64/70. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4376 — From Stone Worship to Musailima's Fire
The delegation of Banu Hanifa
Stone Worship Hadith: Abu Raja and Pre-Islamic Practices
Sahih Bukhari : 4376
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4376
حَدَّثَنَا الصَّلْتُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ مَهْدِيَّ بْنَ مَيْمُونٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا رَجَاءٍ الْعُطَارِدِيَّ، يَقُولُ كُنَّا نَعْبُدُ الْحَجَرَ، فَإِذَا وَجَدْنَا حَجَرًا هُوَ أَخْيَرُ مِنْهُ أَلْقَيْنَاهُ وَأَخَذْنَا الآخَرَ، فَإِذَا لَمْ نَجِدْ حَجَرًا جَمَعْنَا جُثْوَةً مِنْ تُرَابٍ، ثُمَّ جِئْنَا بِالشَّاةِ فَحَلَبْنَاهُ عَلَيْهِ، ثُمَّ طُفْنَا بِهِ، فَإِذَا دَخَلَ شَهْرُ رَجَبٍ قُلْنَا مُنَصِّلُ الأَسِنَّةِ. فَلاَ نَدَعُ رُمْحًا فِيهِ حَدِيدَةٌ وَلاَ سَهْمًا فِيهِ حَدِيدَةٌ إِلاَّ نَزَعْنَاهُ وَأَلْقَيْنَاهُ شَهْرَ رَجَبٍ. وَسَمِعْتُ أَبَا رَجَاءٍ، يَقُولُ كُنْتُ يَوْمَ بُعِثَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم غُلاَمًا أَرْعَى الإِبِلَ عَلَى أَهْلِي، فَلَمَّا سَمِعْنَا بِخُرُوجِهِ فَرَرْنَا إِلَى النَّارِ إِلَى مُسَيْلِمَةَ الْكَذَّابِ.
Abu Raja Al-Utaridi Narrated from:
We used to worship stones, and when we found a better stone than the first one, we would throw the first one and take the latter, but if we could not get a stone then we would collect some earth (i.e. soil) and then bring a sheep and milk that sheep over it, and perform the Tawaf around it. When the month of Rajab came, we used (to stop the military actions), calling this month the iron remover, for we used to remove and throw away the iron parts of every spear and arrow in the month of Rajab.Abu Raja' added: When the Prophet (ﷺ) sent with (Allah's) Message, I was a boy working as a shepherd of my family camels. When we heard the news about the appearance of the Prophet, we ran to the fire, i.e. to Musailima al-Kadhdhab.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4376, 4377In-book reference : Book 64, Hadith 401USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 5, Book 59, Hadith 661
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4376
This Hadith is a first-person memory from Abu Raja Al-Utaridi about practices before Islam reached them. He says they used to worship stones. If they found a better stone, they would leave the first and take the other. If they could not find a stone, they would gather soil, milk a sheep over it, and perform Tawaf around it. He also describes Rajab as a time when they removed iron parts from spears and arrows, calling it the iron remover. Then he adds that when the Prophet was sent, he was a boy tending his family's camels. When they heard about the Prophet's appearance, they fled to Musailima Al-Kadhdhab, described in the text as fire. The narration shows the emptiness of shifting idol practice and the danger of running to a false claimant.
What we learn from this hadith
- Abu Raja describes how easily they changed objects of worship.
- The narration mentions Tawaf around soil when no stone was found.
- Rajab was called the iron remover because weapons were set aside.
- The text describes fleeing to Musailima as running to fire.
