70/23. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5413 — White Flour, Sieves, and Barley
What the Prophet (saws) and his Companions used to eat.
Hadith About Simple Living: The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم and Unsifted Barley
Sahih Bukhari : 5413
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5413
حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ، عَنْ أَبِي حَازِمٍ، قَالَ سَأَلْتُ سَهْلَ بْنَ سَعْدٍ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ أَكَلَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم النَّقِيَّ فَقَالَ سَهْلٌ مَا رَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم النَّقِيَّ مِنْ حِينَ ابْتَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ اللَّهُ. قَالَ فَقُلْتُ هَلْ كَانَتْ لَكُمْ فِي عَهْدِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مَنَاخِلُ قَالَ مَا رَأَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مُنْخُلاً مِنْ حِينَ ابْتَعَثَهُ اللَّهُ حَتَّى قَبَضَهُ. قَالَ قُلْتُ كَيْفَ كُنْتُمْ تَأْكُلُونَ الشَّعِيرَ غَيْرَ مَنْخُولٍ قَالَ كُنَّا نَطْحَنُهُ وَنَنْفُخُهُ، فَيَطِيرُ مَا طَارَ وَمَا بَقِيَ ثَرَّيْنَاهُ فَأَكَلْنَاهُ.
Abu Hazim Narrated from:
I asked Sahl bin Sa`d, "Did Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ever eat white flour?" Sahl said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never saw white flour since Allah sent him as an Apostle till He took him unto Him." I asked, "Did the people have (use) sieves during the lifetime of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)?" Sahl said, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) never saw (used) a sieve since Allah sent him as an Apostle until He took him unto Him," I said, "How could you eat barley unsifted?" he said, "We used to grind it and then blow off its husk, and after the husk flew away, we used to prepare the dough (bake) and eat it."
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5413In-book reference : Book 70, Hadith 41USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 65, Hadith 324
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5413
This Hadith about simple living gives more detail about food in the lifetime of the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. Abu Hazim asked Sahl bin Saʿd whether Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم ever ate white flour. Sahl answered that he never saw white flour from the time Allah sent him as a Messenger until Allah took him. Abu Hazim then asked about sieves, and Sahl said the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم never saw a sieve in that same period. When asked how they ate unsifted barley, Sahl explained that they ground it, blew off what husk flew away, and then prepared and ate what remained. This narration is useful for searches like hadith about white flour, Prophet simple food, and barley in Sahih Bukhari. It shows plain living and simple food preparation without turning that description into an extra rule beyond the text.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not see white flour in the period described by Sahl.
- Sahl also said the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not see a sieve in that period.
- They prepared barley by grinding it and blowing off the husk.
- The narration gives a clear picture of simple food preparation.
