Hadith+
    Beta 2
Help
 
X
GO
Browse All Books    Browse All Topics
LiteView
 
Quick Search 
Sunan Abi Dawud 2650 (Book 15, Hadith 174) #22940
Forgiveness and Mercy of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH)

SUMMARY: The Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) forgave Hatib bin Abi Baltaah for writing a letter to the polytheists in Makkah, despite Umar's suggestion to cut off his head.

'Ali said "The Apostle of Allaahﷺ sent me Al Zubair and Al Miqdad and said "Go till you come to the meadow of Khakh for there Is a woman there travelling on a Camel who has a letter which you must take from her. We went off racing one another on our horses till we came to the meadow and when we found the woman, we aid "Bring out the letter. She said "I have no letter". I said "You must bring out the letter else we strip off your clothes". She then brought it out from the tresses and we took it to the Prophetﷺ. It was addressed from Hatib bin Abi Balta’ah to some of the polytheists(in Makkah) giving them some information about the Apostle of Allaahﷺ. He asked "What is this, Hatib? He replied, Apostle of Allaahﷺ do not be hasty with me. I have been a man attached as an ally to the Quraish and am not one of them while those of the Quraish (ie the emigrants) have relationship with them by which they guarded their family in Makkah. As I did not have that advantage I wanted to give them some help for which they might guard my relations. I swear by Allaah I am not guilty of unbelief or apostasy (from my religion). The Apostle of Allaahﷺ said "he has told you the truth'.Umar said "Let me cut off this hypocrite’s head. The Apostle of Allaahﷺ said "He was present at Badr and what do you know, perhaps Allaah might look with pity on those who were present at Badr? And said "Do what you wish, I have forgiven you".
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، حَدَّثَهُ حَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَهُ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، - وَكَانَ كَاتِبًا لِعَلِيِّ بْنِ أَبِي طَالِبٍ - قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا، عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ يَقُولُ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَنَا وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَالْمِقْدَادَ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ فَإِنَّ بِهَا ظَعِينَةً مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ فَخُذُوهُ مِنْهَا فَانْطَلَقْنَا تَتَعَادَى بِنَا خَيْلُنَا حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا الرَّوْضَةَ فَإِذَا نَحْنُ بِالظَّعِينَةِ فَقُلْنَا هَلُمِّي الْكِتَابَ ‏.‏ فَقَالَتْ مَا عِنْدِي مِنْ كِتَابٍ ‏.‏ فَقُلْتُ لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لَنُلْقِيَنَّ الثِّيَابَ ‏.‏ فَأَخْرَجَتْهُ مِنْ عِقَاصِهَا فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَإِذَا هُوَ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى نَاسٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ يُخْبِرُهُمْ بِبَعْضِ أَمْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ ‏"‏ مَا هَذَا يَا حَاطِبُ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ لاَ تَعْجَلْ عَلَىَّ فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مُلْصَقًا فِي قُرَيْشٍ وَلَمْ أَكُنْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهَا وَإِنَّ قُرَيْشًا لَهُمْ بِهَا قَرَابَاتٌ يَحْمُونَ بِهَا أَهْلِيهِمْ بِمَكَّةَ فَأَحْبَبْتُ إِذْ فَاتَنِي ذَلِكَ أَنْ أَتَّخِذَ فِيهِمْ يَدًا يَحْمُونَ قَرَابَتِي بِهَا وَاللَّهِ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا كَانَ بِي مِنْ كُفْرٍ وَلاَ ارْتِدَادٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ‏"‏ صَدَقَكُمْ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ عُمَرُ دَعْنِي أَضْرِبْ عُنُقَ هَذَا الْمُنَافِقِ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ ‏"‏ قَدْ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ
TOPICS
forgiveness  *  mercy  *  letter  *  i  *  muhammad

QUICK LESSONS:
Show mercy towards others even if you are wronged .

EXPLANATIONS:
This hadith is about the mercy and forgiveness of the Prophet Muhammad ﷺ. It tells us how he showed mercy even when it was not expected from him. In this hadith, Ali ibn Abi Talib narrates that he was sent with Al Zubair and Al Miqdad by the Prophet ﷺ to find a woman who had a letter from Hatib bin Abi Baltaah addressed to some polytheists in Makkah. When they found her, they asked her for the letter but she denied having it. They threatened her with stripping off her clothes if she did not bring out the letter which she eventually did from her tresses. When they brought it back to the Prophet ﷺ, he asked Hatib what it was about and Hatib explained that since he could not accompany his family members who migrated from Makkah due to lack of resources, he wanted them protected by sending them information through this letter so that they would be safe in Makkah. The Prophet ﷺ accepted his explanation and forgave him despite Umar's suggestion of cutting off his head as punishment for apostasy or unbelief which Hatib denied being guilty of. This shows us how merciful our beloved prophet was even when faced with difficult situations like these where people were trying to harm Muslims or their religion Islam itself yet still chose forgiveness over punishment as Allah SWT has commanded us all in His Holy Book Quran “And let them pardon and overlook” [Quran 24:22 ].

Please use the feedback below to report any discrepancies or concerns.

Feedback           Discuss      Disclaimer     

haluk
  
Prev    Next