What is Sunan Ibn Majah 4164 about?

This hadith from Sunan Ibn Majah (Book of The Book of the Sunnah), narrated by 'Amr in Shu'aib narrated from his father that his grandfather said:, states: ""The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to his Companions when they were disputing about the Divine Decree, and it was as if pomegranate seeds had burst on his face (i.e. turned red) because of anger. He…"

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 Ibn Majah, which contains 4,345 hadiths across 38 books. It is hadith number 4164 in the Book of The Book of the Sunnah.

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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#4163

#4164

Sunan Ibn Majah

#4165

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Sunan Ibn Majah #4164

The Book of the Sunnah

Sahih

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

حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مُعَاوِيَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا دَاوُدُ بْنُ أَبِي هِنْدٍ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ، قَالَ خَرَجَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ عَلَى أَصْحَابِهِ وَهُمْ يَخْتَصِمُونَ فِي الْقَدَرِ فَكَأَنَّمَا يُفْقَأُ فِي وَجْهِهِ حَبُّ الرُّمَّانِ مِنَ الْغَضَبِ فَقَالَ ‏ "‏ بِهَذَا أُمِرْتُمْ أَوْ لِهَذَا خُلِقْتُمْ تَضْرِبُونَ الْقُرْآنَ بَعْضَهُ بِبَعْضٍ ‏.‏ بِهَذَا هَلَكَتِ الأُمَمُ قَبْلَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَمْرٍو مَا غَبَطْتُ نَفْسِي بِمَجْلِسٍ تَخَلَّفْتُ فِيهِ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ـ صلى الله عليه وسلم ـ مَا غَبَطْتُ نَفْسِي بِذَلِكَ الْمَجْلِسِ وَتَخَلُّفِي عَنْهُ.‏

"The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came out to his Companions when they were disputing about the Divine Decree, and it was as if pomegranate seeds had burst on his face (i.e. turned red) because of anger. He said: 'Have you been commanded to do this, or were you created for this purpose? You are using one part of the Qur'an against another part, and this is what led to the doom of the nations who came before you.'" 'Abdullah bin 'Amr said: "I was never happy to have missed a gathering with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) as I was to have missed that gathering.'"

Narrated by 'Amr in Shu'aib narrated from his father that his grandfather said:

Context

In this hadith, the Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) encountered his companions in a heated debate about Divine Decree, which visibly angered him. He expressed concern over their arguments, warning them that such disputes had led previous nations to ruin. This highlights the importance of unity in faith and understanding rather than division through conflicting interpretations of the Qur'an.

Modern Application

In today's world, this principle encourages individuals to engage in respectful dialogue about religious beliefs without resorting to arguments that could lead to division. It reminds us to focus on shared values and understanding rather than contentious debates that can harm community harmony.

Topics

This hadith is tagged with Divine Decree and Warning because it addresses the dangers of disputing over divine matters and warns against the consequences faced by previous nations.

Divine Decree Warning