33/18. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1859c — Tree Recognition
It is recommended for the army to swear allegiance to the ruler when intending to fight, and an account of Bay'at Ar-Ridwan beneath the tree
Tree Recognition Hadith: I Saw It, Then Could Not Know It
Sahih Muslim : 1859c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1859c
وَحَدَّثَنِي حَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا شَبَابَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، قَالَ لَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ الشَّجَرَةَ ثُمَّ أَتَيْتُهَا بَعْدُ فَلَمْ أَعْرِفْهَا.
Said ibn al-Musayyab Narrated from:
The tradition has been narrated on the authority of Sa'id b. Musayyib who learnt it from his father. The latter said: I had seen the tree. When I came to the spot afterwards, I could not recognise it.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1859cIn-book reference : Book 33, Hadith 117USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 20, Hadith 4589
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1859c
This Hadith is short but meaningful. Sa'id b. Musayyib reports from his father that he had seen the tree. Later, when he came to the spot again, he could not recognize it. For readers searching for Sahih Muslim 1859c, I saw the tree then did not recognize it, or Hudaibiyah tree Hadith, the main message is about honest memory. The report does not add a command or a new event. It simply records a person who had seen the tree and later could not identify it. That is important because it shows careful speech. The narrator says what he knows and stops where his knowledge stops. This is a strong lesson for reading and sharing religious reports.
What we learn from this hadith
- The narrator’s father had seen the tree at the earlier event.
- Later, he could not recognize the tree or its spot.
- The report teaches honesty about memory and limits of knowledge.
- Not recognizing a place later does not erase the truth of the earlier event.
