Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 3452
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا زَيْدُ بْنُ الْحُبَابِ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ أَبِي الأَحْوَصِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " عَلَيْكُمْ بِالشِّفَاءَيْنِ الْعَسَلِ وَالْقُرْآنِ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
ʿAbd Allāh reported that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, ‘Take to the two remedies: honey and the Qur’an.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The Arabic calls honey and the Qur’an ‘the two cures’ and uses an imperative encouraging people to take them as remedies.
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " عَلَيْكُمْ بِالشِّفَاءَيْنِ الْعَسَلِ وَالْقُرْآنِ " .
The report calls honey and the Qur’an the two cures without specifying the distinct way each is used as a remedy.
Should ‘the two remedies’ be understood broadly, with no further distinction supplied by the report?