65/5.13. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4623 — False Rituals and Idolatry
Allah has not instituted things like Bahirah or a Sã'ibah, or a Wasilah or a Ham..." (V.5:103)
وَإِذْ قَالَ اللَّهُ} يَقُولُ: قَالَ اللَّهُ. وَإِذْ هَاهُنَا صِلَةٌ، الْمَائِدَةُ أَصْلُهَا مَفْعُولَةٌ كَعِيشَةٍ رَاضِيَةٍ وَتَطْلِيقَةٍ بَائِنَةٍ وَالْمَعْنَى مِيدَ بِهَا صَاحِبُهَا مِنْ خَيْرٍ، يُقَالُ مَادَنِي يَمِيدُنِي. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ: {مُتَوَفِّيكَ} مُمِيتُكَ.
Hadith About Idolatry and Invented Animal Rituals
Sahih Bukhari : 4623
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4623
حَدَّثَنَا مُوسَى بْنُ إِسْمَاعِيلَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ سَعْدٍ، عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، قَالَ الْبَحِيرَةُ الَّتِي يُمْنَعُ دَرُّهَا لِلطَّوَاغِيتِ فَلاَ يَحْلُبُهَا أَحَدٌ مِنَ النَّاسِ. وَالسَّائِبَةُ كَانُوا يُسَيِّبُونَهَا لآلِهَتِهِمْ لاَ يُحْمَلُ عَلَيْهَا شَىْءٌ. قَالَ وَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " رَأَيْتُ عَمْرَو بْنَ عَامِرٍ الْخُزَاعِيَّ يَجُرُّ قُصْبَهُ فِي النَّارِ، كَانَ أَوَّلَ مَنْ سَيَّبَ السَّوَائِبَ ". وَالْوَصِيلَةُ النَّاقَةُ الْبِكْرُ تُبَكِّرُ فِي أَوَّلِ نِتَاجِ الإِبِلِ، ثُمَّ تُثَنِّي بَعْدُ بِأُنْثَى. وَكَانُوا يُسَيِّبُونَهُمْ لِطَوَاغِيتِهِمْ إِنْ وَصَلَتْ إِحْدَاهُمَا بِالأُخْرَى لَيْسَ بَيْنَهُمَا ذَكَرٌ. وَالْحَامِ فَحْلُ الإِبِلِ يَضْرِبُ الضِّرَابَ الْمَعْدُودَ، فَإِذَا قَضَى ضِرَابَهُ وَدَعُوهُ لِلطَّوَاغِيتِ وَأَعْفَوْهُ مِنَ الْحَمْلِ فَلَمْ يُحْمَلْ عَلَيْهِ شَىْءٌ وَسَمَّوْهُ الْحَامِيَ. وَقَالَ لي أَبُو الْيَمَانِ أَخْبَرَنَا شُعَيْبٌ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، سَمِعْتُ سَعِيدًا، قَالَ يُخْبِرُهُ بِهَذَا قَالَ وَقَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَحْوَهُ. وَرَوَاهُ ابْنُ الْهَادِ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ سَعِيدٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Said ibn al-Musayyab Narrated from:
Bahira is a she-camel whose milk is kept for the idols and nobody is allowed to milk it; Sa'iba was the she-camel which they used to set free for their gods and nothing was allowed to be carried on it. Abu Huraira said: Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "I saw `Amr bin 'Amir Al-Khuza`i (in a dream) dragging his intestines in the Fire, and he was the first person to establish the tradition of setting free the animals (for the sake of their deities)," Wasila is the she-camel which gives birth to a she-camel as its first delivery, and then gives birth to another she-camel as its second delivery.People (in the Pre-Islamic periods of ignorance) used to let that she camel loose for their idols if it gave birth to two she-camels successively without giving birth to a male camel in between. 'Ham' was the male camel which was used for copulation. When it had finished the number of copulations assigned for it, they would let it loose for their idols and excuse it from burdens so that nothing would be carried on it, and they called it the 'Hami.'Abu Huraira said, "I heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying so."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4623In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 145USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 147
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4623
This hadith about idolatry explains several animal customs from the pre-Islamic period. Bahira was a she-camel whose milk was kept for idols. Sa’iba was an animal set free for false gods and not used for carrying anything. Wasila and Ham were also linked to idol practices. The hadith then mentions that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم saw Amr bin Amir Al-Khuza’i dragging his intestines in the Fire, and that he was the first to establish the practice of setting animals free for false deities. The main lesson is that worship belongs to Allah alone. People should not invent religious acts and attach them to idols, animals, or customs that have no true basis.
What we learn from this hadith
- Worship must not be mixed with idol customs.
- Invented religious practices can mislead people.
- Animals should not be dedicated to false gods.
- A practice can become dangerous when it is tied to false worship.
