64/35. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4189 — Blaming Personal Opinion in Difficult Matters
The Ghazwa of Al-Hudaibiya
وَقَوْلِ اللَّهِ تَعَالَى: {لَقَدْ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ إِذْ يُبَايِعُونَكَ تَحْتَ الشَّجَرَةِ} .
Personal Opinion Hadith: Sahl bin Hunaif and the Day of Abu Jandal
Sahih Bukhari : 4189
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4189
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ إِسْحَاقَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَابِقٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَالِكُ بْنُ مِغْوَلٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا حَصِينٍ، قَالَ قَالَ أَبُو وَائِلٍ لَمَّا قَدِمَ سَهْلُ بْنُ حُنَيْفٍ مِنْ صِفِّينَ أَتَيْنَاهُ نَسْتَخْبِرُهُ فَقَالَ اتَّهِمُوا الرَّأْىَ، فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُنِي يَوْمَ أَبِي جَنْدَلٍ وَلَوْ أَسْتَطِيعُ أَنْ أَرُدَّ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَمْرَهُ لَرَدَدْتُ، وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَعْلَمُ، وَمَا وَضَعْنَا أَسْيَافَنَا عَلَى عَوَاتِقِنَا لأَمْرٍ يُفْظِعُنَا إِلاَّ أَسْهَلْنَ بِنَا إِلَى أَمْرٍ نَعْرِفُهُ قَبْلَ هَذَا الأَمْرِ، مَا نَسُدُّ مِنْهَا خُصْمًا إِلاَّ انْفَجَرَ عَلَيْنَا خُصْمٌ مَا نَدْرِي كَيْفَ نَأْتِي لَهُ.
Narrated Abu Wail: When Sahl bin Hunaif returned from (the battle of) Siffin, we went to ask him (as to why he had come back). He replied, "(You should not consider me a coward) but blame your opinions. I saw myself on the day of Abu Jandal (inclined to fight), and if I had the power of refusing the order of Allah's Apostle then, I would have refused it (and fought the infidels bravely). Allah and His Apostle know (what is convenient) better. Whenever we put our swords on our shoulders for any matter that terrified us, our swords led us to an easy agreeable solution before the present situation (of disagreement and dispute between the Muslims). When we mend the breach in one side, it opened in another, and we do not know what to do about it."
[1] A battle between 'Alī and Mu'āwiya.(2) They blamed him for not fighting properly in that battle, but he blamed them for fighting their Muslim brethren.(3) During the peace treaty of Al-Hudaibīya , Abū Jandal, a new convert, sought refuge with the Prophet ﷺ from the infidels who had persecuted him. But the Prophet ﷺ, abiding by the conditions of the Treaty, returned him to the infidels. The Companions of the Prophet ﷺ wished that he had not returned him and prepared to fight the infidels.Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4189In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 229USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 502
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4189
This personal opinion hadith gives a serious warning from Sahl bin Hunaif. When people asked him after Siffin, he told them to blame their opinions. He remembered the day of Abu Jandal and said that if he had been able to refuse the order of Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم, he would have done so. He then said, 'Allah and His Messenger know better.' The hadith shows how hard that moment felt to some companions, but it also shows Sahl’s later reflection. He did not praise his own first feeling. He pointed back to the Prophet’s command and admitted that human judgment can be weak in confusing times.
What we learn from this hadith
- Personal opinion should not be placed above the Prophet’s command.
- Sahl remembered his strong feeling on the day of Abu Jandal with caution.
- He stated that Allah and His Messenger know better.
- Difficult disputes can become confusing when people rely only on their own views.
