood,
so my father scolded me sharply.
But the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said,
"Leave her."
Then the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said:
"Wear it out and replace it,
then wear it out and replace it, then wear it out and replace it!" (In another narration: "and wear it out" in all instances).
Commentary on the Hadith:
"Sanah" means beautiful in the Abyssinian tongue; "I began" means I started; "to play" means to toy with; and "the Seal of Prophethood"
is an elevated physical mark between the shoulders of the Prophet (peace be upon him), resembling the egg of a partridge or a canopy button.
"My father scolded me" means he rebuked and forbade me; "Leave her" means let her be; "Wear it out" is said when a garment becomes old and worn;
and "replace it" means may you live long enough to acquire another garment after wearing this one out; and "wear it out" bears the same meaning.
Lessons Derived from the Hadith:
Among the benefits derived from the hadith is the permissibility of wearing a yellow garment.
It illustrates the Prophet's (peace be upon him) gentleness, tenderness, and compassion toward children.
It shows tolerance toward children playing in the presence of their parents and others.
It shows the recommendation to supplicate for someone wearing new clothes with the words mentioned in the hadith.
It proves the permissibility of speaking in a non-Arabic language when there is a need or benefit.
Chapter: Small Amounts Taken from War Booty (Ghullul).
Narrated 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar:
A man named Kirkirah was in charge of the baggage of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and he passed away.
Thereupon, the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"He is in the Fire."
So the people went to look into his case,
and they found a cloak he had stolen from the war booty.
Commentary on the hadith:
"He was in charge of the baggage" (*thiqal*)—
*al-thiqal* refers to a traveler's luggage and provisions.
"He had stolen" (*ghallaha*)—
*al-ghulul*
is misappropriation of the spoils of war,
namely, stealing from the booty before it has been formally distributed.
This hadith is among the signs of prophethood,
for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, knew of the man's theft of the spoils,
which the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, discovered only after searching.
It also establishes the prohibition of breach of trust in all its forms,
and misappropriating public funds is even graver.
The hadith also guides toward verifying and ascertaining matters thoroughly.
Furthermore, it indicates that stealing from the war booty is one of the major sins.
Chapter: There Is No Emigration After the Conquest.
On the authority of 'Ata' ibn Abi Rabah, who said:
I visited 'A'ishah along with 'Ubayd ibn 'Umayr,
and he asked her about the emigration (*hijrah*).
She replied: "There is no emigration today."
In another narration:
"Emigration ceased once Allah granted His Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, the conquest of Mecca.
A believer used to flee with his religion to Allah and His Messenger, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
for fear of being persecuted on account of it.
But today, Allah has made Islam triumphant,
so a believer worships his Lord wherever he pleases;
rather, what remains is jihad and good intention."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Emigration" (*al-hijrah*)—
what is meant here
is the emigration from Mecca to Medina.
"A believer used to flee with his religion"—
that is, he would relocate from a place of disbelief and persecution to an abode of security and Islam.
"For fear" (*makhafatan*)—
meaning out of apprehension.
"Of being persecuted on account of it" (*an yuftana 'alayh*)—
meaning that he would be oppressed and turned away from his faith.
"Allah has made Islam triumphant"—
what is meant
is that after the Conquest, Mecca became an abode of faith,
and people entered Islam from all tribes.
"And good intention" (*wa-niyyah*)—
what is meant
is that the acceptance of deeds depends upon having a sincere intention purely for Allah, the Exalted and Majestic.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
From this hadith we derive:
The lesson that deeds are judged by intentions,
and the obligation of sincerity toward Allah, the Exalted and Majestic, in all actions.
The hadith also clarifies that a sound legal term
is that which the Sacred Law itself has established.
It likewise demonstrates the virtue of 'A'ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and the precision of her fiqh.
Chapter: Welcoming Returning Warriors.
On the authority of Ibn Abi Mulaykah, who said:
Ibn al-Zubayr said to Ibn Ja'far, may Allah be pleased with them:
"Do you remember when we went out to welcome the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him—
you, I, and Ibn 'Abbas?"
