Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 765
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ أَبِي سِنَانٍ، سَعِيدِ بْنِ سِنَانٍ عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ بْنِ مَرْثَدٍ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ بُرَيْدَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ صَلَّى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مَنْ دَعَا إِلَى الْجَمَلِ الأَحْمَرِ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " لاَ وَجَدْتَهُ إِنَّمَا بُنِيَتِ الْمَسَاجِدُ لِمَا بُنِيَتْ لَهُ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
'Ali ibn Muhammad narrated to us: Waki' narrated to us, from Abu Sinan Sa'id ibn Sinan, from 'Alqamah ibn Marthad, from Sulayman ibn Buraydah, from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) prayed, then a man called out, ‘Who can direct me to the red camel?’ The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: ‘May you not find it! Mosques were only built for the purpose for which they were built.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The call concerns a lost red camel; the Prophet's response is a supplication against finding it, followed by the stated purpose of mosques.
لاَ وَجَدْتَهُ
This is a terse supplication in response to the announcement of a lost camel; nuance may be better conveyed as a rebuke.
Should the phrase be rendered as a direct supplication (‘May you not find it’) or as a rebuke against making the announcement?