11/51. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 1885 — Understanding Sunnah
Ar-Raml (Walking Briskly During Tawaf)
Understanding Sunnah: Ibn Abbas on Ramal and Sa’i on a Camel
Sunan Abi Dawud : 1885
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 1885
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو سَلَمَةَ، مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو عَاصِمٍ الْغَنَوِيُّ، عَنْ أَبِي الطُّفَيْلِ، قَالَ قُلْتُ لاِبْنِ عَبَّاسٍ يَزْعُمُ قَوْمُكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَدْ رَمَلَ بِالْبَيْتِ وَأَنَّ ذَلِكَ سُنَّةٌ . قَالَ صَدَقُوا وَكَذَبُوا . قُلْتُ وَمَا صَدَقُوا وَمَا كَذَبُوا قَالَ صَدَقُوا قَدْ رَمَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَكَذَبُوا لَيْسَ بِسُنَّةٍ إِنَّ قُرَيْشًا قَالَتْ زَمَنَ الْحُدَيْبِيَةِ دَعُوا مُحَمَّدًا وَأَصْحَابَهُ حَتَّى يَمُوتُوا مَوْتَ النَّغَفِ . فَلَمَّا صَالَحُوهُ عَلَى أَنْ يَجِيئُوا مِنَ الْعَاِمِ الْمُقْبِلِ فَيُقِيمُوا بِمَكَّةَ ثَلاَثَةَ أَيَّامٍ فَقَدِمَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَالْمُشْرِكُونَ مِنْ قِبَلِ قُعَيْقِعَانَ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأَصْحَابِهِ " ارْمُلُوا بِالْبَيْتِ ثَلاَثًا " . وَلَيْسَ بِسُنَّةٍ . قُلْتُ يَزْعُمُ قَوْمُكَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم طَافَ بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ وَأَنَّ ذَلِكَ سُنَّةٌ فَقَالَ صَدَقُوا وَكَذَبُوا . قُلْتُ مَا صَدَقُوا وَمَا كَذَبُوا قَالَ صَدَقُوا قَدْ طَافَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بَيْنَ الصَّفَا وَالْمَرْوَةِ عَلَى بَعِيرِهِ وَكَذَبُوا لَيْسَ بِسُنَّةٍ كَانَ النَّاسُ لاَ يُدْفَعُونَ عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَلاَ يُصْرَفُونَ عَنْهُ فَطَافَ عَلَى بَعِيرٍ لِيَسْمَعُوا كَلاَمَهُ وَلِيَرَوْا مَكَانَهُ وَلاَ تَنَالَهُ أَيْدِيهِمْ .
Abu Tufail Narrated from:
I said to Ibn ‘Abbas Your people think that the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) walked proudly with swift strides while going round the Ka’bah and that it is sunnah (practice of the Prophet). He said “They spoke the truth (in part) and told a lie (in part).” I asked “What truth did they speak and what lie did they tell?” He said “They spoke the truth that the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) walked proudly while going round the Ka’bah but they told a lie, this is no sunnah.The Quraish asserted during the days of Al Hudaibiyyah “Forsake Muhammad and his Companions till they die the death of a Camel which dies of bacteria in its nose. When they concluded a treaty with him agreeing upon the fact that they (the Prophet and his Companions) would come (to Makkah) next year and stay at Makkah three days, the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said to the Companions “Walk proudly (moving shoulders) while going round the Ka’bah in first three circuits. (Ibn ‘Abbas said) But this is not sunnah.I said “Your people think that the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) ran between Al Safa and Al Marwah on a Camel and that is sunnah.” He said “They spoke the truth (in part) and told a lie (in part). I asked “What truth did they speak and what lie did they tell? He said “they spoke the truth that the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) ran between Al Safa and Al Marwah on a Camel. They told a lie that it is a sunnah. As the people did not move from around the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) and did not separate themselves from him he did the sa’i on a Camel so that they may listen to him and see his position and their hands might not reach him.
[1] Al-Khaṭṭābī said: “ An-Naghaf is a worm that falls from the nose of beasts, and the singular form is Naghafah . When belittling and remarking on the weakness of a man, it is said: ‘He is nothing but a Naghafah .’”Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 1885In-book reference : Book 11, Hadith 165English translation : Book 10, Hadith 1880
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 1885
This hadith about understanding Sunnah is important because Ibn Abbas separates an event from a general practice. Abu al-Tufail asked him about people saying that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did ramal around the Ka’bah and that it was Sunnah. Ibn Abbas said they were partly right and partly wrong. He confirmed that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did ramal, but explained that it was done in a specific situation connected to Quraysh and the treaty period. He also explained that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did sa’i on a camel so people could hear him and see him, and so their hands would not reach him. The main lesson is to be careful when calling something Sunnah without understanding the report.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ibn Abbas confirmed that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did ramal, but discussed its specific setting.
- He explained that sa’i on a camel helped people hear and see the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- The hadith teaches caution before turning every reported action into a general claim.
