Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (196) | Chapter on sundries and salt (10)

0:00 Riyadh al-Salihin (The Meadows of the Righteous)

0:03 from the words of the Master of the Messengers,

0:06 peace and blessings of Allah be upon him.

0:09 Chapter of Miscellaneous and Instructive Narrations.

0:17 On the authority of Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both), who said:

0:21 Ibrahim (peace be upon him) came

0:24 with the mother of Isma'il and her infant son Isma'il,

0:27 while she was still nursing him,

0:29 until he brought her to the site of the House,

0:32 placing her beneath a large tree above Zamzam at the highest part of the Mosque.

0:36 At that time, there was no one in Makkah,

0:39 nor was there any water.

0:41 So he settled them both there,

0:43 and placed near them a leather pouch containing dates

0:47 and a waterskin containing water.

0:49 Then Ibrahim turned to leave,

0:53 so the mother of Isma'il followed him, saying,

0:56 "O Ibrahim!

0:58 Where are you going, leaving us in this valley

1:01 in which there is no companion, nor anything at all?"

1:04 She repeated that to him several times,

1:07 but he did not turn back to look at her.

1:10 Then she asked him,

1:12 "Has Allah commanded you to do this?"

1:15 He replied, "Yes."

1:17 She said,

1:18 "Then He will not forsake us."

1:20 She then returned,

1:22 and Ibrahim (peace be upon him) went on his way

1:26 until he reached the mountain pass

1:29 where they could no longer see him.

1:31 There, he turned his face toward the House,

1:34 then supplicated with these prayers,

1:37 raising his hands and saying:

1:40 “Our Lord! Lo! I have settled some of my posterity in an uncultivable valley near unto Thy holy House, our Lord! that they may establish proper worship; so incline some hearts of men that they may yearn toward them, and provide Thou them with fruits in order that they may be thankful.” (14:37)

1:44 “Our Lord! Lo! I have settled some of my posterity in an uncultivable valley near unto Thy holy House, our Lord! that they may establish proper worship; so incline some hearts of men that they may yearn toward them, and provide Thou them with fruits in order that they may be thankful.” (14:37)

1:47 until he reached:

1:49 "...that they may be grateful."

1:52 The mother of Isma'il began nursing Isma'il

1:55 and drinking from that water,

1:58 until the water in the skin was completely depleted.

2:01 Then she grew thirsty, and her son grew thirsty as well,

2:04 and she began looking at him as he writhed in agony—

2:07 or the narrator said: as he tossed and struggled.

2:10 Unable to bear looking at him, she went away,

2:14 and found that al-Safa was the nearest hill to her.

2:18 She climbed it,

2:20 and faced the valley, looking to see if she could spot anyone,

2:24 but she saw no one.

2:27 So she descended from al-Safa,

2:29 and when she reached the valley floor,

2:31 she tucked up the edge of her garment

2:34 and ran like an utterly exhausted, striving person

2:37 until she crossed the valley.

2:40 She then came to al-Marwah and stood atop it,

2:43 looking to see if she could spot anyone,

2:46 but she saw no one.

2:49 She did that seven times.

2:52 Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:

2:55 The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

2:58 "That is why the people run between them."

3:01 When she ascended al-Marwah,

3:04 she heard a sound.

3:06 She said to herself, "Hush!"—

3:08 quieting herself—

3:10 and then listened attentively.

3:12 She heard the sound again,

3:14 so she said,

3:15 "You have made me hear; do you have any help to offer?"

3:18 And there was the angel at the site of Zamzam!

3:22 He dug into the earth with his heel—

3:24 or he said: with his wing—

3:26 until the water appeared.

3:28 She began to contain it with a basin, motioning with her hands like this,

3:33 and started scooping the water into her waterskin,

3:36 while it gushed forth as fast as she scooped.

3:39 And in another narration:

3:41 "...in proportion to what she scooped."

3:43 Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them both) said:

3:46 The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

3:50 "May Allah have mercy on the mother of Isma'il!

3:53 Had she left Zamzam alone"—

3:55 or he said:

3:56 "Had she not scooped up the water—

3:59 Zamzam would have become a flowing spring."

4:03 He said:

4:04 So she drank and nursed her child.

4:07 Then the angel said to her,

4:09 "Do not fear being neglected or abandoned,

4:11 for here stands a House of Allah,

4:14 which this boy and his father will build,

4:17 and Allah never forsakes His people."

