Is this hadith authentic?

This hadith is graded Hasan 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 4804 in the Book of General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab).

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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Sunan Abu Dawud #4804

Q: What is Sunan Abu Dawud 4804 about?

This hadith from Sunan Abu Dawud (Book of General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)), narrated by Anas said:, states: "The she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called al-Adba’ had not been outstripped by another, but an A`rabi (a nomadic Arab) came on a young riding camel of his and it outstripped it. That distress…"

General Behavior (Kitab Al-Adab)

Hasan Sahih

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

حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، عَنْ ثَابِتٍ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ، قَالَ كَانَتِ الْعَضْبَاءُ لاَ تُسْبَقُ فَجَاءَ أَعْرَابِيٌّ عَلَى قَعُودٍ لَهُ فَسَابَقَهَا فَسَبَقَهَا الأَعْرَابِيُّ فَكَأَنَّ ذَلِكَ شَقَّ عَلَى أَصْحَابِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ حَقٌّ عَلَى اللَّهِ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ أَنْ لاَ يَرْفَعَ شَيْئًا مِنَ الدُّنْيَا إِلاَّ وَضَعَهُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏

The she-camel of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) called al-Adba’ had not been outstripped by another, but an A`rabi (a nomadic Arab) came on a young riding camel of his and it outstripped it. That distressed the companions of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), but he said: It is Allah’s right that nothing should become exalted in the world but he lowers it.

Narrated by Anas said:

Context

In this hadith, Anas narrates an incident where the she-camel of the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ), known as al-Adba’, was outpaced by a young riding camel belonging to a nomadic Arab. This surprised and distressed the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ), who were accustomed to the she-camel's superiority. The Prophet (ﷺ) used this moment to teach them about the divine decree, emphasizing that nothing in this world is raised in status without it being lowered by Allah.

Modern Application

This principle reminds us that worldly success and status are temporary and can change unexpectedly. In our daily lives, we should remain humble and recognize that our achievements are not solely due to our efforts but also part of a larger divine plan. This perspective can help us stay grounded and grateful.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Divine Decree and Humility because it illustrates the concept that Allah controls the status of all beings and that one should remain humble regardless of their achievements.

Divine Decree Humility