Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 3397
حَدَّثَنَا هِشَامُ بْنُ عَمَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " لاَ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الرُّطَبِ وَالزَّهْوِ وَلاَ بَيْنَ الزَّبِيبِ وَالتَّمْرِ وَانْبِذُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَلَى حِدَتِهِ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abū Qatādah reported that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say, ‘Do not combine fresh ripe dates with zahw, nor raisins with dates. Prepare each separately.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Zahw refers to dates at an earlier, partly ripened stage; the source distinguishes them from fully ripe fresh dates (ruṭab).
Nabīdh is understood from the instruction to prepare the fruits separately in the context of soaking them for a drink.
أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ يَقُولُ " لاَ تَجْمَعُوا بَيْنَ الرُّطَبِ وَالزَّهْوِ وَلاَ بَيْنَ الزَّبِيبِ وَالتَّمْرِ وَانْبِذُوا كُلَّ وَاحِدٍ مِنْهُمَا عَلَى حِدَتِهِ " .
Zahw names a stage of date ripening, but the report does not specify its exact appearance or degree of ripeness.
What precise ripening stage is meant by zahw in contrast with ruṭab?