17/11. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1459b — Resemblance
Detecting relationships from physical features
Mujazziz al-Mudliji Hadith on Family Resemblance
Sahih Muslim : 1459b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1459b
وَحَدَّثَنِي عَمْرٌو النَّاقِدُ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَأَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ - وَاللَّفْظُ لِعَمْرٍو - قَالُوا حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ذَاتَ يَوْمٍ مَسْرُورًا فَقَالَ " يَا عَائِشَةُ أَلَمْ تَرَىْ أَنَّ مُجَزِّزًا الْمُدْلِجِيَّ دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ فَرَأَى أُسَامَةَ وَزَيْدًا وَعَلَيْهِمَا قَطِيفَةٌ قَدْ غَطَّيَا رُءُوسَهُمَا وَبَدَتْ أَقْدَامُهُمَا فَقَالَ إِنَّ هَذِهِ الأَقْدَامَ بَعْضُهَا مِنْ بَعْضٍ " .
A'isha Narrated from:
One day Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) visited me looking pleased and he said: 'A'isha, don't you see Mujazziz al-Mudliji? (He) entered (my house) and saw Usama and Zaid with a rug over them covering their heads, but their feet appeared, and (he) said: These feet are related to one another.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1459bIn-book reference : Book 17, Hadith 51USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 8, Hadith 3440
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1459b
This narration gives more scene detail about the same event. A'isha reports that the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم entered one day looking pleased and mentioned Mujazziz al-Mudliji. Mujazziz had entered and seen Usama and Zaid under a rug. Their heads were covered, but their feet were visible. He then said that these feet were related to one another. The hadith is often searched as the Zaid and Usama feet hadith or the Mujazziz al-Mudliji hadith. The text shows the Prophet's happiness at the statement, but it does not ask the reader to add details beyond the report. The core topic is family resemblance and recognition of a link through visible features.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narration describes a visible resemblance between Zaid and Usama.
- Mujazziz made his statement after seeing their feet.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم was pleased by this observation.
- The report should not be expanded beyond the scene it gives.