He replied, "Yes; he mounted us with him and left you."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Do you remember?" is an inquiry posed in order to elicit recollection.
"When we went out to welcome" means when we went out to receive him.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
From this hadith we derive:
The pride that the children of the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, took in the Prophet's honoring them, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
as well as the illustration of his compassion and mercy toward them.
It also validates the narration transmitted by a seven-year-old child.
Furthermore, it indicates the permissibility of having riders mount behind on a riding beast, carrying as much as it can bear without harm.
On the authority of al-Sa'ib, who said:
"I remember that I went out with the young boys to meet the Prophet, peace be upon him, at Thaniyyat al-Wada'
upon his return from the Expedition of Tabuk."
Commentary on the hadith:
"Thaniyyat al-Wada'"—
Thaniyyat al-Wada' referred to here is the mountain pass in the direction of Tabuk.
"His return" (*maqdamihi*) means his arrival.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
From this hadith we derive:
The legitimacy of welcoming travelers and those returning from jihad or Hajj with cheerfulness and joy.
It also demonstrates children going out to receive the fighters,
so as to accustom them to the rite of jihad and clarify its virtue.
Chapter: What One Says Upon Returning from a Military Expedition.
On the authority of Anas ibn Malik, may Allah be pleased with him:
He and Abu Talhah were returning alongside the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and Safiyyah was with the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
riding behind him on his mount.
While they were along the road, the camel stumbled,
and both the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and the woman were thrown off.
Abu Talhah leaped down from his camel
and rushed to the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
saying:
"O Prophet of Allah,
may Allah make me your ransom!
Has anything hurt you?"
He replied, "No,
but attend to the woman."
In another narration:
"She is your mother."
So Abu Talhah cast his garment over his face,
made his way toward her,
and cast his garment over her.
Then the woman stood up.
He then secured their saddle on their mount, and they both mounted.
They traveled on until they were on the outskirts of Medina—
or he said:
until they overlooked Medina—
whereupon the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
"We return repentant, worshiping,
and praising our Lord."
He continued repeating these words until he entered Medina.
Commentary on the hadith:
"He was returning" (*aqbala*) means he arrived,
and that return was from Khaybar.
"Abu Talhah"—
he is Zayd ibn Sahl al-Ansari, may Allah be pleased with him.
"Riding behind him" (*murdfiha*)—
that is, she was riding behind him on the camel.
"The camel stumbled"—
meaning it tripped and fell forward.
"Thrown off" (*fasure'a*)—
meaning he fell.
"Leaped down" (*iqtahama*)—
meaning he threw himself down impulsively out of concern.
"Attend to the woman"—
meaning go assist the woman.
"Made his way toward her"—
meaning he headed directly toward her.
"He secured their saddle"—
what is meant is that he readjusted and tightened their mount's saddle for them.
"On the outskirts of Medina" (*bi-dhahri al-Madinah*)—
meaning on its exterior boundaries.
What is meant
is that the houses of Medina had become visible to them.
"Overlooked" (*ashrafu*)—
meaning they came within sight of it.
"We return" (*ayibun*)—
meaning returning to Allah, the Exalted.
"Repentant" (*ta'ibun*)—
repentance is desisting from sin with remorse,
along with the firm resolve never to return to it.
"He continued repeating these words"—
meaning he persistently recited them.
Key takeaways from the hadith:
From this hadith we derive:
The permissibility of traveling with one's wife.
It also indicates the permissibility of having one's wife ride pillion behind on a mount.
It demonstrates the profound love the Companions, may Allah be pleased with them, had for the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, and their veneration of him.
The hadith also points to the obligation of lowering the gaze.
It likewise shows the propriety of serving the leader and scholars.
It guides toward the supplication to be said upon returning from a journey,
and praising Allah for one's safety.
It highlights the merit of constantly maintaining repentance.
