64/70. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4377 — The Emptiness of Stone Worship
The delegation of Banu Hanifa
Hadith About Stone Worship and the Iron Remover Month
Sahih Bukhari : 4377
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4377
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 4377
This narration repeats Abu Raja Al-Utaridi's description of what his people did before Islam reached them. They worshipped stones, and if they found a stone they thought was better, they threw away the first one. If they had no stone, they gathered soil, milked a sheep over it, and performed Tawaf around it. He also says that in Rajab they removed iron parts from spears and arrows, calling the month the iron remover. Then he remembers being a boy who tended camels when news of the Prophet came. Instead of going to the Prophet, they ran toward Musailima Al-Kadhdhab, which the narration calls fire. The Hadith is a plain picture of old practices and a warning from that lived memory.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration shows how unstable stone worship was.
- It records a pre-Islamic practice linked to Rajab and weapons.
- Abu Raja connects his childhood memory with the Prophet's sending.
- The text describes Musailima's way as fire.
