Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2303
حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ بِشْرِ بْنِ مَنْصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، عَنْ حَجَّاجٍ، عَنْ سَلِيطِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الطُّهَوِيِّ، عَنْ ذُهَيْلِ بْنِ عَوْفِ بْنِ شَمَّاخٍ الطُّهَوِيِّ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ، قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فِي سَفَرٍ إِذْ رَأَيْنَا إِبِلاً مَصْرُورَةً بِعِضَاهِ الشَّجَرِ فَثُبْنَا إِلَيْهَا فَنَادَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ " إِنَّ هَذِهِ الإِبِلَ لأَهْلِ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ هُوَ قُوتُهُمْ وَيُمْنُهُمْ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ أَيَسُرُّكُمْ لَوْ رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَى مَزَاوِدِكُمْ فَوَجَدْتُمْ مَا فِيهَا قَدْ ذُهِبَ بِهِ أَتُرَوْنَ ذَلِكَ عَدْلاً " . قَالُوا لاَ . قَالَ " فَإِنَّ هَذَا كَذَلِكَ " . قُلْنَا أَفَرَأَيْتَ إِنِ احْتَجْنَا إِلَى الطَّعَامِ وَالشَّرَابِ فَقَالَ " كُلْ وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ وَاشْرَبْ وَلاَ تَحْمِلْ " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurairah said: While we were travelling with the Messenger of Allah, we saw camels with their udders bound among thorn trees, and we rushed toward them. The Messenger of Allah called us, so we returned to him. He said: ‘These camels belong to a Muslim household. They are their sustenance and livelihood, after Allah. Would you be pleased if you returned to your provisions and found that everything in them had been taken? Would you consider that just?’ We said, ‘No.’ He said, ‘This is the same.’ We asked, ‘What if we need food and drink?’ He replied, ‘Eat, but do not carry any away; drink, but do not carry any away.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The camels’ udders are described as bound, indicating that their milk had been withheld. The report permits eating and drinking in case of need but expressly forbids carrying any away.
قَالَ بَيْنَمَا نَحْنُ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فِي سَفَرٍ إِذْ رَأَيْنَا إِبِلاً مَصْرُورَةً بِعِضَاهِ الشَّجَرِ فَثُبْنَا إِلَيْهَا فَنَادَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَرَجَعْنَا إِلَيْهِ فَقَالَ " إِنَّ هَذِهِ الإِبِلَ لأَهْلِ بَيْتٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ هُوَ قُوتُهُمْ وَيُمْنُهُمْ بَعْدَ اللَّهِ أَيَسُرُّكُمْ لَوْ رَجَعْتُمْ إِلَى مَزَاوِدِكُمْ فَوَجَدْتُمْ مَا فِيهَا قَدْ ذُهِبَ بِهِ أَتُرَوْنَ ذَلِكَ عَدْلاً " .
The expression ‘their sustenance and their good fortune after Allah’ uses a broad term for blessing or livelihood; its exact nuance is not specified.
Does ‘sustenance and livelihood’ convey the intended sense of quwwatuhum wa-yumnuhum?