2/27. Chapter:
Sunan Abi Dawud 486 — Asking the Prophet in the Mosque
An Idolater Entering The Masajid
Hadith About Asking Questions in the Mosque
Sunan Abi Dawud : 486
Sunan Abi DawudHadith Number 486
حَدَّثَنَا عِيسَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ شَرِيكِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ أَبِي نَمِرٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ أَنَسَ بْنَ مَالِكٍ، يَقُولُ دَخَلَ رَجُلٌ عَلَى جَمَلٍ فَأَنَاخَهُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ ثُمَّ عَقَلَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ أَيُّكُمْ مُحَمَّدٌ وَرَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُتَّكِئٌ بَيْنَ ظَهْرَانَيْهِمْ فَقُلْنَا لَهُ هَذَا الأَبْيَضُ الْمُتَّكِئُ . فَقَالَ الرَّجُلُ يَا ابْنَ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ . فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " قَدْ أَجَبْتُكَ " . فَقَالَ لَهُ الرَّجُلُ يَا مُحَمَّدُ إِنِّي سَائِلُكَ . وَسَاقَ الْحَدِيثَ .
Anas bin Malik Narrated from:
A man entered the mosque on camel and made it kneel down, and then tied his leg with rope. He then asked: Who among you is Muhammad? The Messenger of Allah (May peace be upon him) was sitting leaning upon something among them. We said to him: This white (man) who is leaning. The man said: O son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. The Prophet (peace be upon him) said; I already responded to you. The man (again) said: O Muhammad. I am asking you. The narrator then narrated the rest of the tradition.
Reference : Sunan Abi Dawud 486In-book reference : Book 2, Hadith 96English translation : Book 2, Hadith 486
Summary of Sunan Abi Dawud Hadith 486
This hadith about asking questions in the mosque describes a man who entered on a camel, made it kneel, tied its leg, and then asked, “Who among you is Muhammad?” The Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم was sitting among the people, leaning on something. The people pointed him out, and the man addressed him as the son of ‘Abd al-Muttalib. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم answered him calmly by saying that he had already responded. The report then says the rest of the tradition was narrated, but that part is not included here. Based only on the given text, the clear focus is the setting: the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was among his Companions, and a visitor came to ask him directly. It shows the mosque as a place where people could come and seek answers.
What we learn from this hadith
- People came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم with questions in the mosque.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was sitting among his Companions when approached.
- The visitor asked directly and was answered directly.
- The mosque appears here as a place connected with learning and asking.
