64/18. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4053 — Jabir’s Father’s Debt and the Blessed Dates
“…but Allah was their Wali.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 4053: Jabir Father Debt Hadith and the Dates
Sahih Bukhari : 4053
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4053
حَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ أَبِي سُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُوسَى، حَدَّثَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ فِرَاسٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما أَنَّ أَبَاهُ، اسْتُشْهِدَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ وَتَرَكَ عَلَيْهِ دَيْنًا، وَتَرَكَ سِتَّ بَنَاتٍ، فَلَمَّا حَضَرَ جِذَاذُ النَّخْلِ قَالَ أَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ قَدْ عَلِمْتَ أَنَّ وَالِدِي قَدِ اسْتُشْهِدَ يَوْمَ أُحُدٍ، وَتَرَكَ دَيْنًا كَثِيرًا، وَإِنِّي أُحِبُّ أَنْ يَرَاكَ الْغُرَمَاءُ. فَقَالَ " اذْهَبْ فَبَيْدِرْ كُلَّ تَمْرٍ عَلَى نَاحِيَةٍ ". فَفَعَلْتُ ثُمَّ دَعَوْتُهُ، فَلَمَّا نَظَرُوا إِلَيْهِ كَأَنَّهُمْ أُغْرُوا بِي تِلْكَ السَّاعَةَ، فَلَمَّا رَأَى مَا يَصْنَعُونَ أَطَافَ حَوْلَ أَعْظَمِهَا بَيْدَرًا ثَلاَثَ مَرَّاتٍ، ثُمَّ جَلَسَ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ قَالَ " ادْعُ لَكَ أَصْحَابَكَ ". فَمَا زَالَ يَكِيلُ لَهُمْ حَتَّى أَدَّى اللَّهُ عَنْ وَالِدِي أَمَانَتَهُ، وَأَنَا أَرْضَى أَنْ يُؤَدِّيَ اللَّهُ أَمَانَةَ وَالِدِي، وَلاَ أَرْجِعَ إِلَى أَخَوَاتِي بِتَمْرَةٍ، فَسَلَّمَ اللَّهُ الْبَيَادِرَ كُلَّهَا وَحَتَّى إِنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَى الْبَيْدَرِ الَّذِي كَانَ عَلَيْهِ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَأَنَّهَا لَمْ تَنْقُصْ تَمْرَةً وَاحِدَةً.
Jabir bin `Abdullah Narrated from:
His father was martyred on the day of the battle of Uhud and was in debt and left six (orphan) daughters. Jabir, added, "When the season of plucking the dates came, I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and said, "You know that my father was martyred on the day of Uhud, and he was heavily in debt, and I would like that the creditors should see you." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Go and pile every kind of dates apart." I did so and called him (i.e. the Prophet (ﷺ) ).When the creditors saw him, they started claiming their debts from me then in such a harsh manner (as they had never done before). So when he saw their attitude, he went round the biggest heap of dates thrice, and then sat over it and said, 'O Jabir), call your companions (i.e. the creditors).' Then he kept on measuring (and giving) to the creditors (their due) till Allah paid all the debt of my father.I would have been satisfied to retain nothing of those dates for my sisters after Allah had paid the debts of my father. But Allah saved all the heaps (of dates), so that when I looked at the heap where the Prophet (ﷺ) had been sitting, it seemed as if a single date had not been taken away thereof."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4053In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 99USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 383
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4053
This Jabir father debt hadith shows the pressure of debt and the mercy of help. Jabir’s father was martyred at Uhud, left six daughters, and also left much debt. When the date harvest came, Jabir asked Allah’s Messenger (صلى الله عليه وسلم) to come so the creditors could see him. The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) told Jabir to separate the dates into piles. When the creditors acted harshly, the Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) went around the largest pile three times, sat on it, and told Jabir to call them. He kept measuring and giving until Allah paid the debt of Jabir’s father. Jabir would have been satisfied even if nothing remained for his sisters, but the heaps were saved, and the pile seemed not to have lost a single date.
What we learn from this hadith
- Jabir cared about paying his father’s debt.
- He sought the Prophet’s help when the creditors were pressing him.
- The Prophet (صلى الله عليه وسلم) guided him to organize the date piles.
- Allah paid the debt while the date heaps were preserved.
