68/15. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5281 — Mughith Following Barira
A female slave, whose husband is a slave, has the option to keep him or leave him (when she is manumitted).
Mughith and Barira Hadith: Love, Grief, and Separation
Sahih Bukhari : 5281
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5281
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الأَعْلَى بْنُ حَمَّادٍ، حَدَّثَنَا وُهَيْبٌ، حَدَّثَنَا أَيُّوبُ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، قَالَ ذَاكَ مُغِيثٌ عَبْدُ بَنِي فُلاَنٍ ـ يَعْنِي زَوْجَ بَرِيرَةَ ـ كَأَنِّي أَنْظُرُ إِلَيْهِ يَتْبَعُهَا فِي سِكَكِ الْمَدِينَةِ، يَبْكِي عَلَيْهَا.
Ibn 'Abbas Narrated from:
That was Mughith, the slave of Bani so-and-so, i.e., Barira's husband as if I am now looking at him following her (Barira) along the streets of Medina.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5281In-book reference : Book 68, Hadith 30USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 63, Hadith 204
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5281
This Mughith and Barira hadith gives a vivid scene from Ibn Abbas. He identifies Barira's husband as Mughith, a slave of Bani so-and-so, and says it is as if he can still see him following Barira through the streets of Medina. The report presents Mughith in a state of deep sadness, following her and crying over her. The text does not give every detail of the marriage in this narration, so we should not add claims beyond it. Its main focus is the emotional scene: Mughith was attached to Barira, and his grief was visible. People searching for Barira and Mughith in English often want this exact moment, where the narration shows human feeling in a very direct way.
What we learn from this hadith
- Mughith is identified as Barira's husband in this report.
- The narration shows his visible sadness as he followed Barira.
- The Hadith records the scene without adding a command or ruling here.