It permits repeating a supplication without being restricted to a specific count.
The hadith also clarifies the obligation of the hijab for the Mothers of the Believers,
even though they hold the status of mothers.
Furthermore, it encourages gentleness toward women,
and underscores that their state is fundamentally rooted in modest concealment.
The Book of the Obligation of the Fifth (*al-Khums*).
Chapter: The Obligation of the Fifth.
On the authority of 'A'ishah:
Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, the daughter of the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
sent word to Abu Bakr asking him for her inheritance from the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
In another narration:
Fatimah, may Allah be pleased with her, and al-'Abbas
came to Abu Bakr seeking their inheritance
from what Allah had granted to him as *fay'* in Medina and Fadak,
and what remained of the fifth of Khaybar.
Thereupon, Abu Bakr said:
"The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, said:
'We leave no inheritance;
whatever we leave behind is charity.'
The family of Muhammad, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, may only eat from this wealth."
In another narration:
Meaning: it belongs to the property of Allah;
they are not entitled to take more than their sustenance.
"And by Allah, I shall not alter anything of the charitable endowments of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
from the state they were in during the lifetime of the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him,
and I shall surely administer them exactly as the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, did."
In another narration:
"For I fear that if I were to abandon any of his commands, I would go astray."
Thus, Abu Bakr refused to hand over any of it to Fatimah.
Fatimah felt aggrieved with Abu Bakr regarding that matter and kept away from him,
not speaking to him until she passed away.
She lived for six months after the Prophet, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.
When she passed away,
her husband 'Ali buried her at night,
without notifying Abu Bakr,
and performed the funeral prayer over her himself.
'Ali had enjoyed high regard and honor among the people during Fatimah's lifetime,
but when she passed away,
'Ali noticed a change in the people's faces toward him.
He therefore sought reconciliation with Abu Bakr and to pledge allegiance to him,
for he had not pledged allegiance during those months.
So he sent word to Abu Bakr:
"Come to us, and let no one come with you,"
out of reluctance to have 'Umar present.
'Umar said:
"No, by Allah, you shall not enter upon them alone!"
Thereupon, Abu Bakr said:
"And what could they possibly do to me?
By Allah, I will certainly go to them."
So Abu Bakr entered upon them.
'Ali recited the Tashahhud and then said:
"Indeed, we know full well your virtue and what Allah has granted you,
and we do not begrudge any good that Allah has bestowed upon you.
However, you took sole charge of the matter without consulting us,
whereas we felt, by virtue of our kinship to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him),
that we were entitled to a share in it." He continued until tears welled up in Abu Bakr's eyes.
When Abu Bakr spoke, he said:
"By the One in Whose Hand my soul is,
the kinship of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)
is dearer to me to uphold than my own kinship.
As for the dispute that arose between you and me concerning these properties,
I have spared no effort to do what is right regarding them,
nor have I left undone anything I saw the Messenger of Allah doing with them except that I did it likewise."
Then 'Ali said to Abu Bakr:
"Your appointment for the pledge of allegiance will be this evening."
So when Abu Bakr had prayed the Dhuhr prayer,
he ascended the pulpit,
recited the Tashahhud,
mentioned the situation regarding 'Ali and his delay in giving the pledge,
and presented the excuse that 'Ali had offered to him.
Then Abu Bakr sought Allah's forgiveness, and 'Ali recited the Tashahhud,
extolling the great right of Abu Bakr.
He related that nothing had prompted his action out of envy towards Abu Bakr,
nor in denial of the virtue Allah had favored him with;
"Rather, we felt that we had a rightful share in this matter,
but he decided it without us,
and so we felt hurt within ourselves."
The Muslims were rejoiced by this,
and said: "You have done the right thing!"
And the Muslims became close to 'Ali once again,
when he returned to the right and proper course.
