93/21. Chapter:
Sahih Bukhari 7171 — Avoiding Suspicion
If a judge has to witness in favour of a litigant
وَقَالَ شُرَيْحٌ الْقَاضِي، وَسَأَلَهُ إِنْسَانٌ الشَّهَادَةَ فَقَالَ ائْتِ الأَمِيرَ حَتَّى أَشْهَدَ لَكَ. وَقَالَ عِكْرِمَةُ قَالَ عُمَرُ لِعَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ عَوْفٍ لَوْ رَأَيْتَ رَجُلاً عَلَى حَدٍّ زِنًا أَوْ سَرِقَةٍ وَأَنْتَ أَمِيرٌ فَقَالَ شَهَادَتُكَ شَهَادَةُ رَجُلٍ مِنَ الْمُسْلِمِينَ. قَالَ صَدَقْتَ. قَالَ عُمَرُ لَوْلاَ أَنْ يَقُولَ النَّاسُ زَادَ عُمَرُ فِي كِتَابِ اللَّهِ. لَكَتَبْتُ آيَةَ الرَّجْمِ بِيَدِي. وَأَقَرَّ مَاعِزٌ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِالزِّنَا أَرْبَعًا، فَأَمَرَ بِرَجْمِهِ، وَلَمْ يُذْكَرْ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ أَشْهَدَ مَنْ حَضَرَهُ. وَقَالَ حَمَّادٌ إِذَا أَقَرَّ مَرَّةً عِنْدَ الْحَاكِمِ رُجِمَ. وَقَالَ الْحَكَمُ أَرْبَعًا.
Hadith About Avoiding Suspicion and Keeping Matters Clear
Sahih Bukhari : 7171
Sahih BukhariHadith Number 7171
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْعَزِيزِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ حُسَيْنٍ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَتَتْهُ صَفِيَّةُ بِنْتُ حُيَىٍّ فَلَمَّا رَجَعَتِ انْطَلَقَ مَعَهَا، فَمَرَّ بِهِ رَجُلاَنِ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ فَدَعَاهُمَا فَقَالَ " إِنَّمَا هِيَ صَفِيَّةُ ". قَالاَ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ. قَالَ " إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ يَجْرِي مِنِ ابْنِ آدَمَ مَجْرَى الدَّمِ ". رَوَاهُ شُعَيْبٌ وَابْنُ مُسَافِرٍ وَابْنُ أَبِي عَتِيقٍ وَإِسْحَاقُ بْنُ يَحْيَى عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ عَلِيٍّ ـ يَعْنِي ابْنَ حُسَيْنٍ ـ عَنْ صَفِيَّةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
`Ali bin Husain Narrated from:
Safiya bint (daughter of) Huyai came to the Prophet (in the mosque), and when she returned (home), the Prophet (ﷺ) accompanied her. It happened that two men from the Ansar passed by them and the Prophet called them saying, "She is Safiya!" those two men said, "Subhan Allah!" The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Satan circulates in the human body as blood does."
[1] The Prophet ﷺ disliked suspicion and said, "She is Ṣafiyya., i.e., my wife."Reference : Sahih al-Bukhari 7171In-book reference : Book 93, Hadith 35USC-MSA web (English) reference : Vol. 9, Book 89, Hadith 283
Summary of Sahih Bukhari Hadith 7171
This hadith is about avoiding suspicion and keeping matters clear. Safiya bint Huyai came to the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم, and when she returned home, he accompanied her. Two men from the Ansar passed by, so the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم called them and said, “She is Safiya.” They responded with “Subhan Allah,” showing respect and surprise. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم then explained that Satan circulates in the human body as blood does. The message is simple: even good people may be protected by clear speech when a situation could be misunderstood. This is a strong hadith about avoiding suspicion in Islam. It teaches that explaining things at the right time can close the door to doubt, whispers, and wrong thoughts.
What we learn from this hadith
- Clear speech can prevent harmful suspicion.
- A person may explain a situation even when others have not accused him.
- Satan can use unclear situations to create doubt in people’s hearts.
- Good conduct includes protecting others from wrong assumptions.
