18/3. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1474b — Honey Incident
Expiation must be offered by one who declares his wife to be unlawful for him but does not intend divorce thereby
Honey Incident Hadith with Aisha, Hafsa, Sauda and Safiyya
Sahih Muslim : 1474b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1474b
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْعَلاَءِ وَهَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ كَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُحِبُّ الْحَلْوَاءَ وَالْعَسَلَ فَكَانَ إِذَا صَلَّى الْعَصْرَ دَارَ عَلَى نِسَائِهِ فَيَدْنُو مِنْهُنَّ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى حَفْصَةَ فَاحْتَبَسَ عِنْدَهَا أَكْثَرَ مِمَّا كَانَ يَحْتَبِسُ فَسَأَلْتُ عَنْ ذَلِكَ فَقِيلَ لِي أَهْدَتْ لَهَا امْرَأَةٌ مِنْ قَوْمِهَا عُكَّةً مِنْ عَسَلٍ فَسَقَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْهُ شَرْبَةً فَقُلْتُ أَمَا وَاللَّهِ لَنَحْتَالَنَّ لَهُ . فَذَكَرْتُ ذَلِكَ لِسَوْدَةَ وَقُلْتُ إِذَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْكِ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَدْنُو مِنْكِ فَقُولِي لَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَكَلْتَ مَغَافِيرَ فَإِنَّهُ سَيَقُولُ لَكِ لاَ . فَقُولِي لَهُ مَا هَذِهِ الرِّيحُ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَشْتَدُّ عَلَيْهِ أَنْ يُوجَدَ مِنْهُ الرِّيحُ - فَإِنَّهُ سَيَقُولُ لَكِ سَقَتْنِي حَفْصَةُ شَرْبَةَ عَسَلٍ . فَقُولِي لَهُ جَرَسَتْ نَحْلُهُ الْعُرْفُطَ وَسَأَقُولُ ذَلِكَ لَهُ وَقُولِيهِ أَنْتِ يَا صَفِيَّةُ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَى سَوْدَةَ قَالَتْ تَقُولُ سَوْدَةُ وَالَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ لَقَدْ كِدْتُ أَنْ أُبَادِئَهُ بِالَّذِي قُلْتِ لِي وَإِنَّهُ لَعَلَى الْبَابِ فَرَقًا مِنْكِ فَلَمَّا دَنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَكَلْتَ مَغَافِيرَ قَالَ " لاَ " . قَالَتْ فَمَا هَذِهِ الرِّيحُ قَالَ " سَقَتْنِي حَفْصَةُ شَرْبَةَ عَسَلٍ " . قَالَتْ جَرَسَتْ نَحْلُهُ الْعُرْفُطَ . فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَىَّ قُلْتُ لَهُ مِثْلَ ذَلِكَ ثُمَّ دَخَلَ عَلَى صَفِيَّةَ فَقَالَتْ بِمِثْلِ ذَلِكَ فَلَمَّا دَخَلَ عَلَى حَفْصَةَ قَالَتْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ أَلاَ أَسْقِيكَ مِنْهُ قَالَ " لاَ حَاجَةَ لِي بِهِ " . قَالَتْ تَقُولُ سَوْدَةُ سُبْحَانَ اللَّهِ وَاللَّهِ لَقَدْ حَرَمْنَاهُ . قَالَتْ قُلْتُ لَهَا اسْكُتِي .
A'isha Narrated from:
Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) liked sweet (dish) and honey. After saying the afternoon prayer he used to visit his wives going close to them. So he went to Hafsa and stayed with her more than what was his usual stay. I ('A'isha) asked about that. It was said to me: A woman of her family had sent her a small vessel of honey as a gift, and she gave to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) from that a drink.I said: By Allah, we would also contrive a device for him. I mentioned that to Sauda, and said: When he (Allah's Apostle) would visit you and draw close to you, say to him: Allah's Messenger, have you taken maghafir? And he would say to you: No. Then say to him: What is this odour? And Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) felt it very much that unpleasant odour should emit from him. So he would say to you: Hafsa has given me a drink of honey. Then you should say to him: The honey-bees might have sucked 'Urfut, and I would also say the same to him and. Safiyya, you should also say this.So when he (the Holy Prophet) came to Sauda, she said: By Him besides whom there is no god, it was under compulsion that I had decided to state that which you told me when he would be at a little distance at the door. So when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) came near, she said: Messenger of Allah, did you eat Maghafir? He said: No. She (again) said: Then what is this odour? He said: Hafsa gave me honey to drink. She said: The honey-bee might have sucked 'Urfut.When he came to me I told him like this. He then visited Safiyya and she also said to him like this. When he (again) visited Hafsa, she said: Messenger of Allah, should I not give you that (drink)? He said: I do not need that. Sauda said: Hallowed be Allah, by Him we have (contrived) to make that (honey) unlawful for him. I said to her: Keep quiet.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1474bIn-book reference : Book 18, Hadith 28USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 9, Hadith 3497
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1474b
This hadith gives a longer account of the honey incident. Aisha reports that the Messenger of Allah صلى الله عليه وسلم liked sweet food and honey. After Asr, he would visit his wives. He stayed with Hafsa longer than usual because she had given him a drink of honey. Aisha then arranged with Sauda and Safiyya to ask him whether he had eaten Maghafir and to mention an odor. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم disliked that an unpleasant smell should come from him, so he explained that Hafsa had given him honey. Later, when Hafsa offered it again, he said he had no need for it. Sauda then said they had made it unlawful for him, and Aisha told her to be quiet. The narration shows how the honey hadith is about words, influence, and a lawful drink.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم liked sweet food and honey, as stated in the narration.
- Aisha describes a plan involving repeated comments about odor.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم avoided the honey after those comments.
- Sauda recognized that they had caused him to leave that honey.
