65/60.1. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 4890 — Hatib’s Letter and Careful Judgment
"(O you who believe!) Take not My enemies and your enemies (i.e., disbelievers and polytheists) as friends..." (V.60:1)
Hatib Bin Abi Balta'a Hadith: Loyalty, Fear, and Fair Judgment
Sahih Bukhari : 4890
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 4890
حَدَّثَنَا الْحُمَيْدِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ دِينَارٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُبَيْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ أَبِي رَافِعٍ، كَاتِبَ عَلِيٍّ يَقُولُ سَمِعْتُ عَلِيًّا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ بَعَثَنِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَنَا وَالزُّبَيْرَ وَالْمِقْدَادَ فَقَالَ " انْطَلِقُوا حَتَّى تَأْتُوا رَوْضَةَ خَاخٍ فَإِنَّ بِهَا ظَعِينَةً مَعَهَا كِتَابٌ فَخُذُوهُ مِنْهَا ". فَذَهَبْنَا تَعَادَى بِنَا خَيْلُنَا حَتَّى أَتَيْنَا الرَّوْضَةَ فَإِذَا نَحْنُ بِالظَّعِينَةِ فَقُلْنَا أَخْرِجِي الْكِتَابَ فَقَالَتْ مَا مَعِي مِنْ كِتَابٍ. فَقُلْنَا لَتُخْرِجِنَّ الْكِتَابَ أَوْ لَنُلْقِيَنَّ الثِّيَابَ. فَأَخْرَجَتْهُ مِنْ عِقَاصِهَا فَأَتَيْنَا بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَإِذَا فِيهِ مِنْ حَاطِبِ بْنِ أَبِي بَلْتَعَةَ إِلَى أُنَاسٍ مِنَ الْمُشْرِكِينَ مِمَّنْ بِمَكَّةَ يُخْبِرُهُمْ بِبَعْضِ أَمْرِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا هَذَا يَا حَاطِبُ ". قَالَ لاَ تَعْجَلْ عَلَىَّ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي كُنْتُ امْرَأً مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ وَلَمْ أَكُنْ مِنْ أَنْفُسِهِمْ وَكَانَ مَنْ مَعَكَ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرِينَ لَهُمْ قَرَابَاتٌ يَحْمُونَ بِهَا أَهْلِيهِمْ وَأَمْوَالَهُمْ بِمَكَّةَ فَأَحْبَبْتُ إِذْ فَاتَنِي مِنَ النَّسَبِ فِيهِمْ أَنْ أَصْطَنِعَ إِلَيْهِمْ يَدًا يَحْمُونَ قَرَابَتِي وَمَا فَعَلْتُ ذَلِكَ كُفْرًا وَلاَ ارْتِدَادًا عَنْ دِينِي. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِنَّهُ قَدْ صَدَقَكُمْ ". فَقَالَ عُمَرُ دَعْنِي يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ فَأَضْرِبَ عُنُقَهُ. فَقَالَ " إِنَّهُ شَهِدَ بَدْرًا وَمَا يُدْرِيكَ لَعَلَّ اللَّهَ ـ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ ـ اطَّلَعَ عَلَى أَهْلِ بَدْرٍ فَقَالَ اعْمَلُوا مَا شِئْتُمْ فَقَدْ غَفَرْتُ لَكُمْ ". قَالَ عَمْرٌو وَنَزَلَتْ فِيهِ {يَا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا لاَ تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي وَعَدُوَّكُمْ} قَالَ لاَ أَدْرِي الآيَةَ فِي الْحَدِيثِ أَوْ قَوْلُ عَمْرٍو. حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ قِيلَ لِسُفْيَانَ فِي هَذَا فَنَزَلَتْ {لاَ تَتَّخِذُوا عَدُوِّي} قَالَ سُفْيَانُ هَذَا فِي حَدِيثِ النَّاسِ حَفِظْتُهُ مِنْ عَمْرٍو وَمَا تَرَكْتُ مِنْهُ حَرْفًا وَمَا أُرَى أَحَدًا حَفِظَهُ غَيْرِي.
'Ali Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) sent me along with AzZubair and Al-Miqdad and said, "Proceed till you reach a place called Raudat-Khakh where there is a lady travelling in a howda on a camel. She has a letter. Take the letter from her." So we set out, and our horses ran at full pace till we reached Raudat Khakh, and behold, we saw the lady and said (to her), "Take out the letter!"She said, "I have no letter with me." We said, "Either you take out the letter or we will strip you of your clothes." So she took the letter out of her hair braid. We brought the letter to the Prophet (ﷺ) and behold, it was addressed by Hatib bin Abi Balta'a to some pagans at Mecca, informing them of some of the affairs of the Prophet.The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "What is this, O Hatib?" Hatib replied, "Do not be hasty with me, O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! I am an Ansari man and do not belong to them (Quraish infidels) while the emigrants who were with you had their relatives who used to protect their families and properties at Mecca. So, to compensate for not having blood relation with them.' I intended to do them some favor so that they might protect my relatives (at Mecca), and I did not do this out of disbelief or an inclination to desert my religion."The Prophet then said (to his companions), "He (Hatib) has told you the truth." `Umar said, "O Allah's Apostle! Allow me to chop his head off?" The Apostle said, "He is one of those who witnessed (fought in) the Battle of Badr, and what do you know, perhaps Allah looked upon the people of Badr (Badr warriors) and said, 'Do what you want as I have forgiven you.' " (`Amr, a sub-narrator, said,: This Verse was revealed about him (Hatib):'O you who believe! Take not My enemies and your enemies as friends or protectors.' (60.1)Narrated `Ali: Sufyan was asked whether (the Verse): 'Take not My enemies and your enemies...' was revealed in connection with Hatib. Sufyan replied, "This occurs only in the narration of the people. I memorized the Hadith from `Amr, not overlooking even a single letter thereof, and I do not know of anybody who remembered it by heart other than myself."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 4890In-book reference : Book 65, Hadith 410USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 6, Book 60, Hadith 412
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 4890
This hadith about Hatib bin Abi Balta'a tells of a serious matter involving a letter sent to some people in Makkah about part of the Prophet’s صلى الله عليه وسلم affairs. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم sent Ali, Az-Zubair, and Al-Miqdad to retrieve it. When Hatib was questioned, he explained that he acted to protect his relatives in Makkah, not because of disbelief or leaving his religion. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم said he had told the truth. Umar wanted severe action, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم mentioned that Hatib had witnessed Badr and said that perhaps Allah had looked upon the people of Badr and forgiven them. The narration teaches careful judgment: the act was serious, but the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم listened to the explanation before deciding.
What we learn from this hadith
- Serious actions should be investigated with care.
- Hatib’s own stated motive was fear for his relatives, not disbelief or leaving Islam.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم accepted the truthful explanation given to him.
- A person’s past service, like witnessing Badr, was considered in the response.
