Sunan an-Nasa'i

Sunan an-Nasa'i 2499

Arabic hadith text

أَخْبَرَنِي الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ مُوسَى بْنِ أَعْيَنَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ جَاءَ هِلاَلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِعُشُورِ نَحْلٍ لَهُ وَسَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَحْمِيَ لَهُ وَادِيًا يُقَالُ لَهُ سَلَبَةُ فَحَمَى لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَلِكَ الْوَادِيَ فَلَمَّا وَلِيَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ كَتَبَ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ يَسْأَلُهُ فَكَتَبَ عُمَرُ إِنْ أَدَّى إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ عُشْرِ نَحْلِهِ فَاحْمِ لَهُ سَلَبَةَ ذَلِكَ وَإِلاَّ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ ذُبَابُ غَيْثٍ يَأْكُلُهُ مَنْ شَاءَ ‏.‏

Translation

Al-Mughirah ibn Abd al-Rahman informed me: Ahmad ibn Abi Shuayb narrated to us, from Musa ibn Ayan, from Amr ibn al-Harith, from Amr ibn Shuayb, from his father, from his grandfather, who said: Hilal came to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ with the tenth due from his bees and asked him to reserve for him a valley called Salabah. The Messenger of Allah ﷺ reserved that valley for him. When Umar ibn al-Khattab took office, Sufyan ibn Wahb wrote to Umar ibn al-Khattab asking him about it. Umar wrote: If he pays you what he used to pay the Messenger of Allah ﷺ from one tenth of his honey, then reserve Salabah for him. Otherwise, it is merely a rain-season swarm for anyone to take.

Translation notes
  • The valley name Salabah is transliterated. The closing phrase is rendered literally and flagged for review because its idiomatic sense is uncertain.

  • قَالَ جَاءَ هِلاَلٌ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِعُشُورِ نَحْلٍ لَهُ وَسَأَلَهُ أَنْ يَحْمِيَ لَهُ وَادِيًا يُقَالُ لَهُ سَلَبَةُ فَحَمَى لَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَلِكَ الْوَادِيَ فَلَمَّا وَلِيَ عُمَرُ بْنُ الْخَطَّابِ كَتَبَ سُفْيَانُ بْنُ وَهْبٍ إِلَى عُمَرَ بْنِ الْخَطَّابِ يَسْأَلُهُ فَكَتَبَ عُمَرُ إِنْ أَدَّى إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانَ يُؤَدِّي إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ عُشْرِ نَحْلِهِ فَاحْمِ لَهُ سَلَبَةَ ذَلِكَ وَإِلاَّ فَإِنَّمَا هُوَ ذُبَابُ غَيْثٍ يَأْكُلُهُ مَنْ شَاءَ ‏.

    The phrase ذباب غيث is an idiom or image for the bees or honey in the valley and its precise force is unclear.

    Should this be rendered literally as a rain-season swarm or idiomatically as freely available wild honey?