Al-Adab Al-Mufrad
Looking after children
كتاب رعاية الأولاد
Chapter 45
بَابُ الْوَلَدُ مَبْخَلَةٌ مَجْبَنَةٌ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, said: Abu Bakr, may Allah be pleased with him, said one day, ‘By Allah, there is no man on the face of the earth dearer to me than ‘Umar.’ When he had gone out, he came back and said, ‘How did I swear, my daughter?’ I told him. He said, ‘He is dearer to me, though a child is closer to one’s heart.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَعَزُّ عَلَيَّ، وَالْوَلَدُ أَلْوَطُ
The comparative force of أعز and the idiomatic sense of ألوط are rendered by contrast; the exact nuance of closeness is uncertain.
How should the final clause be rendered to convey ألوط more precisely?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn Abi Nu‘m said: I was present with Ibn ‘Umar when a man asked him about the blood of a gnat. He asked, ‘Where are you from?’ The man replied, ‘From the people of Iraq.’ He said, ‘Look at this man! He asks me about the blood of a gnat, while they have killed the Prophet’s grandson! I heard the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, “They are my two sweet basil plants in this world.”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The dual pronoun in the final sentence is retained; the Arabic passage does not name the two referents here.
هُمَا رَيْحَانَيَّ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا
The Arabic uses a dual pronoun without naming its two referents in this passage.
Should the two referents remain unnamed in the translated text pending contextual review?
Chapter 46
بَابُ حَمْلِ الصَّبِيِّ عَلَى الْعَاتِقِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu al-Walid related to us: Shu‘bah related to us, from ‘Adi ibn Thabit, who said: I heard al-Bara’ say: I saw the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, with al-Hasan, may Allah’s blessings be upon him, on his shoulder, saying, ‘O Allah, I love him, so love him.’
Chapter 47
بَابُ الْوَلَدُ قُرَّةُ الْعَيْنِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Bishr ibn Muhammad related to us: ‘Abd Allah informed us: Safwan ibn ‘Amr informed us: ‘Abd al-Rahman ibn Jubayr ibn Nufayr reported to me, from his father, who said: One day we were sitting with al-Miqdad ibn al-Aswad when a man passed by him and said, ‘Blessed are these two eyes that saw the Messenger of Allah. By Allah, we wish we had seen what you saw and witnessed what you witnessed.’ He became angry, and I was astonished, for the man had said nothing but good. Then al-Miqdad turned to him and said, ‘What makes a man wish to have been present at an event Allah kept him away from? He does not know what he would have been like had he witnessed it. By Allah, people were present with the Messenger of Allah, and Allah cast them face-first into Hell: they neither answered him nor believed him. Will you not praise Allah, Mighty and Majestic, that He brought you forth knowing none but your Lord, and you believe what your Prophet brought? Others’ trials have sufficed you. By Allah, the Prophet was sent in the most difficult circumstances in which any prophet was ever sent: during a gap in prophethood and a time of ignorance, when they considered no religion better than worshipping idols. He brought a criterion by which he distinguished truth from falsehood, and by which he separated father from child, until a man would see his father, child, or brother as an unbeliever, while Allah had unlocked his heart with faith. He would know that if that person perished, he would enter the Fire, and so he could not be gladdened, knowing that his beloved was in the Fire. This is what Allah, Mighty and Majestic, says: “Those who say, ‘Our Lord, grant us in our spouses and offspring comfort to our eyes.’”’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَوَلاَ تَحْمَدُونَ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ إِذْ أَخْرَجَكُمْ لاَ تَعْرِفُونَ إِلاَّ رَبَّكُمْ
The phrasing is unusual; it appears to describe the hearers’ condition when brought forth, but the precise implication is unclear.
How should لا تعرفون إلا ربكم be understood in this sentence?
قَدْ كُفِيتُمُ الْبَلاَءَ بِغَيْرِكُمْ
The compact expression may refer to being spared the trials endured by others.
Would ‘you have been spared the trial through what befell others’ better convey the force?
