Maniha: A Good Gift (Ahadith 2295 – 2296)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 47, Number 797:
Narrated Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu):
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “What a good Maniha (the she-camel which has recently given birth and which gives profuse milk) is, and (what a good Maniha) (the sheep which gives profuse milk, a bowl in the morning and another in the evening) is!”

Volume 3, Book 47, Number 798:
Narrated Malik:
Maniha is a good deed of charity.

Maniha: a sort of gift in the form of a she-camel or a sheep which is given to somebody temporarily so that its milk may be used and then the animal is returned to its owner.

So it’s basically a very thoughtful and generous gift.. an example from today could be lending your car to someone with its tank full, or a printer along with hefty ink supply. I personally think we’re stingy when it comes to these things. We’d rather keep such benefits to ourselves than let others have any share in them. Definitely something to think about.

A Sheep for 130 Men (Hadith No. 2285)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 47, Number 787:
Narrated ‘Abdur-Rahman bin Abu Bakr (radiallaahu `anhumaa):
We were one-hundred and thirty persons accompanying the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) who asked us whether anyone of us had food. There was a man who had about a Sa of wheat which was mixed with water then. A very tall pagan came driving sheep. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) asked him, “Will you sell us (a sheep) or give it as a present?” He said, “I will sell you (a sheep).” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) bought a sheep and it was slaughtered. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) ordered that its liver and other abdominal organs be roasted. By Allah, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) gave every person of the one-hundred-and-thirty a piece of that; he gave all those of them who were present; and kept the shares of those who were absent.The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) then put its meat in two huge basins and all of them ate to their fill, and even then more food was left in the two basins which were carried on the camel (or said something like it).

This was one of the miracles of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam). It wouldn’t take a believer to see it.

(Hadith No. 2165)

Bismillah.

Hadith no. 2164 (below) is a repeat, read it here.

Volume 3, Book 44, Number 667:
Narrated Anas (radiallaahu `anhu):
that Abu Bakr As-Siddiq (radiallaahu `anhu) wrote to him the law of Zakat which was made obligatory by Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam). He wrote: ‘Partners possessing joint property (sheep) have to pay its Zakat equally.

Today’s Hadith:

 

Volume 3, Book 44, Number 668:
Narrated ‘Abaya bin Rafa’a bin Rafi’ bin Khadij:
My grandfather said, “We were in the company of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) at Dhul-Hulaifa. The people felt hungry and captured some camels and sheep (as booty). The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) was behind the people. They hurried and slaughtered the animals and put their meat in pots and started cooking it. (When the Prophet came) he ordered the pots to be upset and then he distributed the animals (of the booty), regarding ten sheep as equal to one camel. One of the camels fled and the people ran after it till they were exhausted. At that time there were few horses. A man threw an arrow at the camel, and Allah stopped the camel with it. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Some of these animals are like wild animals, so if you lose control over one of these animals, treat it in this way (i.e. shoot it with an arrow).” Before distributing them among the soldiers my grandfather said, “We may meet the enemies in the future and have no knives; can we slaughter the animals with reeds?” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Use whatever causes blood to flow, and eat the animals if the name of Allah has been mentioned on slaughtering them. Do not slaughter with teeth or fingernails and I will tell you why: It is because teeth are bones (i.e. cannot cut properly) and fingernails are the tools used by the Ethiopians (whom we should not imitate for they are infidels).”

#HadithOfTheYear (Hadith No. 2014)

Bismillah.

Volume 3, Book 39, Number 517 :
Narrated by Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhu)
The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “While a man was riding a cow, it turned towards him and said, ‘I have not been created for this purpose (i.e. carrying), I have been created for ploughing.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) added, “I, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar believe in the story.” The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) went on, “A wolf caught a sheep, and when the shepherd chased it, the wolf said, ‘Who will be its guard on the day of wild beasts, when there will be no shepherd for it except me?’ “After narrating it, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “I, Abu Bakr and ‘Umar too believe it.” Abu Salama (a sub-narrator) said, “Abu Bakr and ‘Umar (radiallaahu `anhumaa) were not present then.”

(It has been written that a wolf also spoke to one of the companions of the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) near Medina as narrated in Fath-al-Bari: Narrated Unais bin ‘Amr: Ahban bin Aus (radiallaahu `anhu) said, “I was amongst my sheep. Suddenly a wolf caught a sheep and I shouted at it. The wolf sat on its tail and addressed me, saying, ‘Who will look after it (i.e. the sheep) when you will be busy and not able to look after it? Do you forbid me the provision which Allah has provided me?’ ” Ahban (radiallaahu `anhu) added, “I clapped my hands and said, ‘By Allah, I have never seen anything more curious and wonderful than this!’ On that the wolf said, ‘There is something (more curious) and wonderful than this; that is, Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) in those palm trees, inviting people to Allah (i.e. Islam).’ “Unais bin ‘Amr further said, “Then Ahban (radiallaahu `anhu) went to Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) and informed him what happened and embraced Islam.”)

