Chapter 35. Description Of The Joking Of Rasulullah.
Chapter 035, Hadith Number 001 (225).Anas ibn Maalik (Allah be pleased with him) relates, Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) once told him jokingly, Ya dhal udhu-nayn (O’ two eared one).Commentary
Every person has two ears. It must have been for a special reason that he was called ‘Ya dhal udhu-nayn’. For example, he might have had large ears or a sharp hearing, that he could hear from a distance. The latter explanation seems more correct.
Chapter 035, Hadith Number 002 (226).Anas (Allah be pleased with him) says, Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to associate with us and joke. I had a younger brother. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said to him, ‘Aba Umayr, what happened to the Nughayr?Commentary
Nughayr is a type of bird. The ulama have translated it as a white tailed, red Pigeon. The author of Hayatul Haywaan says that it is a Nightingale. Imaam Tirmizi says that the gist of this hadith is that Sayyidinah Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) addressed this child by his kuniyyat (patronymic name). He had adopted an animal (bird) as a pet. The animal died and as a result, the child became grieved. In order to cheer him Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) asked him, What happened to the Nughayr? Although Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) knew that the animal had died. This hadith supports the madh’hab of the Hanafis in a masalah. According to the Shafi’ees, the same rule of hunting applies to the Haram of Madinah as that of Makkah. According to the Hanafis, there is a difference between the two. It is not prohibited to hunt in the Haram of Makkah, whereas it is jaa’iz (permissible) in the Haram of Madinah. Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) not prohibiting this, is a proof from among many other proofs, the details of which are mentioned in the books of fiqh and hadith. There is a difference of opinion whether Sayyidina Abu Umayr (Allah be pleased with him) was known by this kuniyyat (patronymic name) previously or did Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) address him first by this kuniyyat? Some ulama have extracted more than a hundred masaa-il and benifits from this hadith. May that soul be sacrificed that from a sentence of a joke, hundreds of masaa’il are solved. And may the Almighty Allah fill the graves of the great ulama with nur (light) who have given such great service to each and every hadith of Sayyidina Rasoolullaah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and extracted so many massa’il, kept it safe and spread it. A question arises here that it is also mentioned that the animal was kept in a cage and the child played with it. This is cruelty to an animal, which is prohibited in the hadith. An answer to this is, to cage an animal and to play with it to keep oneself happy, is not cruelty. To harm and to be cruel to an animal is a different thing. For this reason the ulama have written that it is only permissible for that person to keep an animal who will not mis-handle or be cruel to an animal, but care for it properly. It is not permissible for a hard-hearted child or one who does not understand animals to keep them.
Chapter 035, Hadith Number 003 (227)Abu Hurairah (Allah be pleased with him) reports, The Sahaabah asked, ‘O’ Messenger of Allah, you joke with us?’. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, ‘Yes, I do not say but the truth.Commentary
The reason that the Sahaabah (Allah be pleased with him)m asked is because it had been prohibited to joke. Likewise, it is also against the dignity of great people to do so. Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) informed that it has nothing to do with my cheerfulness. This has been discussed at the beginning of the chapter.
Chapter 035, Hadith Number 004 (228)Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) relates that a person requested Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) that he be given a conveyance. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, The baby of a camel shall be given to you.
The person said, What shall I do with the baby of a camel O’ Messenger of Allah? (I want one for a conveyance). Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, Every camel is the baby of a camel.
Commentary
The person thought that he would be given a small camel which is unfit for riding. In this hadith besides joking, it also points to the fact that a person should carefully listen and understand what the other person is saying.
Chapter 035, Hadith Number 005 (229)Anas ibn Malik (Allah be pleased with him) reports, A resident of the wilderness whose name was Zaahir (ibn Hiraam Al-Ashja’ee), whenever he visited Rasooluallah (Allah bless him and give him peace) he brought with him presents of the wilderness, vegetables etc., and presented it to Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace). When he intended to leave Madinah, Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) used to present him with provisions of the city. Once Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘Zaahir is our wilderness, and we are his city.’ Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) was attached to him. Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) was not very handsome. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) once approached him while he was selling his merchandise. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) caught him in between the arms from the back in such a manner that he (Sayyidina Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him)) could not see him. Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) said, ‘Who is this?, leave me.’ But when he saw with the corner of his eye that it was Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace), he straightened his back and began pressing it to the chest of Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) (For as long as he gained this opportunity it was better than a thousand gifts). Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) then said, ‘Who will purchase this slave?’ Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) replied, ‘O’ Rasool of Allah, if you shall sell me, you will be selling a defective thing, and will earn a very little sum.’ Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, ‘No, you are not defective in the sight of Allah, but very valuable.
Commentary
Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) coming and embracing him from the back and covering the eyes of Sayyidina Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) was being humorous to him. This saying that who shall purchase him was also in joking. Because Sayyidina Zaahir (Allah be pleased with him) was not a slave but a free man. Some of the commentators have written that this hadith is about joking, but in reality it is full of virtues and hidden benefits. When Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) found him engrossed in selling his merchandise. Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) feared that because he was too busy selling, it would keep him away from the remembrance of Allah. Therefore Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) took hold of him from behind, and the embrace would be a means of returning him to the remembrance of Allah. As a reminder he said, ‘Is there anyone who will purchase this slave?’, it is because the person who is so engrossed in things other than the remembrance of Allah, is like a slave of his own desires. The embrace of Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) totally awakened his faculties for the remembrance of Allah. This is why Sayyidina Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) gave him the good news that his status in the eyes of Allah is not low but that of an elevated one.
Chapter 035, Hadith Number 006 (230). Hasan Basri (Allah be pleased with him) says that an old woman came to Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) and made a request, O’ Messenger of Allah make Dua that Allah grants me entrance into Jannah.
Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) replied, O’ Mother, an old woman cannot enter Jannah. That woman started crying and began to leave. Rasoolullah (Allah bless him and give him peace) said, Say to the woman that one will not enter in a state of old age, but Allah will make all the women of Jannah young virgins. Allah Ta’aala says, Lo! We have created them a (new) creation and made them virgins, lovers, equal in age. (Surah Waaqi’ah, 35-37).
PDF