Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1263
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ زُرَارَةَ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ مُعَاوِيَةَ، عَنْ عُمَرَ بْنِ حَمْزَةَ الْعُمَرِيِّ، عَنْ حُصَيْنِ بْنِ مُصْعَبٍ، أَنَّ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ: إِنَّا نَتَرَاهَنُ بِالْحَمَامَيْنِ، فَنَكْرَهُ أَنْ نَجْعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا مُحَلِّلاً تَخَوُّفَ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ بِهِ الْمُحَلِّلُ؟ فَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ: ذَلِكَ مِنْ فِعْلِ الصِّبْيَانِ، وَتُوشِكُونَ أَنْ تَتْرُكُوهُ.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘Amr ibn Zurara related to us: Marwan ibn Mu‘awiyah related to us, from ‘Umar ibn Hamzah al-‘Umari, from Husayn ibn Mus‘ab: A man said to Abu Hurayrah: ‘We wager on two pigeons, but dislike setting a muhallil (a third, non-betting entrant) between them, for fear that the muhallil might take the winnings.’ Abu Hurayrah said: ‘That is childish behavior, and soon you will give it up.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The speaker describes a pigeon race and a muhallil, a third entrant added to distinguish the contest from a direct wager between two parties; the exact mechanics are not explained here.
فَنَكْرَهُ أَنْ نَجْعَلَ بَيْنَهُمَا مُحَلِّلاً تَخَوُّفَ أَنْ يَذْهَبَ بِهِ الْمُحَلِّلُ؟
The source gives the term muhallil and the concern that this entrant might take the prize, but leaves the full contest arrangement implicit.
Should muhallil be glossed more fully from a verified account of this historical contest practice?