What is Sahih al-Bukhari 4185 about?

This hadith from Sahih al-Bukhari (Book of Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)), narrated by Narrated Abu Raja Al-Utaridi:, states: "We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e…"

Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Sahih. Sahih hadiths are considered the most authentic grade in hadith classification.

Which collection is this hadith from?

This hadith is from Sahih al-Bukhari, which contains 7,277 hadiths across 97 books. It is hadith number 4185 in the Book of Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi).

I searched for a different number — is this the right hadith?

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#4184

#4185

Sahih al-Bukhari

#4186

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Sahih al-Bukhari #4185

Military Expeditions led by the Prophet (pbuh) (Al-Maghaazi)

Sahih

The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.

حَدَّثَنَا الصَّلْتُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مَهْدِيَّ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا رَجَاءٍ الْعُطَارِدِيَّ، يَقُولُ كُنَّا نَعْبُدُ الْحَجَرَ، فَإِذَا وَجَدْنَا حَجَرًا هُوَ أَخْيَرُ مِنْهُ أَلْقَيْنَاهُ وَأَخَذْنَا الآخَرَ، فَإِذَا لَمْ نَجِدْ حَجَرًا جَمَعْنَا جُثْوَةً مِنْ تُرَابٍ، ثُمَّ جِئْنَا بِالشَّاةِ فَحَلَبْنَاهُ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ طُفْنَا بِهِ، فَإِذَا دَخَلَ شَهْرُ رَجَبٍ قُلْنَا مُنَصِّلُ الأَسِنَّةِ‏.‏ فَلاَ نَدَعُ رُمْحًا فِيهِ حَدِيدَةٌ وَلاَ سَهْمًا فِيهِ حَدِيدَةٌ إِلاَّ نَزَعْنَاهُ وَأَلْقَيْنَاهُ شَهْرَ رَجَبٍ‏.‏ وَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا رَجَاءٍ، يَقُولُ كُنْتُ يَوْمَ بُعِثَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غُلاَمًا أَرْعَى الإِبِلَ عَلَى أَهْلِي، فَلَمَّا سَمِعْنَا بِخُرُوجِهِ فَرَرْنَا إِلَى النَّارِ إِلَى مُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابِ‏.‏

We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform the Tawaf around it. When the month of Rajab came, we used (to stop the military actions), calling this month the iron remover, for we used to remove and throw away the iron parts of every spear and arrow in the month of Rajab. Abu Raja' added: When the Prophet (ﷺ) sent with (Allah's) Message, I was a boy working as a shepherd of my family camels. When we heard the news about the appearance of the Prophet, we ran to the fire, i.e. to Musailima al-Kadhdhab.

Narrated by Narrated Abu Raja Al-Utaridi:

Context

Abu Raja Al-Utaridi recounted a time when people worshipped stones and performed rituals around them. This narrative illustrates the transition from idolatry to the worship of Allah and the importance of recognizing the truth in faith.

Modern Application

This hadith serves as a historical lesson about the dangers of idolatry and the importance of sincere worship. In contemporary society, it encourages individuals to reflect on their beliefs and ensure they are rooted in truth.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Idolatry and Historical Lessons because it provides insight into the practices of pre-Islamic society and the shift towards monotheism.

Idolatry Historical Lessons