Chapter 48
بَابُ مَنْ دَعَا لِصَاحِبِهِ أَنْ أَكْثِرْ مَالَهُ وَوَلَدَهُ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Musa ibn Isma‘il related to us: Sulayman ibn al-Mughirah related to us, from Thabit, from Anas, who said: One day I visited the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. There were only my mother, my maternal aunt Umm Haram, and me, when he came in to us and said, ‘Shall I lead you in prayer?’ This was outside a prayer time. A man among those present asked, ‘Where did he place Anas in relation to himself?’ It was said, ‘He placed him on his right.’ Then he prayed with us and supplicated for us, the people of the household, for every good of this world and the Hereafter. My mother said, ‘Messenger of Allah, your little servant—supplicate for him to Allah.’ He supplicated for every good for me. The last thing in his supplication was: ‘O Allah, increase his wealth and children, and bless him.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْقَوْمِ: فَأَيْنَ جَعَلَ أَنَسًا مِنْهُ؟ فَقَالَ: جَعَلَهُ عَنْ يَمِينِهِ؟
The brief embedded question and answer are not explicitly attributed to named speakers.
Can the identities of the questioner and respondent be established from context, or should they remain anonymous?
Chapter 49
بَابُ الْوَالِدَاتُ رَحِيمَاتٌ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muslim ibn Ibrahim related to us: Ibn Fudalah related to us: Bakr ibn ‘Abd Allah al-Muzani related to us, from Anas ibn Malik: A woman came to ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, and ‘A’ishah gave her three dates. She gave each of her children a date and kept one for herself. The children ate the two dates and looked at their mother. She then took her date, split it, and gave each child half a date. The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, came, and ‘A’ishah told him about it. He said, ‘What surprises you about that? Allah showed her mercy because of her mercy toward her two children.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
لَقَدْ رَحِمَهَا اللَّهُ بِرَحْمَتِهَا صَبِيَّيْهَا
The verb may be rendered as a statement of Allah’s mercy or as a future promise, while the Arabic form here is past tense.
Should the clause retain the past-tense wording or be rendered as a promise of mercy?
Chapter 50
بَابُ قُبْلَةِ الصِّبْيَانِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Yusuf related to us: Sufyan related to us, from Hisham, from ‘Urwah, from ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: A Bedouin came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and said, ‘Do you kiss your children? We do not kiss them.’ The Prophet said, ‘Can I do anything for you, when Allah has removed mercy from your heart?’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَوَ أَمْلِكُ لَكَ أَنْ نَزَعَ اللَّهُ مِنْ قَلْبِكَ الرَّحْمَةَ
The question is rhetorical and the phrase أملك لك may be expressed idiomatically in English.
Would ‘What can I do for you, when Allah has removed mercy from your heart?’ better preserve the force?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu al-Yaman related to us: Shu‘ayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Abu Salamah ibn ‘Abd al-Rahman related to us that Abu Hurayrah said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, kissed al-Hasan ibn ‘Ali while al-Aqra‘ ibn Habis al-Tamimi was sitting with him. Al-Aqra‘ said, ‘I have ten children and have never kissed any of them.’ The Messenger of Allah looked at him, then said, ‘Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.’
Chapter 51
بَابُ أَدَبِ الْوَالِدِ وَبِرِّهِ لِوَلَدِهِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn ‘Abd al-‘Aziz related to us: al-Walid ibn Muslim related to us, from al-Walid ibn Numayr ibn Aws, who heard his father say: They used to say, ‘Righteousness is from Allah, while good upbringing is from parents.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
الصَّلاَحُ مِنَ اللهِ، وَالأَدَبُ مِنَ الآبَاءِ
صلاح and أدب cover broader senses than these English equivalents; أدب can refer to manners, discipline, or upbringing.
Which English rendering best preserves the contrast intended by the saying?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Salam related to us: ‘Abd al-A‘la ibn ‘Abd al-A‘la al-Qurashi informed us, from Dawud ibn Abi Hind, from ‘Amir, that al-Nu‘man ibn Bashir related to him that his father set out carrying him to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. He said, ‘Messenger of Allah, I call you to witness that I have given al-Nu‘man such-and-such.’ He asked, ‘Have you given the same to all your children?’ He replied, ‘No.’ He said, ‘Then call someone other than me to witness it.’ Then he said, ‘Would it not please you for them to be equal in dutifulness?’ He replied, ‘Indeed.’ He said, ‘Then do not do that.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَلَيْسَ يَسُرُّكَ أَنْ يَكُونُوا فِي الْبِرِّ سَوَاءً
The phrase may refer to the children being equally dutiful or to the father treating them equally in kindness; the Arabic wording is compact.
