Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2307
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عُرْوَةَ، عَنِ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، رضى الله عنه قَالَ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ الأَغْنِيَاءَ بِاتِّخَاذِ الْغَنَمِ وَأَمَرَ الْفُقَرَاءَ بِاتِّخَاذِ الدَّجَاجِ وَقَالَ " عِنْدَ اتِّخَاذِ الأَغْنِيَاءِ الدَّجَاجَ يَأْذَنُ اللَّهُ بِهَلاَكِ الْقُرَى " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Hurairah reported that the Messenger of Allah instructed the wealthy to keep sheep and the poor to keep chickens. He said: ‘When the wealthy take up keeping chickens, Allah permits the destruction of towns.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report is translated as worded, including its contrast between the wealthy keeping sheep and the poor keeping chickens, and its statement about the destruction of towns.
رضى الله عنه قَالَ أَمَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ الأَغْنِيَاءَ بِاتِّخَاذِ الْغَنَمِ وَأَمَرَ الْفُقَرَاءَ بِاتِّخَاذِ الدَّجَاجِ وَقَالَ " عِنْدَ اتِّخَاذِ الأَغْنِيَاءِ الدَّجَاجَ يَأْذَنُ اللَّهُ بِهَلاَكِ الْقُرَى " .
The report does not explain the reason for associating wealthy people’s keeping chickens with the destruction of towns.
Is the final statement intended as a warning tied to this practice, without further qualification?