18/3. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1474a — Honey and Lawful Things
Expiation must be offered by one who declares his wife to be unlawful for him but does not intend divorce thereby
Honey Hadith and Not Forbidding What Allah Made Lawful
Sahih Muslim : 1474a
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1474a
وَحَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ حَاتِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عَطَاءٌ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُبَيْدَ بْنَ عُمَيْرٍ، يُخْبِرُ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عَائِشَةَ، تُخْبِرُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَمْكُثُ عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ فَيَشْرَبُ عِنْدَهَا عَسَلاً قَالَتْ فَتَوَاطَأْتُ أَنَا وَحَفْصَةُ أَنَّ أَيَّتَنَا مَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلْتَقُلْ إِنِّي أَجِدُ مِنْكَ رِيحَ مَغَافِيرَ أَكَلْتَ مَغَافِيرَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى إِحْدَاهُمَا فَقَالَتْ ذَلِكَ لَهُ . فَقَالَ " بَلْ شَرِبْتُ عَسَلاً عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ وَلَنْ أَعُودَ لَهُ " . فَنَزَلَ { لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ} إِلَى قَوْلِهِ { إِنْ تَتُوبَا} لِعَائِشَةَ وَحَفْصَةَ { وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَى بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا} لِقَوْلِهِ " بَلْ شَرِبْتُ عَسَلاً " .
A'isha Narrated from:
Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) used to spend time with Zainab daughter of Jahsh and drank honey at her house. She ('A'isha further) said: I and Hafsa agreed that one whom Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) would visit first should say: I notice that you have an odour of the Maghafir (gum of mimosa). He (the Holy Prophet) visited one of them and she said to him like this, whereupon he said: I have taken honey in the house of Zainab bint Jabsh and I will never do it again.It was at this (that the following verse was revealed): 'Why do you hold to be forbidden what Allah has made lawful for you... (up to). If you both ('A'isha and Hafsa) turn to Allah" up to:" And when the Prophet confided an information to one of his wives" (lxvi. 3). This refers to his saying: But I have taken honey.
[1] A sweet resin with a bad smell which comes out of a tree or thorny shrub called ‘ Urfûṭ ’. [2] At-Tahrîm 66:1-4.Reference : Sahih Muslim 1474aIn-book reference : Book 18, Hadith 27USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 9, Hadith 3496
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1474a
This hadith narrates the incident in which the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم used to spend time with Zainab bint Jahsh and drink honey at her house. Aisha and Hafsa agreed that whoever he visited first would mention the smell of Maghafir. When this was said to him, he explained that he had taken honey at Zainab's house and said he would not do it again. The narration then says the verse was revealed: Why do you hold to be forbidden what Allah has made lawful for you. For readers searching for the honey hadith, the core message in the text is about a lawful thing being avoided because of what was said. The hadith also shows how the verse is connected in this narration to the Prophet's statement about honey.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم had taken honey at the house of Zainab bint Jahsh.
- The narration connects the incident to the verse about not forbidding what Allah made lawful.
- The report shows how words can influence someone's choice.
- The text identifies the confidential statement as his saying that he had taken honey.