4:21 The House was elevated above the ground like a hillock,

4:25 and flash floods would come and flow to its right and left.

4:30 She remained in that state

4:32 until a caravan from the tribe of Jurhum passed by them—

4:35 or a household from Jurhum—

4:38 arriving by way of Kada'.

4:41 They camped in the lower part of Makkah,

4:44 where they saw a bird circling in the air,

4:46 and they said,

4:48 "This bird must be circling over water;

4:52 yet our past experience with this valley was that it had no water."

4:57 So they sent one or two messengers,

5:00 who found that there was indeed water.

5:02 They returned and informed their people,

5:05 so they came, and there was the mother of Isma'il by the water.

5:08 They asked,

5:10 "Do you permit us to settle near you?"

5:13 She said, "Yes,

5:15 but you have no ownership right to the water."

5:18 They said, "Yes, agreed."

5:20 Ibn Abbas said:

5:22 The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

5:25 "That suited the mother of Isma'il,

5:28 for she loved human companionship."

5:30 So they settled there, and sent word to their families,

5:33 who came and settled with them,

5:35 until several households were established there.

5:39 The boy grew up and learned Arabic from them,

5:43 and they cherished and admired him as he matured.

5:46 When he reached adulthood, they gave him a woman from among them in marriage.

5:50 Then the mother of Isma'il passed away.

5:53 Ibrahim came after Isma'il had married,

5:57 to check on what he had left behind,

5:59 but he did not find Isma'il.

6:02 So he asked his wife about him,

6:04 and she replied,

6:05 "He has gone out seeking sustenance for us"—

6:07 and in another narration:

6:09 "He is hunting for us."

6:11 Then he asked her about their livelihood and condition,

6:15 and she replied,

6:16 "We are in an evil state;

6:18 we are in distress and hardship,"

6:20 complaining to him.

6:22 He said,

6:23 "When your husband returns,

6:25 convey my greeting of peace to him,

6:27 and tell him

6:29 to change the threshold of his door."

6:31 When Isma'il arrived,

6:34 he sensed that something had occurred,

6:36 so he asked,

6:38 "Did anyone come to you?"

6:40 She said, "Yes,

6:43 an old man of such-and-such description came to us,

6:46 and asked about you,

6:48 so I told him.

6:50 He then asked me how our livelihood was,

6:52 and I told him that we were in distress and hardship."

6:56 He asked,

6:57 "Did he leave you any instruction?"

6:59 She said, "Yes,

7:01 he told me to convey his greeting of peace to you,

7:04 and he says:

7:06 'Change the threshold of your door.'"

7:08 He said,

7:09 "That was my father,

7:11 and he has commanded me to divorce you.

7:14 Return to your family."

7:16 So he divorced her,

7:18 and married another woman from among them.

7:20 Ibrahim stayed away from them for as long as Allah willed,

7:24 then came to them afterward,

7:26 but did not find him.

7:28 So he went to his wife

7:30 and asked about him.

7:31 She replied,

7:32 "He has gone out seeking sustenance for us."

7:34 He asked,

7:37 "How are you?"

7:39 and asked her about their livelihood and condition.

7:42 She replied,

7:44 "We are in good condition and abundance,"

7:46 and she praised Allah.

7:48 He then asked,

7:50 "What is your food?"

7:52 She replied,

7:53 "Meat."

7:55 He asked,

7:56 "And what is your drink?"

7:58 She replied,

7:59 "Water."

8:01 He prayed,

8:02 "O Allah, bless them in their meat and water."

8:06 The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:

8:09 "At that time, they had no grain;

8:12 had they possessed grain,

8:14 he would have supplicated for a blessing in it as well."

8:16 He said:

8:17 "And no one outside Makkah subsists solely on those two

8:21 without it disagreeing with them."

8:23 And in another narration:

8:25 So he came and asked,

8:27 "Where is Isma'il?"

8:29 His wife replied,

8:31 "He has gone hunting."

8:33 His wife then said,

8:35 "Will you not alight and have something to eat and drink?"

8:38 He asked,

8:39 "And what is your food, and what is your drink?"

8:43 She replied,

8:44 "Our food is meat,

8:46 and our drink is water."

8:48 He said,

8:50 "O Allah, bless them in their food and their drink."

