Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 189
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا وَاصِلٌ الأَحْدَبُ قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ الْمَعْرُورَ بْنَ سُوَيْدٍ يَقُولُ: رَأَيْتُ أَبَا ذَرٍّ وَعَلَيْهِ حُلَّةٌ وَعَلَى غُلاَمِهِ حُلَّةٌ، فَسَأَلْنَاهُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ، فَقَالَ: إِنِّي سَابَبْتُ رَجُلاً فَشَكَانِي إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَقَالَ لِيَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: أَعَيَّرْتَهُ بِأُمِّهِ؟ قُلْتُ: نَعَمْ، ثُمَّ قَالَ: إِنَّ إِخْوَانَكُمْ خَوَلُكُمْ، جَعَلَهُمُ اللَّهُ تَحْتَ أَيْدِيكُمْ، فَمَنْ كَانَ أَخُوهُ تَحْتَ يَدَيْهِ فَلْيُطْعِمْهُ مِمَّا يَأْكُلُ، وَلْيُلْبِسْهُ مِمَّا يَلْبَسُ، وَلاَ تُكَلِّفُوهُمْ مَا يَغْلِبُهُمْ، فَإِنْ كَلَّفْتُمُوهُمْ مَا يَغْلِبُهُمْ فَأَعِينُوهُمْ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Adam narrated to us. He said: Shu‘ba narrated to us. He said: Wasil al-Ahdab narrated to us, saying: I heard al-Ma‘rur ibn Suwayd say: I saw Abu Dharr wearing a complete outfit, and his young servant was wearing a complete outfit too. We asked him about that, and he said: ‘I had exchanged insults with a man, and he complained about me to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. The Prophet said to me, “Did you taunt him about his mother?” I said, “Yes.” He then said: “Your brothers are those under your authority; Allah has placed them in your care. If someone has his brother under his authority, let him feed him from what he eats and clothe him from what he wears. Do not burden them with what overwhelms them; and if you do burden them with what overwhelms them, then help them.”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The phrase khawalukum refers in this historical setting to people under one’s authority. The report describes a hierarchy while also calling them ‘your brothers’; the English preserves both features.
A hulla is a complete outfit, here described as a robe or set of garments.
إِنَّ إِخْوَانَكُمْ خَوَلُكُمْ،
Khawal is a historical social-status term and no single concise English word captures its full range here.
Should an editorial glossary provide a fuller explanation of khawal?