72/12. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 5493 — Al-Anbar Fish and Hunger Relief
"Lawful to you is water-game and its use for food .... For the benefit of yourselves
وَقَالَ عُمَرُ صَيْدُهُ مَا اصْطِيدَ، وَطَعَامُهُ مَا رَمَى بِهِ، وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ الطَّافِي حَلاَلٌ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ طَعَامُهُ مَيْتَتُهُ إِلاَّ مَا قَذِرْتَ مِنْهَا، وَالْجِرِّيُّ لاَ تَأْكُلُهُ الْيَهُودُ وَنَحْنُ نَأْكُلُهُ. وَقَالَ شُرَيْحٌ صَاحِبُ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كُلُّ شَيْءٍ فِي الْبَحْرِ مَذْبُوحٌ. وَقَالَ عَطَاءٌ أَمَّا الطَّيْرُ فَأَرَى أَنْ يَذْبَحَهُ. وَقَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ قُلْتُ لِعَطَاءٍ صَيْدُ الأَنْهَارِ وَقِلاَتِ السَّيْلِ أَصَيْدُ بَحْرٍ هُوَ قَالَ نَعَمْ، ثُمَّ تَلاَ: {هَذَا عَذْبٌ فُرَاتٌ سَائِغٌ شَرَابُهُ وَهَذَا مِلْحٌ أُجَاجٌ وَمِنْ كُلٍّ تَأْكُلُونَ لَحْمًا طَرِيًّا}. وَرَكِبَ الْحَسَنُ- عَلَيْهِ السَّلاَمُ- عَلَى سَرْجٍ مِنْ جُلُودِ كِلاَبِ الْمَاءِ. وَقَالَ الشَّعْبِيُّ لَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلِي أَكَلُوا الضَّفَادِعَ لأَطْعَمْتُهُمْ. وَلَمْ يَرَ الْحَسَنُ بِالسُّلَحْفَاةِ بَأْسًا. وَقَالَ ابْنُ عَبَّاسٍ كُلْ مِنْ صَيْدِ الْبَحْرِ مَا صَادَهُ نَصْرَانِيٌّ أَوْ يَهُودِيٌّ أَوْ مَجُوسِيٌّ. وَقَالَ أَبُو الدَّرْدَاءِ فِي الْمُرِي ذَبَحَ الْخَمْرَ النِّينَانُ وَالشَّمْسُ.
Al-Anbar Fish Hadith: Food From the Sea in Hardship
Sahih Bukhari : 5493
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 5493
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى، عَنِ ابْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عَمْرٌو، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرًا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ غَزَوْنَا جَيْشَ الْخَبَطِ وَأُمِّرَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ فَجُعْنَا جُوعًا شَدِيدًا فَأَلْقَى الْبَحْرُ حُوتًا مَيِّتًا لَمْ يُرَ مِثْلُهُ يُقَالُ لَهُ الْعَنْبَرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ نِصْفَ شَهْرٍ فَأَخَذَ أَبُو عُبَيْدَةَ عَظْمًا مِنْ عِظَامِهِ فَمَرَّ الرَّاكِبُ تَحْتَهُ.
Jabir Narrated from:
We went out in a campaign and the army was called The Army of the Khabt, and Abu 'Ubaida was our commander. We were struck with severe hunger. Then the sea threw a huge dead fish called Al- `Anbar, the like of which had never been seen. We ate of it for half a month, and then Abu 'Ubaida took one of its bones (and made an arch of it) so that a rider could easily pass under it.
Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 5493In-book reference : Book 72, Hadith 19USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 7, Book 67, Hadith 401
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 5493
This Al-Anbar fish hadith tells of the Army of the Khabt under Abu Ubaida. Jabir says they were hit by severe hunger. Then the sea threw out a huge dead fish called Al-Anbar, unlike anything they had seen. They ate from it for half a month. The report also describes its size: Abu Ubaida took one of its bones and made an arch so large that a rider could pass under it. The hadith is often searched as the dead fish from sea hadith or Army of Khabt hadith. Its core message from the text is clear: during real hunger, Allah provided food through the sea, and the companions were able to eat from it for many days.
What we learn from this hadith
- The army faced severe hunger.
- The sea cast out a huge fish called Al-Anbar.
- They ate from it for half a month.
- The size of the fish is shown by the bone under which a rider passed.
