Sunan Ibn Majah
The Chapters on Business Transactions
كتاب التجارات
Chapter 66
مَا لِلْعَبْدِ أَنْ يُعْطِيَ وَيَتَصَدَّقَ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
ʿUmayr, the freedman of Abi al-Lahm, said: ‘My master used to give me something, and I would feed others from it. He then stopped me—or, he said, struck me. I asked the Prophet—or he asked him—and said, “I will not stop doing it,” or “I will not leave it.”’ He replied, ‘The reward is between the two of you.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report preserves several transmission alternatives: the master forbade him or struck him; the speaker asked the Prophet or another person asked him; and the final phrase is ‘I will not stop’ or ‘I will not leave it.’ The closing statement assigns the reward between the two of them.
- مَوْلَى آبِي اللَّحْمِ - قَالَ كَانَ مَوْلاَىَ يُعْطِينِي الشَّىْءَ فَأُطْعِمُ مِنْهُ فَمَنَعَنِي - أَوْ قَالَ فَضَرَبَنِي - فَسَأَلْتُ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَوْ سَأَلَهُ فَقُلْتُ لاَ أَنْتَهِي أَوْ لاَ أَدَعُهُ .
The source explicitly marks alternatives for the master’s response, who asked the Prophet, and the speaker’s statement about continuing; their exact referents are unclear.
Which of the transmitted alternatives is intended in each phrase?
Chapter 67
مَنْ مَرَّ عَلَى مَاشِيَةِ قَوْمٍ أَوْ حَائِطٍ هَلْ يُصِيبُ مِنْهُ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
ʿAbbad ibn Shurahbil, a man from Banu Ghubar, said: ‘A year of famine struck us, so I came to Medina and entered one of its gardens. I took some grain ears, rubbed them, ate some, and put some in my cloak. The owner of the garden came, struck me, and took my garment. I went to the Prophet and told him. He said to the man, “You neither fed him when he was hungry nor taught him when he was ignorant.” The Prophet ordered him to return my garment and gave me a wasq—or half a wasq—of food.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The narrator says he took grain ears, ate some, and put some in his cloak. The report gives the food amount as either one wasq or half a wasq.
فَأَمَرَهُ النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَرَدَّ إِلَيْهِ ثَوْبَهُ وَأَمَرَ لَهُ بِوَسْقٍ مِنْ طَعَامٍ أَوْ نِصْفِ وَسْقٍ .
The narrator is uncertain whether the Prophet ordered one wasq or half a wasq of food.
Was the amount one wasq or half a wasq?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Rafiʿ ibn ʿAmr al-Ghifari said: When I was a boy, I used to throw stones at our palm trees—or, he said, the palms of the Ansar. I was brought to the Prophet, who said, ‘Young boy’—Ibn Kasib’s version says, ‘My son’—‘why are you throwing stones at the palms?’ I said, ‘I want to eat.’ He said, ‘Then do not throw stones at the palms. Eat what falls beneath them.’ Then he stroked my head and said, ‘O Allah, satisfy his hunger.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report preserves variants concerning whose palm trees they were (‘ours’ or those of the Ansar) and the Prophet’s form of address (‘young boy’ or ‘my son’). The boy’s stated reason is that he wanted to eat.
أَرْمِي نَخْلَنَا - أَوْ قَالَ نَخْلَ الأَنْصَارِ - فَأُتِيَ بِيَ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَ " يَا غُلاَمُ - وَقَالَ ابْنُ كَاسِبٍ فَقَالَ يَا بُنَىَّ - لِمَ تَرْمِي النَّخْلَ " .
The report gives two variants for whose palms the boy was throwing at and for the Prophet’s form of address.
Which variant is intended: ‘our palms’ or ‘the Ansar’s palms’, and ‘young boy’ or ‘my son’?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Saʿid reported that the Prophet said: ‘When you come upon a shepherd, call out to him three times. If he answers, [ask him]; if not, drink without causing damage. When you come upon an orchard, call its owner three times. If he answers, [ask him]; if not, eat without causing damage.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The bracketed ‘ask him’ is implied by the instruction to call and wait for an answer; the source then says to drink or eat if there is no reply. The condition not to cause damage applies to both.
عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ قَالَ " إِذَا أَتَيْتَ عَلَى رَاعٍ فَنَادِهِ ثَلاَثَ مِرَارٍ فَإِنْ أَجَابَكَ وَإِلاَّ فَاشْرَبْ فِي غَيْرِ أَنْ تُفْسِدَ وَإِذَا أَتَيْتَ عَلَى حَائِطِ بُسْتَانٍ فَنَادِ صَاحِبَ الْبُسْتَانِ ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ فَإِنْ أَجَابَكَ وَإِلاَّ فَكُلْ فِي أَنْ لاَ تُفْسِدَ " .
The report does not expressly state what to do if the shepherd or orchard owner answers; the appeal or request is implied by calling out.
Does answering imply that one should ask permission before drinking or eating?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn ʿUmar reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘When one of you passes by an orchard, let him eat, but not carry any away in a fold of his garment.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
Khubna refers to carrying produce away gathered or tucked into a fold of one’s clothing; the report distinguishes eating there from taking produce away.
قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " إِذَا مَرَّ أَحَدُكُمْ بِحَائِطٍ فَلْيَأْكُلْ وَلاَ يَتَّخِذْ خُبْنَةً " .
The term khubna refers to a fold or pouch made in clothing for carrying something, but the exact garment arrangement is not specified.
Does ‘in a fold of his garment’ adequately convey khubna?
Chapter 68
النَّهْىِ أَنْ يُصِيبَ مِنْهَا شَيْئًا إِلاَّ بِإِذْنِ صَاحِبِهَا
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn ʿUmar reported that the Messenger of Allah stood and said: ‘None of you should milk another person’s livestock without that person’s permission. Would any of you like someone to come to his storeroom, break open its door, and carry off his food? The udders of people’s livestock store their provisions for them. So none of you should milk another person’s livestock without that person’s permission.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report compares milking livestock without permission to breaking into someone’s food store. Mashraba is rendered ‘storeroom’ from the context of stored food.
عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ أَنَّهُ قَامَ فَقَالَ " لاَ يَحْتَلِبَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ مَاشِيَةَ رَجُلٍ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِهِ أَيُحِبُّ أَحَدُكُمْ أَنْ تُؤْتَى مَشْرُبَتُهُ فَيُكْسَرَ بَابُ خِزَانَتِهِ فَيُنْتَثَلَ طَعَامُهُ فَإِنَّمَا تَخْزُنُ لَهُمْ ضُرُوعُ مَوَاشِيهِمْ أَطْعِمَاتِهِمْ فَلاَ يَحْتَلِبَنَّ أَحَدُكُمْ مَاشِيَةَ امْرِئٍ بِغَيْرِ إِذْنِهِ " .
The term mashraba can refer to a place associated with drinking or storing provisions; the context mentions a locked store and food.
Is ‘storeroom’ the intended sense of mashraba in this comparison?
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?
Chapter 69
اتِّخَاذِ الْمَاشِيَةِ
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Umm Haniʾ reported that the Prophet said to her: ‘Keep sheep, for there is blessing in them.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report gives a concise recommendation concerning sheep and blessing.
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
ʿUrwah al-Bariqi reported from the Prophet: ‘Camels are a source of honor for their owners, sheep are a blessing, and goodness is tied to the forelocks of horses until the Day of Resurrection.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The report uses the figurative expressions ‘honor’ for camels and ‘goodness tied to the forelocks’ of horses; both images are retained.
يَرْفَعُهُ قَالَ " الإِبِلُ عِزٌّ لأَهْلِهَا وَالْغَنَمُ بَرَكَةٌ وَالْخَيْرُ مَعْقُودٌ فِي نَوَاصِي الْخَيْلِ إِلَى يَوْمِ الْقِيَامَةِ " .
The word ʿizz denotes honor, strength, or standing; the report does not specify which aspect is intended for camel owners.
Does ‘a source of honor’ best convey ʿizz in this context?
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Ibn ʿUmar reported that the Messenger of Allah said: ‘The sheep is one of the animals of Paradise.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
The source uses the singular generic noun for sheep and calls it one of the creatures or animals of Paradise.
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?