What is Sunan Abu Dawud 3916 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of Divination and Omens (Kitab Al-Kahanah Wa Al-Tatayyur)), narrated by Muhammad b. al-Musaffa said to us on the authority of Baqiyyah. He said:, states: "I asked Muhammad b. Rashid about the meaning of the word hamah. He replied: The pre-Islamic Arabs used to say: When anyone dies and is buried, a bird comes forth from his grave. I asked: What did he m…"

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 3916 in the Book of Divination and Omens (Kitab Al-Kahanah Wa Al-Tatayyur).

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#3915

#3916

Sunan Abu Dawud

#3917

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Sunan Abu Dawud #3916

Divination and Omens (Kitab Al-Kahanah Wa Al-Tatayyur)

Sahih

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

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُصَفَّى، حَدَّثَنَا بَقِيَّةُ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لِمُحَمَّدٍ - يَعْنِي ابْنَ رَاشِدٍ - قَوْلُهُ ‏"‏ هَامَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ كَانَتِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةُ تَقُولُ لَيْسَ أَحَدٌ يَمُوتُ فَيُدْفَنُ إِلاَّ خَرَجَ مِنْ قَبْرِهِ هَامَةٌ ‏.‏ قُلْتُ فَقَوْلُهُ صَفَرَ ‏.‏ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ يَسْتَشْئِمُونَ بِصَفَرَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم ‏"‏ لاَ صَفَرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ وَقَدْ سَمِعْنَا مَنْ يَقُولُ هُوَ وَجَعٌ يَأْخُذُ فِي الْبَطْنِ فَكَانُوا يَقُولُونَ هُوَ يُعْدِي فَقَالَ ‏"‏ لاَ صَفَرَ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

I asked Muhammad b. Rashid about the meaning of the word hamah. He replied: The pre-Islamic Arabs used to say: When anyone dies and is buried, a bird comes forth from his grave. I asked: What did he mean by safar ? He said: I heard that the pre-Islamic Arabs used to take evil omen from safar. So the Prophet (ﷺ) said: There is no safar. Muhammad (b. Rashid) said: We heard someone say: It is a pain in the stomach. They said that it was infection. Hence he said: There is no safar.

Narrated by Muhammad b. al-Musaffa said to us on the authority of Baqiyyah. He said:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) addresses superstitions prevalent among the pre-Islamic Arabs regarding the month of Safar. They believed that it was a month of bad omens and that a bird would emerge from the grave of a deceased person. The Prophet (ﷺ) firmly stated that there is no such thing as bad luck associated with Safar, emphasizing the importance of dismissing superstitions and relying on faith instead.

Modern Application

Today, many people still hold onto superstitions, whether about certain days or events. This hadith encourages individuals to focus on their actions and faith rather than being swayed by unfounded beliefs. It reminds us to cultivate a mindset that prioritizes positivity and trust in Allah's plan.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Ethical Reflection and Historical Lessons because it reflects on the ethical implications of superstition and provides a historical context of beliefs that were prevalent before Islam.

Ethical Reflection Historical Lessons