Sahih Muslim #4862
The Book of Hunting, Slaughter, and what may be Eaten
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، حَدَّثَنَا زُهَيْرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، ح
وَحَدَّثَنَاهُ يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو خَيْثَمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، قَالَ بَعَثَنَا
رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَأَمَّرَ عَلَيْنَا أَبَا عُبَيْدَةَ نَتَلَقَّى عِيرًا لِقُرَيْشٍ وَزَوَّدَنَا جِرَابًا
مِنْ تَمْرٍ لَمْ يَجِدْ لَنَا غَيْرَهُ فَكَانَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ يُعْطِينَا تَمْرَةً تَمْرَةً - قَالَ - فَقُلْتُ كَيْفَ كُنْتُمْ
تَصْنَعُونَ بِهَا قَالَ نَمَصُّهَا كَمَا يَمَصُّ الصَّبِيُّ ثُمَّ نَشْرَبُ عَلَيْهَا مِنَ الْمَاءِ فَتَكْفِينَا يَوْمَنَا إِلَى
اللَّيْلِ وَكُنَّا نَضْرِبُ بِعِصِيِّنَا الْخَبَطَ ثُمَّ نَبُلُّهُ بِالْمَاءِ فَنَأْكُلُهُ قَالَ وَانْطَلَقْنَا عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ
فَرُفِعَ لَنَا عَلَى سَاحِلِ الْبَحْرِ كَهَيْئَةِ الْكَثِيبِ الضَّخْمِ فَأَتَيْنَاهُ فَإِذَا هِيَ دَابَّةٌ تُدْعَى الْعَنْبَرَ
قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ مَيْتَةٌ ثُمَّ قَالَ لاَ بَلْ نَحْنُ رُسُلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَفِي
سَبِيلِ اللَّهِ وَقَدِ اضْطُرِرْتُمْ فَكُلُوا قَالَ فَأَقَمْنَا عَلَيْهِ شَهْرًا وَنَحْنُ ثَلاَثُ مِائَةٍ حَتَّى سَمِنَّا قَالَ
وَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنَا نَغْتَرِفُ مِنْ وَقْبِ عَيْنِهِ بِالْقِلاَلِ الدُّهْنَ وَنَقْتَطِعُ مِنْهُ الْفِدَرَ كَالثَّوْرِ - أَوْ كَقَدْرِ
الثَّوْرِ - فَلَقَدْ أَخَذَ مِنَّا أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ ثَلاَثَةَ عَشَرَ رَجُلاً فَأَقْعَدَهُمْ فِي وَقْبِ عَيْنِهِ وَأَخَذَ ضِلَعًا
مِنْ أَضْلاَعِهِ فَأَقَامَهَا ثُمَّ رَحَلَ أَعْظَمَ بَعِيرٍ مَعَنَا فَمَرَّ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا وَتَزَوَّدْنَا مِنْ لَحْمِهِ وَشَائِقَ
فَلَمَّا قَدِمْنَا الْمَدِينَةَ أَتَيْنَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَذَكَرْنَا ذَلِكَ لَهُ فَقَالَ
" هُوَ رِزْقٌ
أَخْرَجَهُ اللَّهُ لَكُمْ فَهَلْ مَعَكُمْ مِنْ لَحْمِهِ شَىْءٌ فَتُطْعِمُونَا " . قَالَ فَأَرْسَلْنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ
صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْهُ فَأَكَلَهُ .
