Sunan Abu Dawud #4512
Types of Blood-Wit (Kitab Al-Diyat)
The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ دَاوُدَ الْمَهْرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ كَانَ جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ يُحَدِّثُ أَنَّ يَهُودِيَّةً، مِنْ أَهْلِ خَيْبَرَ سَمَّتْ شَاةً مَصْلِيَّةً ثُمَّ أَهْدَتْهَا لِرَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَخَذَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الذِّرَاعَ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهَا وَأَكَلَ رَهْطٌ مِنْ أَصْحَابِهِ مَعَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " ارْفَعُوا أَيْدِيَكُمْ " . وَأَرْسَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم إِلَى الْيَهُودِيَّةِ فَدَعَاهَا فَقَالَ لَهَا " أَسَمَمْتِ هَذِهِ الشَّاةَ " . قَالَتِ الْيَهُودِيَّةُ مَنْ أَخْبَرَكَ قَالَ " أَخْبَرَتْنِي هَذِهِ فِي يَدِي " . لِلذِّرَاعِ . قَالَتْ نَعَمْ . قَالَ " فَمَا أَرَدْتِ إِلَى ذَلِكَ " . قَالَتْ قُلْتُ إِنْ كَانَ نَبِيًّا فَلَنْ يَضُرَّهُ وَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنِ اسْتَرَحْنَا مِنْهُ . فَعَفَا عَنْهَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلَمْ يُعَاقِبْهَا وَتُوُفِّيَ بَعْضُ أَصْحَابِهِ الَّذِينَ أَكَلُوا مِنَ الشَّاةِ وَاحْتَجَمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى كَاهِلِهِ مِنْ أَجْلِ الَّذِي أَكَلَ مِنَ الشَّاةِ حَجَمَهُ أَبُو هِنْدٍ بِالْقَرْنِ وَالشَّفْرَةِ وَهُوَ مَوْلًى لِبَنِي بَيَاضَةَ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ .
Jabir ibn Abdullah used to say that a Jewess from the inhabitants of Khaybar poisoned a roasted sheep and presented it to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) who took its foreleg and ate from it. A group of his companions also ate with him.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then said: Take your hands away (from the food). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then sent someone to the Jewess and he called her.
He said to her: Have you poisoned this sheep? The Jewess replied: Who has informed you? He said: This foreleg which I have in my hand has informed me. She said: Yes. He said: What did you intend by it? She said: I thought if you were a prophet, it would not harm you; if you were not a prophet, we should rid ourselves of him (i.e. the Prophet). The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) then forgave her, and did not punish her. But some of his companions who ate it, died. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) had himself cupped on his shoulder on account of that which he had eaten from the sheep. AbuHind cupped him with the horn and knife. He was a client of Banu Bayadah from the Ansar.
Narrated by Narrated Ibn Shihab:
Context
This hadith narrates an incident where a Jewish woman from Khaybar poisoned a sheep and presented it to the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ). Upon eating from it, the Prophet (ﷺ) inquired about the sheep's preparation and learned of the poisoning. His decision to forgive the woman rather than punish her highlights the values of mercy and understanding in Islam, even in the face of betrayal.
Modern Application
In contemporary life, this hadith teaches the importance of forgiveness and understanding in our interactions. When faced with betrayal or wrongdoing, responding with compassion rather than immediate retribution can foster better relationships and community harmony.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Blessings in Food and Punishments (Hudud) because it discusses the consequences of actions related to food and the Prophet's (ﷺ) response to a serious offense.
Related Ayahs
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 المَائـِدَةِ
Al-Maaida (The Table)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
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.
سُورَةُ الشَّمۡسِ
Ash-Shams (The Sun)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
فَقَالَ لَهُمْ رَسُولُ ٱللَّهِ نَاقَةَ ٱللَّهِ وَسُقْيَٰهَا
And the messenger of Allah [Salih] said to them, "[Do not harm] the she-camel of Allah or [prevent her from] her drink."
سُورَةُ النِّسَاءِ
An-Nisaa (The Women)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
فَبِظُلْمٍۢ مِّنَ ٱلَّذِينَ هَادُوا۟ حَرَّمْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ طَيِّبَٰتٍ أُحِلَّتْ لَهُمْ وَبِصَدِّهِمْ عَن سَبِيلِ ٱللَّهِ كَثِيرًۭا
For wrongdoing on the part of the Jews, We made unlawful for them [certain] good foods which had been lawful to them, and for their averting from the way of Allah many [people],
سُورَةُ يُوسُفَ
Yusuf (Joseph)
بِسْمِ ٱللَّهِ ٱلرَّحْمَـٰنِ ٱلرَّحِيمِ
1 ayah
فَلَمَّا سَمِعَتْ بِمَكْرِهِنَّ أَرْسَلَتْ إِلَيْهِنَّ وَأَعْتَدَتْ لَهُنَّ مُتَّكَـًۭٔا وَءَاتَتْ كُلَّ وَٰحِدَةٍۢ مِّنْهُنَّ سِكِّينًۭا وَقَالَتِ ٱخْرُجْ عَلَيْهِنَّ ۖ فَلَمَّا رَأَيْنَهُۥٓ أَكْبَرْنَهُۥ وَقَطَّعْنَ أَيْدِيَهُنَّ وَقُلْنَ حَٰشَ لِلَّهِ مَا هَٰذَا بَشَرًا إِنْ هَٰذَآ إِلَّا مَلَكٌۭ كَرِيمٌۭ
So when she heard of their scheming, she sent for them and prepared for them a banquet and gave each one of them a knife and said [to Joseph], "Come out before them." And when they saw him, they greatly admired him and cut their hands and said, "Perfect is Allah! This is not a man; this is none but a noble angel."
Common Words
142 total115 unique18 repeated
ٱلله5x
ما4x
ٱلذين3x
حرمنا3x
إلا3x
وما3x
هادوا2x
كل2x
عليهم2x
أو2x
عليكم2x
ٱليوم2x
من2x
دينكم2x
لكم2x
لهم2x
فلما2x
هذا2x
وعلى1x
ذى1x
Related Hadiths
About Sunan Abu Dawud
This hadith is #4512 from Sunan Abu Dawud, in the Book of Types of Blood-Wit (Kitab Al-Diyat) and narrated by Narrated Ibn Shihab:.