In one narration:
As for his charity in Medina,
'Umar handed it over to 'Ali and 'Abbas;
but as for Khaybar and Fadak,
'Umar withheld them and said:
"They are the charitable endowments of the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him),
dedicated to his recurring obligations and sudden contingencies,
and their disposal belongs to whoever holds authority."
Commentary on the Hadith:
"From what Allah granted as fai'": *Al-fai'*
is whatever was acquired by the Prophet (peace be upon him)
from the properties of the disbelievers
without war or fighting.
Fadak was a village situated east of Khaybar,
upon a valley whose floodwater flows eastward toward Wadi al-Rimmah;
it is known today as al-Ha'it.
The distance between it and the City of the Messenger (peace be upon him)
is two stages of travel.
"We leave no inheritance":
meaning the collective community of the Prophets, peace and blessings be upon them.
"I will not change":
that is, I will not alter.
"They were seeking":
that is, they were requesting.
"I fear":
that is, I dread.
"From his command":
that is, from his Sunnah (peace be upon him).
"I may go astray":
that is, deviate from the truth and thus perish.
"He refused":
that is, he declined.
"She felt hurt":
that is, she became upset,
which was in accordance with ordinary human nature,
after which it subsided.
"She kept away":
her staying away was a form of reserve and avoidance of meeting him.
"And he was not notified of her":
that is, he was not informed of her passing.
"He noticed a change":
what is meant
is that he noticed an estrangement in people's demeanor toward him.
"He sought":
that is, he requested.
"Disliking the presence of 'Umar":
that is, fearing his presence, may Allah be pleased with him.
"And what could they possibly [do]":
that is, what could I expect from them?
"We do not begrudge you":
that is, we did not envy you for the Caliphate.
"That Allah bestowed upon you":
that is, what Allah granted you.
"You acted unilaterally":
that is, you took sole charge of the matter.
"We saw":
that is, we thought.
"A share":
that is, a rightful entitlement.
"Abu Bakr's eyes overflowed":
that is, he wept.
"What has arisen between you and me regarding these properties":
that is, the dispute and disagreement that took place
regarding what you assumed to be an inheritance.
"I have not fallen short":
that is, I have spared no effort.
"Your appointment is this evening for the pledge of allegiance":
what is meant is:
"I will come after the decline of the sun to pledge allegiance to you,
so that the people may witness it."
"He ascended":
that is, he climbed up.
"The situation of 'Ali":
that is, his affair.
"And his delay in giving the pledge of allegiance":
what is meant
is that he mentioned the reason for his delay in offering the pledge.
"And he excused him":
that is, he accepted his excuse.
"Envy":
that is, jealousy.
"Nor in denial":
that is, nor out of rejection.
"We felt hurt within ourselves":
that is, we felt upset.
"When he returned to the recognized course of action":
that is, his concurrence, may Allah be pleased with him,
with the rest of the Companions in pledging allegiance to the Caliphate.
Benefits derived from the hadith:
Among the benefits derived from the hadith are:
The clarification of the immense virtue of Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him,
and his staunch adherence to the guidance of the Prophet (peace be upon him).
The hadith also establishes the acceptance of solitary narrations (khabar al-wahid).
It indicates that safety lies in adhering strictly to the established precedent.
It establishes the permissibility of retaining endowed real property as a waqf,
with its revenues running perpetually as charity.
It shows the obligation to uphold the limits set by Allah,
and not to compromise on the rights belonging to Allah, Exalted is He.
It indicates the permissibility of possessing wealth beyond basic sufficiency,
and that poverty is not inherently superior to wealth.
It highlights the noble status of the Ahl al-Bayt, may Allah be pleased with them,
while demonstrating that adhering to the truth takes precedence over pleasing them.
It proves the permissibility of burial at night.
It clarifies the great virtue of 'Ali, may Allah be pleased with him.
It demonstrates his noble demeanor in pledging allegiance to Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with them both.
It guides toward the virtue of reconciliation among Muslims,
and the forsaking of disputes and contention.
And it shows the prescribed practice of commencing a sermon with the Tashahhud and seeking forgiveness.