Allah's Messenger (may peace he upon him) sent us (on an expedition) and appointed Abu 'Ubaida our chief that we might intercept a caravan of the Quraish and provided us with a bag of dates. And he found for us nothing besides it. Abu Ubaida gave each of us one date (everyday). I (Abu Zubair, one of the narrators) said: What did you do with that? He said: We sucked that just as a baby sucks and then drank water over that, and it sufficed us for the day until night. We beat off leaves with the help of our staffs, then drenched them with water and ate them. We then went to the coast of the sea, and there rose before us on the coast of the sea something like a big mound. We came near that and we found that it was a beast, called al-'Anbar (spermaceti whale). Abu 'Ubaida said. It is dead. He then said: No (but it does not matter), we have been sent by the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) in the path of Allah and you are hard pressed (on account of the scarcity of food), so you eat that. We three hundred in number stayed there for a month, until we grew bulky. He (Jabir) said: I saw how we extracted pitcher after pitcher full of fat from the cavity of its eye, and sliced from it compact piece of meat equal to a bull or like a bull. Abu 'Ubaida called forth thirteen men from us and he made them sit in the cavity of its eye, and he took hold of one of the ribs of its chest and made it stand and then saddled the biggest of the camels we had with us and it passed under it (the arched rib), and we provided ourselves with pieces of boiled meat (especially for use in our journey). When we came back to Medina, we went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and made a mention of that to him, whereupon he said: That was a provision which Allah had brought forth for you. Is there any piece of meat (left) with you, so tnat you give to us that? He (Jabir) said: We sent to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) tome of that (a piece of meat) and he ate it.
Narrated by Jabir reported:
Context
In this narration, Jabir describes an expedition led by Abu Ubaida, where the companions faced severe food scarcity. They relied on dates and eventually discovered a dead whale, which they were permitted to eat due to their dire circumstances. The Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) later acknowledged this as a provision from Allah, emphasizing the importance of sustenance and divine blessings in difficult times.
Modern Application
This hadith highlights the significance of resourcefulness and gratitude in times of scarcity. Today, it reminds us to appreciate the provisions we have and to be innovative in finding solutions to challenges, especially regarding food security and sustainability.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Hospitality in Islam and Blessings in Food because it illustrates the importance of sharing provisions and recognizing divine blessings in sustenance.
Related Ayahs
سُورَةُ الحَجِّ
Al-Hajj (The Pilgrimage)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَٱلْبُدْنَ جَعَلْنَٰهَا لَكُم مِّن شَعَٰٓئِرِ ٱللَّهِ لَكُمْ فِيهَا خَيْرٌۭ ۖ فَٱذْكُرُوا۟ ٱسْمَ ٱللَّهِ عَلَيْهَا صَوَآفَّ ۖ فَإِذَا وَجَبَتْ جُنُوبُهَا فَكُلُوا۟ مِنْهَا وَأَطْعِمُوا۟ ٱلْقَانِعَ وَٱلْمُعْتَرَّ ۚ كَذَٰلِكَ سَخَّرْنَٰهَا لَكُمْ لَعَلَّكُمْ تَشْكُرُونَ
And the camels and cattle We have appointed for you as among the symbols of Allah; for you therein is good. So mention the name of Allah upon them when lined up [for sacrifice]; and when they are [lifeless] on their sides, then eat from them and feed the needy and the beggar. Thus have We subjected them to you that you may be grateful.
سُورَةُ الأَنۡعَامِ
Al-An'aam (The Cattle)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
وَعَلَى ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ حَرَّمْنَا كُلَّ ذِى ظُفُرٍۢ ۖ وَمِنَ ٱلْبَقَرِ وَٱلْغَنَمِ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ شُحُومَهُمَآ إِلَّا مَا حَمَلَتْ ظُهُورُهُمَآ أَوِ ٱلْحَوَايَآ أَوْ مَا ٱخْتَلَطَ بِعَظْمٍۢ ۚ ذَٰلِكَ جَزَيْنَٰهُم بِبَغْيِهِمْ ۖ وَإِنَّا لَصَٰدِقُونَ
And to those who are Jews We prohibited every animal of uncloven hoof; and of the cattle and the sheep We prohibited to them their fat, except what adheres to their backs or the entrails or what is joined with bone. [By] that We repaid them for their injustice. And indeed, We are truthful.
