My people sent me to Umm Salama with a bowl of water. Whenever anyone was smitten by the evil eye or anything else he sent her a basin, and she took out some hairs of God’s messenger which she kept in a little silver bell.* She moved it about for him in the water and he drank some of it. I looked into the little bell and saw some red hairs. Bukhari transmitted it.* Mirqat, iv, 515, says that although the word means a bell, it may here be used of a small box in the shape of a bell. This is the kind of bell that would be used on a tambourine.
Medicine and Spells
Mishkat al-Masabih 4568
Textual Analysis
This narration from Umm Salama, the esteemed wife of the Prophet (peace be upon him), demonstrates the permissibility of seeking cure through relics blessed by the Prophet's presence. The hairs of Allah's Messenger (peace be upon him) were preserved as sacred objects possessing barakah (blessing).
The practice described shows that the Companions believed in the spiritual efficacy of objects connected to the Prophet, using them as means (wasilah) for healing through Allah's permission. The water becomes blessed through contact with these sacred relics.
Juridical Ruling
Scholars consider this practice specific to the Prophet's lifetime and immediately thereafter, when the barakah of his physical relics was manifest. Such practices are not generally permissible after the passing of the Sahaba, as they could lead to shirk or inappropriate veneration.
The primary lesson is that cure comes only from Allah, and any means used must be Islamically permissible and not involve shirk or innovation.
Spiritual Dimensions
This incident illustrates the profound love and respect the Companions had for the Prophet (peace be upon him). Their preservation of his hairs demonstrates their recognition of his unique status while maintaining proper Islamic boundaries.
The healing described occurred through tawakkul (reliance on Allah) coupled with permissible means, not through any inherent power in the objects themselves.