This hadith shows the importance of using animals for their purpose and nothing else – unless there’s evidence to prove otherwise. For example, Allah says in the Quran:

وَالْخَيْلَ وَالْبِغَالَ وَالْحَمِيرَ لِتَرْكَبُوهَا وَزِينَةً ۚ وَيَخْلُقُ مَا لَا تَعْلَمُونَ

And [He created] the horses, mules and donkeys for you to ride and [as] adornment. And He creates that which you do not know. [16:8]

It is forbidden to eat the meat of donkeys and mules, but as for horses, Allah’s Apostle made them permissible.

It was narrated from Jaabir ibn ‘Abd-Allaah (may Allaah be pleased with him) that he said: On the day of Khaybar, the Messenger of Allaah (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) forbade eating the flesh of domestic donkeys, but he granted a concession with regard to horses. Narrated by al-Bukhaari, 3982; Muslim, 1941.

More on the ruling on eating horse meat here.

Another thing that’s worth mentioning here is the story of the wolf who spoke to Ahban ibn Aws (radiallaahu `anhu). To some extent, this reminds me of the Red Riding Hood and her Granny. It’s a fairy tale with no truth to it, but the story in the Hadith is real and 100% true. Narrations like these could replace the bed time story content for our children. We don’t have to tell them made-up stories to teach them morals after all!

The Brave Girl (Hadith No. 1996)

Bismillah.

Hadith no. 1995 (below) is a repeat. Read it here.

Volume 3, Book 38, Number 499 :
Narrated by Abu Said Al-Khudri and Abu Huraira (radiallaahu `anhumaa)
Allah’s Apostle (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) employed someone as a governor at Khaibar. When the man came to Medina, he brought with him dates called Janib. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) asked him, “Are all the dates of Khaibar of this kind?” The man replied, “(No), we exchange two Sa’s of bad dates for one Sa of this kind of dates (i.e. Janib), or exchange three Sa’s for two.” On that, the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said, “Don’t do so, as it is a kind of usury (Riba) but sell the dates of inferior quality for money, and then buy Janib with the money”. The Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) said the same thing about dates sold by weight.

Today’s Hadith:

Volume 3, Book 38, Number 500 :
Narrated by Ibn Ka’b bin Malik from his father (radiallaahu `anhu)
We had some sheep which used to graze at Sal’ (a mountain in Madinah). One of our slave-girls saw a sheep dying and she broke a stone and slaughtered the sheep with it. My father said to the people, “Don’t eat it till I ask the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) about it (or till I send somebody to ask the Prophet).” So, he asked or sent somebody to ask the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam), and the Prophet (sallallaahu `alayhi wasallam) permitted him to eat it. ‘Ubaidullah (a sub-narrator) said, “I admire that girl, for though she was a slave-girl, she dared to slaughter the sheep. “

Allaah says (interpretation of the meaning): 

“Forbidden to you (for food) are: Al‑Maitah (the dead animals — cattle — beast not slaughtered), blood, the flesh of swine, and that on which Allaah’s Name has not been mentioned while slaughtering (that which has been slaughtered as a sacrifice for others than Allaah, or has been slaughtered for idols) and that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns — and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal — unless you are able to slaughter it (before its death).”

[al-Maa’idah 5:3] 

Ibn Katheer said:  

The phrase “unless you are able to slaughter it” refers to that which you are able to reach and slaughter in the proper manner when there is still evidently life in it. That refers to the phrase, “that which has been killed by strangling, or by a violent blow, or by a headlong fall, or by the goring of horns — and that which has been (partly) eaten by a wild animal”. 

Tafseer Ibn Katheer, 2/11, 12

This shows that as long as one is able to slaughter the animal before it dies, it is permissible to eat from it. More on the etiquette of slaughtering animals here.

As for the brave girl who slaughtered the dying sheep, I admire her too! In fact, I admire all the women, including my mom, who are able to slaughter their sacrificial animals on Eid or otherwise. It takes guts to do it! Some women can’t even watch an animal being slaughtered let alone doing it themselves. SubhanAllah! May Allah give us (the scared lot) more courage. :)

Commenting on this hadeeth, Ibn Hijr (may Allaah have mercy on him) said:

“This shows that it is permitted to eat meat slaughtered by a woman, whether she is free or a slave, old or young, Muslim or of the People of the Book (i.e., Jewish or Christian), in a state of purity or otherwise, because the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him) told them to eat the meat she had slaughtered and did not ask for further details.”

This hadeeth also answers the question about whether any of the Sahaabiyaat (female Companions of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allaah be upon him)) slaughtered animals.

Shaykh al-Islam Ibn Taymiyah said:

“It is permitted to eat from an animal which a man or a woman slaughters Islamically before it dies, or from meat slaughtered by a woman, even if she is menstruating, because her menstruation is not in her hand. It is permissible to eat meat from an animal which a woman slaughters Islamically before it dies, by the consensus of the Muslims.” (Al-Fataawa, 35/234).