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 Sunan Abu Dawud, which contains 5,276 hadiths across 43 books. It is hadith number 3640 in the Book of The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah).

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

Hadith numbering varies across editions and translations (USC-MSA, Dar as-Salam, Fath al-Bari, and others). If you followed a link citing a different number but landed here, you may have been redirected to the canonical version in our library. If you were looking for a different hadith entirely, use the search bar to find it by text.

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#3639

#3640

Sunan Abu Dawud

#3641

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Sunan Abu Dawud #3640

Q: What is Sunan Abu Dawud 3640 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)) states: "'Amr bin Shu'aib on his father's authority said that his grandfather told that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) decided regarding the stream al-Mahzur that its water should be held back till it reached the…"

The Office of the Judge (Kitab Al-Aqdiyah)

Sahih

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 عَبْدَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْحَارِثِ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَضَى فِي السَّيْلِ الْمَهْزُورِ أَنْ يُمْسَكَ حَتَّى يَبْلُغَ الْكَعْبَيْنِ ثُمَّ يُرْسِلُ الأَعْلَى عَلَى الأَسْفَلِ ‏.‏

'Amr bin Shu'aib on his father's authority said that his grandfather told that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) decided regarding the stream al-Mahzur that its water should be held back till it reached the ankles, and that the upper waters should then be allowed to flow to the lower.

Context

This hadith recounts a decision made by the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) regarding the management of water flow in a stream called al-Mahzur. He instructed that the water should be held back until it reached the ankles before allowing the upper waters to flow down to the lower. This decision reflects the principles of fairness and consideration for the needs of all parties involved.

Modern Application

In contemporary settings, this principle can be applied to resource management, ensuring that everyone has access to essential resources. It emphasizes the importance of equitable distribution and responsible stewardship of communal assets.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Justice because it demonstrates the Prophet's commitment to fairness in distributing resources.

Justice