Sunan Ibn Majah
Sunan Ibn Majah 2084
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَنْبَأَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ حُمَيْدِ بْنِ نَافِعٍ، . أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ زَيْنَبَ ابْنَةَ أُمِّ سَلَمَةَ، تُحَدِّثُ أَنَّهَا سَمِعَتْ أُمَّ سَلَمَةَ، وَأُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ تَذْكُرَانِ أَنَّ امْرَأَةً أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ ابْنَةً لَهَا تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا فَاشْتَكَتْ عَيْنُهَا فَهِيَ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَكْحَلَهَا . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " قَدْ كَانَتْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ تَرْمِي بِالْبَعْرَةِ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا " .
Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.
Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us; Yazid ibn Harun narrated to us; Yahya ibn Saʿid informed us, from Humayd ibn Nafiʿ, who heard Zaynab, daughter of Umm Salamah, relate that she heard Umm Salamah and Umm Habibah mention that a woman came to the Prophet (Allah bless him and grant him peace) and said, ‘My daughter’s husband has died, and her eye is troubling her; she wants to apply kohl to it.’ The Messenger of Allah (Allah bless him and grant him peace) said, ‘One of you used to throw a piece of dung when a year had passed. It is only four months and ten days.’
Notes and open questions — unreviewed
فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ " قَدْ كَانَتْ إِحْدَاكُنَّ تَرْمِي بِالْبَعْرَةِ عِنْدَ رَأْسِ الْحَوْلِ وَإِنَّمَا هِيَ أَرْبَعَةَ أَشْهُرٍ وَعَشْرًا " .
The phrase ترمي بالبعرة عند رأس الحول alludes to a former mourning practice involving throwing a piece of dung at the end of a year; the report contrasts that interval with four months and ten days.
Does the literal image ‘throw a piece of dung when a year had passed’ preserve the report’s reference without overexplaining the practice?
وَأُمَّ حَبِيبَةَ تَذْكُرَانِ أَنَّ امْرَأَةً أَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَقَالَتْ إِنَّ ابْنَةً لَهَا تُوُفِّيَ عَنْهَا زَوْجُهَا فَاشْتَكَتْ عَيْنُهَا فَهِيَ تُرِيدُ أَنْ تَكْحَلَهَا .
تكتحل means to apply kohl to the eye; the singular ‘her eye’ refers to the daughter’s eye that was troubling her.
Is ‘apply kohl to it’ clear and faithful to the statement?