8:55 The narrator said:

8:56 Thereupon Abu al-Qasim, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, remarked,

9:00 "This was due to the blessing of Ibrahim's supplication."

9:03 He said,

9:05 "When your husband returns, convey greetings of peace to him,

9:09 and instruct him to keep the threshold of his door."

9:12 When Isma'il arrived,

9:15 he asked,

9:16 "Did anyone come to you?"

9:19 She replied, "Yes,

9:20 an elderly man of goodly appearance visited us,"

9:23 and she praised him.

9:25 "He inquired about you,

9:27 and I informed him.

9:28 Then he asked how we were living,

9:31 and I informed him that we were doing well."

9:34 He asked,

9:35 "Did he give you any counsel?"

9:37 She replied, "Yes,

9:39 he conveys greetings of peace to you,

9:41 and instructs you to keep the threshold of your door."

9:45 He said,

9:46 "That was my father,

9:47 and you are the threshold;

9:49 he has commanded me to retain you."

9:53 Then he stayed away from them as long as Allah willed.

9:56 Afterwards, he came back

9:58 while Isma'il was sharpening an arrow of his beneath a large tree near Zamzam.

10:04 When he saw him,

10:06 he rose to meet him,

10:07 and they embraced each other as a father does with his son

10:11 and a son with his father.

10:13 He said,

10:14 "O Isma'il,

10:16 Allah has given me a command."

10:19 He replied,

10:20 "Then do what your Lord has commanded you."

10:23 He asked,

10:24 "And will you assist me?"

10:26 He answered,

10:27 "I will assist you."

10:28 He said,

10:29 "Indeed, Allah has commanded me to build a House right here,"

10:33 and he pointed to a hillock raised above the land around it.

10:38 It was then that they raised the foundations of the House:

10:42 Isma'il began bringing the stones,

10:45 while Ibrahim was building.

10:47 When the building grew high,

10:50 he brought this stone,

10:52 placed it for him,

10:54 and he stood upon it as he built,

10:57 while Isma'il handed him the stones,

11:00 both of them reciting:

11:02 "Our Lord, accept this from us!

11:05 Indeed, You alone are the All-Hearing, the All-Knowing."

11:08 In another narration:

11:10 Ibrahim set out with Isma'il and the mother of Isma'il,

11:14 carrying with them an old waterskin containing water.

11:17 The mother of Isma'il would drink from the waterskin,

11:21 and her milk would flow copiously for her baby,

11:25 until he reached Mecca

11:27 and lodged her beneath a large tree.

11:30 Ibrahim then departed to return to his family,

11:33 so the mother of Isma'il followed him,

11:36 until when they reached Kada',

11:39 she called out to him from behind:

11:41 "O Ibrahim!

11:43 To whom are you leaving us?"

11:45 He said, "To Allah."

11:49 She said, "I am content with Allah."

11:52 She returned and kept drinking from the waterskin,

11:56 and her milk continued to flow for her baby,

11:59 until the water was exhausted.

12:02 She then said,

12:04 "If only I were to go and look around,

12:06 perhaps I might perceive someone."

12:08 The narrator said:

12:10 So she went and climbed al-Safa,

12:12 looking and gazing intently

12:15 to see if she could perceive anyone,

12:17 but she did not see a soul.

12:19 Then, when she reached the valley floor,

12:22 she ran until she came to al-Marwah,

12:24 repeating that several times.

12:27 Then she said,

12:29 "If only I went back to see what the child is doing."

12:32 She went and looked,

12:34 and found him as he had been,

12:37 as though gasping in the throes of death.

12:40 Her soul could not bear it,

12:42 so she said,

12:44 "If only I were to go and look,

12:46 perhaps I might perceive someone."

12:48 So she went and climbed al-Safa,

12:51 looking and gazing intently,

12:53 but perceived no one,

12:55 until she completed seven circuits.

12:58 Then she said,

13:00 "If only I went to see how he is doing."

13:03 Suddenly, she heard a voice,

13:05 and said,

13:07 "Help, if you have any good to bring!"

13:10 Behold, it was Jibril, peace be upon him,

13:14 who struck with his heel like this—

13:17 thrusting his heel into the ground—

13:20 and the water gushed forth.

13:22 The mother of Isma'il was astonished,

13:25 and began scooping it up with her hands.