Does البر here refer to the children’s dutifulness toward their father or to his equitable treatment of them?
Chapter 52
بَابُ بِرِّ الأَبِ لِوَلَدِهِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn Makhlad related to us, from ‘Isa ibn Yunus, from al-Wassafi, from Muharib ibn Dithar, from Ibn ‘Umar, who said: Allah called them the righteous because they showed dutifulness to their parents and children. Just as your parent has a right over you, so too your child has a right over you.
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
إِنَّمَا سَمَّاهُمُ اللَّهُ أَبْرَارًا، لأَنَّهُمْ بَرُّوا الْآبَاءَ وَالأَبْنَاءَ
The Arabic uses the root b-r-r both for the designation ‘righteous’ and for dutiful conduct.
Would retaining the term al-abrar with a brief note help preserve the wordplay?
Chapter 53
بَابُ مَنْ لا يَرْحَمُ لا يُرْحَمُ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn al-‘Ala’ related to us: Mu‘awiyah ibn Hisham related to us, from Shayban, from Firas, from ‘Atiyyah, from Abu Sa‘id, from the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, who said: ‘Whoever does not show mercy will not be shown mercy.’
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Muhammad ibn Salam related to us: Abu Mu‘awiyah informed us, from al-A‘mash, from Zayd ibn Wahb and Abu Zabyan, from Jarir ibn ‘Abd Allah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Allah does not show mercy to one who does not show mercy to people.’
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
And from ‘Abdah, from Ibn Abi Khalid, from Qays, from Jarir ibn ‘Abd Allah, who said: The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, ‘Whoever does not show mercy to people, Allah will not show mercy to him.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The English witness directs the reader to the preceding report, but this translation renders the Arabic variant and its own chain as present in this source.
وَعَنْ عَبْدَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ جَرِيرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ
The English witness says ‘Same as 97’ and omits the chain and wording recorded in the Arabic source.
Should the full Arabic variant remain translated here despite the abbreviated English witness?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
And from ‘Abdah, from Hisham, from his father, from ‘A’ishah, may Allah be pleased with her, who said: Some Bedouins came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. One of them said to him, ‘Messenger of Allah, do you kiss children? By Allah, we do not kiss them.’ The Messenger of Allah said, ‘Can I do anything when Allah, Mighty and Majestic, has removed mercy from your heart?’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
أَوَ أَمْلِكُ إِنْ كَانَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ نَزَعَ مِنْ قَلْبِكَ الرَّحْمَةَ
The rhetorical question is idiomatic; the Arabic uses a singular ‘your heart’ even though the address concerns a group.
Would a collective English ‘your hearts’ be preferable, or should the singular be preserved?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu al-Nu‘man related to us: Hammad ibn Zayd related to us, from ‘Asim, from Abu ‘Uthman, that ‘Umar, may Allah be pleased with him, appointed a man to a position. The appointee said, ‘I have such-and-such number of children, and I have not kissed any one of them.’ ‘Umar said—or perhaps he said: ‘Allah, Mighty and Majestic, shows mercy among His servants only to those most dutiful.’’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لاَ يَرْحَمُ مِنْ عِبَادِهِ إِلاَّ أَبَرَّهُمْ
The superlative أبرهم is from the root b-r-r and may mean the most dutiful or righteous among them; the precise object of dutifulness is unstated.
Which English term best conveys أبرهم without adding an unstated object?
Chapter 54
بَابُ الرَّحْمَةُ مِئَةُ جُزْءٍ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Al-Hakam ibn Nafi‘ related to us: Shu‘ayb informed us, from al-Zuhri, who said: Sa‘id ibn al-Musayyib informed us that Abu Hurayrah said: I heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say: ‘Allah, Mighty and Majestic, made mercy one hundred parts. He kept ninety-nine parts with Him and sent one part down to earth. From that one part, creatures show mercy to one another, so much so that a mare lifts her hoof away from her foal for fear of striking it.’