سُورَةُ الكَهۡفِ
Al-Kahf (The Cave)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
فَلَمَّا جَاوَزَا قَالَ لِفَتَىٰهُ ءَاتِنَا غَدَآءَنَا لَقَدْ لَقِينَا مِن سَفَرِنَا هَٰذَا نَصَبًۭا
So when they had passed beyond it, [Moses] said to his boy, "Bring us our morning meal. We have certainly suffered in this, our journey, [much] fatigue."
سُورَةُ المَائـِدَةِ
Al-Maaida (The Table)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
2 ayahs
حُرِّمَتْ عَلَيْكُمُ ٱلْمَيْتَةُ وَٱلدَّمُ وَلَحْمُ ٱلْخِنزِيرِ وَمَآ أُهِلَّ لِغَيْرِ ٱللَّهِ بِهِۦ وَٱلْمُنْخَنِقَةُ وَٱلْمَوْقُوذَةُ وَٱلْمُتَرَدِّيَةُ وَٱلنَّطِيحَةُ وَمَآ أَكَلَ ٱلسَّبُعُ إِلَّا مَا ذَكَّيْتُمْ وَمَا ذُبِحَ عَلَى ٱلنُّصُبِ وَأَن تَسْتَقْسِمُوا۟ بِٱلْأَزْلَٰمِ ۚ ذَٰلِكُمْ فِسْقٌ ۗ ٱلْيَوْمَ يَئِسَ ٱلَّذِينَ كَفَرُوا۟ مِن دِينِكُمْ فَلَا تَخْشَوْهُمْ وَٱخْشَوْنِ ۚ ٱلْيَوْمَ أَكْمَلْتُ لَكُمْ دِينَكُمْ وَأَتْمَمْتُ عَلَيْكُمْ نِعْمَتِى وَرَضِيتُ لَكُمُ ٱلْإِسْلَٰمَ دِينًۭا ۚ فَمَنِ ٱضْطُرَّ فِى مَخْمَصَةٍ غَيْرَ مُتَجَانِفٍۢ لِّإِثْمٍۢ ۙ فَإِنَّ ٱللَّهَ غَفُورٌۭ رَّحِيمٌۭ
Prohibited to you are dead animals, blood, the flesh of swine, and that which has been dedicated to other than Allah, and [those animals] killed by strangling or by a violent blow or by a head-long fall or by the goring of horns, and those from which a wild animal has eaten, except what you [are able to] slaughter [before its death], and those which are sacrificed on stone altars, and [prohibited is] that you seek decision through divining arrows. That is grave disobedience. This day those who disbelieve have despaired of [defeating] your religion; so fear them not, but fear Me. This day I have perfected for you your religion and completed My favor upon you and have approved for you Islam as religion. But whoever is forced by severe hunger with no inclination to sin - then indeed, Allah is Forgiving and Merciful.
أُحِلَّ لَكُمْ صَيْدُ ٱلْبَحْرِ وَطَعَامُهُۥ مَتَٰعًۭا لَّكُمْ وَلِلسَّيَّارَةِ ۖ وَحُرِّمَ عَلَيْكُمْ صَيْدُ ٱلْبَرِّ مَا دُمْتُمْ حُرُمًۭا ۗ وَٱتَّقُوا۟ ٱللَّهَ ٱلَّذِىٓ إِلَيْهِ تُحْشَرُونَ
Lawful to you is game from the sea and its food as provision for you and the travelers, but forbidden to you is game from the land as long as you are in the state of ihram. And fear Allah to whom you will be gathered.
Common Words
148 total122 unique13 repeated
لكم7x
ٱلله5x
ما4x
من3x
عليكم3x
وما3x
ٱلذين2x
حرمنا2x
إلا2x
أو2x
ٱليوم2x
دينكم2x
صيد2x
وٱلبدن1x
جعلنها1x
شعئر1x
فيها1x
خير1x
فٱذكروا1x
ٱسم1x
Related Hadiths
About Sahih Muslim
This hadith is #4862 from Sahih Muslim, in the Book of The Book of Hunting, Slaughter, and what may be Eaten. It is graded Sahih and narrated by Jabir reported:.