13:27 He recounted the hadith in full.

13:30 It was narrated by al-Bukhari

13:32 with all these variant narrations.

13:35 "Al-Dawhah":

13:37 a massive tree.

13:39 His saying: "Qaffa":

13:41 meaning turned back.

13:43 "Al-Jariyy":

13:44 a messenger.

13:47 "Alfa":

13:48 its meaning is found.

13:50 His saying: "Yanshaghu":

13:52 meaning gasping for breath.

13:54 "Jirab":

13:55 a leather pouch.

13:57 "Siqa'":

13:59 a vessel used for milk and water.

14:02 "Al-Thaniyyah":

14:03 a mountain pass.

14:07 "Yatalabbat":

14:08 meaning rolling and thrashing about on the ground;

14:11 and close in meaning to it

14:13 is that it denotes writhing.

14:15 "Al-Majhud":

14:17 the one who is severely exhausted.

14:20 "Tuhawwid":

14:21 meaning making it into a basin.

14:24 "A spring of flowing water (ma'in)":

14:26 meaning visible and flowing upon the surface of the earth.

14:30 "Do not fear neglect":

14:32 meaning do not fear ruin.

14:34 "A circling bird ('a'if)":

14:36 meaning hovering over the water,

14:38 circling back and forth without departing.

14:41 "Anfasuhum":

14:43 meaning their longing for it grew intense.

14:46 "Adraka":

14:47 meaning reached the age of puberty.

14:49 "Checking upon those he left behind":

14:51 meaning looking after those he had settled there.

14:54 "The threshold of his door":

14:56 the wife was metonymically referred to as the threshold

14:59 because she guards the door and safeguards whatever is within.

15:03 "Anasa":

15:04 meaning sensed or perceived.

15:06 "Yabri nablahu":

15:08 meaning shaping an arrow before fitting its point and feathers.

15:13 "He embraced him as a father does with his son, and a son with his father":

15:18 meaning through shaking hands, embracing, and the like.

15:22 "Shannah":

15:23 meaning an old, worn leather waterskin.

15:28 Among the lessons derived from this hadith:

15:30 The haste of the Prophets, peace and blessings of Allah be upon them, in obeying their Lord,

15:37 and sacrificing their children, spouses, and possessions for the sake of His pleasure.

15:44 Whoever relies upon Allah, He will suffice him,

15:46 and whoever entrusts his affairs to Him, He will protect him.

15:49 Indeed, Hajar, the mother of Isma'il, was certain that Allah would never let her and her son perish,

15:56 and it was just as she expected.

15:59 The food of Isma'il's mother was Zamzam water,

16:02 which confirms that it is nourishing food and a cure for illness.

16:09 The remarkable acumen and discernment of the Arabs,

16:11 as they deduced the presence of water from the circling of birds above that spot.

16:18 The recommendation to divorce an ill-mannered wife

16:21 who does not show gratitude for the blessings of Allah bestowed upon her.

16:25 An indication of a mother's profound tenderness and love for her infant child.

16:30 Hastening to honor one's father and fulfill his command,

16:34 so long as it does not entail disobedience to Allah.

16:36 The reprehensibility of grumbling about one's living conditions,

16:40 and the recommendation to thank the Bestower of blessings in all circumstances.

16:44 On the authority of Sa'id ibn Zayd, may Allah be pleased with him, who said:

16:49 I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings of Allah be upon him, say:

16:54 "Truffles are a kind of manna, and their water is a cure for the eyes."

17:00 Agreed upon.

17:02 The truffle is a plant that has neither leaves nor stem;

17:09 it is found in the ground without being cultivated,

17:12 and was named so because of its concealment beneath the soil.

17:15 "Manna": meaning the food that Allah Almighty sent down to the Children of Israel.

17:22 Among the lessons derived from this hadith:

17:26 The legitimacy of seeking medical treatment.

17:28 Truffle juice is a healing remedy for the eye,

17:31 and it is among the most effective medicines for the eyes

17:34 when antimony (kohl) is kneaded with it and applied as kohl.

17:38 It strengthens the eyelids,

17:40 and sharpens and strengthens one's eyesight,

17:43 and protects it from the descent of afflictions.

17:46 *Riyad al-Salihin* (The Gardens of the Righteous).

Riyadh Al-Salehin | Episode (196) | Chapter on sundries and salt (10)

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