15/5. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1187a — Ibn Umar Following What He Saw
Clarifying that it is better to enter Ihram when a person's mount sets off with him, heading towards Makkah, not straight after the two rak'ah
Ibn Umar Hadith on Following the Prophet’s Practice
Sahih Muslim : 1187a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1187a
وَحَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ يَحْيَى، قَالَ قَرَأْتُ عَلَى مَالِكٍ عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْمَقْبُرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ بْنِ جُرَيْجٍ، أَنَّهُ قَالَ لِعَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُمَرَ رضى الله عنهما يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ رَأَيْتُكَ تَصْنَعُ أَرْبَعًا لَمْ أَرَ أَحَدًا مِنْ أَصْحَابِكَ يَصْنَعُهَا . قَالَ مَا هُنَّ يَا ابْنَ جُرَيْجٍ قَالَ رَأَيْتُكَ لاَ تَمَسُّ مِنَ الأَرْكَانِ إِلاَّ الْيَمَانِيَيْنِ وَرَأَيْتُكَ تَلْبَسُ النِّعَالَ السِّبْتِيَّةَ وَرَأَيْتُكَ تَصْبُغُ بِالصُّفْرَةِ وَرَأَيْتُكَ إِذَا كُنْتَ بِمَكَّةَ أَهَلَّ النَّاسُ إِذَا رَأَوُا الْهِلاَلَ وَلَمْ تُهْلِلْ أَنْتَ حَتَّى يَكُونَ يَوْمُ التَّرْوِيَةِ . فَقَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ أَمَّا الأَرْكَانُ فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَمَسُّ إِلاَّ الْيَمَانِيَيْنِ وَأَمَّا النِّعَالُ السِّبْتِيَّةُ فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَلْبَسُ النِّعَالَ الَّتِي لَيْسَ فِيهَا شَعَرٌ وَيَتَوَضَّأُ فِيهَا فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَلْبَسَهَا وَأَمَّا الصُّفْرَةُ فَإِنِّي رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَصْبَغُ بِهَا فَأَنَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَصْبَغَ بِهَا وَأَمَّا الإِهْلاَلُ فَإِنِّي لَمْ أَرَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُهِلُّ حَتَّى تَنْبَعِثَ بِهِ رَاحِلَتُهُ .
Ubaid b. Juraij Narrated from:
Ubaid b. Juraij said to 'Ahdullah b. 'Umar (Allah be pleased with them): 'Abd al-Rahman, I find you doing four things which I do not see anyone among your companions doing. He said: Son of Juraij, what are these? Thereupon he said: You (while circumambulating the Ka'ba) do not touch but the two pillars situated on the side of yaman (south), and I find you wearing the sandals of tanned leather, and I find you with dyed beard and head, and I also found that, when you were at Mecca, the people pronounced Talbiya as they saw the new moon (Dhu'l-Hijja), but you did not do it till the 8th of Dhu'l-Hijja.Upon this 'Abdullab b. 'Umar said: (So far as the touching of) the pillars is concerned, I did not see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) touching them but only those situated on the side of yaman. (So far as the wearing of) the shoes of tanned leather is concerned, I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wearing shoes without hair on them, and he (wore them with wet feet) after performing ablution, and I like to wear them.So far as the yellowness is concerned, I saw the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) dyeing (head, beard and cloth) with this colour and I love to dye (my head, beard or cloth) with this colour. And so far as the pronouncing of Talbiya is concerned, I did not see the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) pronouncing it until his camel proceeded on (to Dhu'l-Hulaifa).
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1187aIn-book reference : Book 15, Hadith 28USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 7, Hadith 2674
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1187a
This Hadith shows Ibn Umar explaining his actions in a simple way: he followed what he saw from the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم. Ubaid ibn Juraij asked him about four things: touching only the two Yemeni corners of the Ka'bah, wearing tanned leather sandals, using yellow dye, and delaying Talbiya until the day of Tarwiya while others began earlier. Ibn Umar answered each point by referring back to what he saw from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم. He did not touch except what he saw the Prophet touching. He wore the type of sandals he saw the Prophet wearing. He liked the dye because he saw it used. And he did not pronounce Talbiya until the Prophet’s mount moved. The core lesson is careful imitation, not personal display.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ibn Umar based his actions on what he saw from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- He touched only the two Yemeni corners because of that observation.
- He liked tanned leather sandals and yellow dye due to the Prophet’s practice.
- He delayed Talbiya until the point he had seen from the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم.
