The Arabic includes the chain of narration (sanad) and the collector's commentary; the English translation shows the Prophet's words only.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَعَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالاَ: حَدَّثَنَا وَكِيعٌ، عَنْ أَبِي هِلاَلٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَوَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، - رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ الأَشْهَلِ وَقَالَ: عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ مِنْ بَنِي عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ كَعْبٍ - قَالَ: أَغَارَتْ عَلَيْنَا خَيْلُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ وَهُوَ يَتَغَدَّى فَقَالَ: " ادْنُ فَكُلْ " . قُلْتُ: إِنِّي صَائِمٌ . قَالَ: " اجْلِسْ أُحَدِّثْكَ عَنِ الصَّوْمِ أَوِ الصِّيَامِ . إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ وَضَعَ عَنِ الْمُسَافِرِ شَطْرَ الصَّلاَةِ وَعَنِ الْمُسَافِرِ وَالْحَامِلِ وَالْمُرْضِعِ الصَّوْمَ أَوِ الصِّيَامَ " . وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ قَالَهُمَا النَّبِيُّ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ كِلْتَاهُمَا أَوْ إِحْدَاهُمَا فَيَا لَهْفَ نَفْسِي فَهَلاَّ كُنْتُ طَعِمْتُ مِنْ طَعَامِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ .
“The
cavalry of
the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) attacked us, so I came to the
Messenger
of Allah (ﷺ) while he was eating a meal. He said: ‘Come
and eat.’ I
said: ‘I am fasting.’ He said: ‘Sit down and I
will tell you about
fasting. Allah has relieved the traveler of half
of the prayer, and He
has relieved the traveler, the pregnant, and
the nursing mothers of
the duty to fast.’ By Allah, the Prophet
(ﷺ) said them, both, or one
of them, and now I feel so disappointed
that I had not eaten of the
food of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ).”
Narrated by It was
narrated from Anas bin Malik that a man from the tribe of Banu
‘Abdul-Ashhal, while (one narrator) ‘Ali bin Muhammad said (he
was) a
man from the tribe of Banu ‘Abdullah bin Ka’b, said:
Context
In this hadith, a man from the tribe of Banu ‘Abdul-Ashhal approached the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) while he was eating. The man expressed his commitment to fasting, but the Prophet (ﷺ) encouraged him to sit and learn about the allowances made for fasting, particularly for travelers, pregnant women, and nursing mothers. This interaction highlights the importance of understanding religious obligations and the flexibility afforded in certain circumstances.
Modern Application
Today, this hadith reminds us that there are allowances in fasting, especially for those who are traveling or facing difficulties. It encourages individuals to seek knowledge about their religious practices and to understand the context of their obligations, ensuring they can fulfill them appropriately.
Topics
This hadith is tagged with Fasting and Prophetic Conduct because it discusses the allowances for fasting and showcases the Prophet's (ﷺ) approach to teaching and guiding others.
[Fasting for] a limited number of days. So whoever among you is ill or on a journey [during them] - then an equal number of days [are to be made up]. And upon those who are able [to fast, but with hardship] - a ransom [as substitute] of feeding a poor person [each day]. And whoever volunteers excess - it is better for him. But to fast is best for you, if you only knew.
The month of Ramadhan [is that] in which was revealed the Qur'an, a guidance for the people and clear proofs of guidance and criterion. So whoever sights [the new moon of] the month, let him fast it; and whoever is ill or on a journey - then an equal number of other days. Allah intends for you ease and does not intend for you hardship and [wants] for you to complete the period and to glorify Allah for that [to] which He has guided you; and perhaps you will be grateful.
And he who does not find [a slave] - then a fast for two months consecutively before they touch one another; and he who is unable - then the feeding of sixty poor persons. That is for you to believe [completely] in Allah and His Messenger; and those are the limits [set by] Allah. And for the disbelievers is a painful punishment.
He said, "You will not receive food that is provided to you except that I will inform you of its interpretation before it comes to you. That is from what my Lord has taught me. Indeed, I have left the religion of a people who do not believe in Allah, and they, in the Hereafter, are disbelievers.
So eat and drink and be contented. And if you see from among humanity anyone, say, 'Indeed, I have vowed to the Most Merciful abstention, so I will not speak today to [any] man.' "
This hadith is #1401 from Sunan Ibn Majah, in the Book of Fasting. It is graded Hasan and narrated by It was
narrated from Anas bin Malik that a man from the tribe of Banu
‘Abdul-Ashhal, while (one narrator) ‘Ali bin Muhammad said (he
was) a
man from the tribe of Banu ‘Abdullah bin Ka’b, said:.
