34/7. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 1946b — Food Manners: Knowing What Is Served
The permissibility of eating the Dabb (mastigure)
Hadith on Knowing What Food Is Before Eating
Sahih Muslim : 1946b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 1946b
وَحَدَّثَنِي أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ النَّضْرِ، وَعَبْدُ بْنُ حُمَيْدٍ، قَالَ عَبْدٌ أَخْبَرَنِي وَقَالَ أَبُو بَكْرٍ، حَدَّثَنَا يَعْقُوبُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ بْنِ سَعْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبِي، عَنْ صَالِحِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، عَنْ أَبِي، أُمَامَةَ بْنِ سَهْلٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، أَنَّهُ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ خَالِدَ بْنَ الْوَلِيدِ أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّهُ، دَخَلَ مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَلَى مَيْمُونَةَ بِنْتِ الْحَارِثِ وَهْىَ خَالَتُهُ فَقُدِّمَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لَحْمُ ضَبٍّ جَاءَتْ بِهِ أُمُّ حُفَيْدٍ بِنْتُ الْحَارِثِ مِنْ نَجْدٍ وَكَانَتْ تَحْتَ رَجُلٍ مِنْ بَنِي جَعْفَرٍ وَكَانَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لاَ يَأْكُلُ شَيْئًا حَتَّى يَعْلَمَ مَا هُوَ . ثُمَّ ذَكَرَ بِمِثْلِ حَدِيثِ يُونُسَ وَزَادَ فِي آخِرِ الْحَدِيثِ وَحَدَّثَهُ ابْنُ الأَصَمِّ عَنْ مَيْمُونَةَ وَكَانَ فِي حَجْرِهَا .
Khalid bin Al-Walid Narrated from:
Khalid b. Walid reported that he visited Maimuna daughter of al-Harith with the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ), and she was the sister of his mother. She presented to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) the flesh of a lizard which Umm Hufaid daughter of al-Harith had brought from Najd, and she had been married to a person belonging to Banu Ja'far. It was the habit of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) not to eat anything until he knew what that was. The rest of the hadith is the same but with this (addition): " Ibn al-Asamm narrated it from Maimuna and he was under her care."
Reference : Sahih Muslim 1946bIn-book reference : Book 34, Hadith 65USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 21, Hadith 4792
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 1946b
This narration highlights a simple food manner from the report: Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم would not eat something until he knew what it was. The story then follows the same lizard meat account. The food came from Najd and was presented in Maimuna’s house. When the Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم learned that it was lizard meat, he held back. The rest of the report matches the wording that he did not declare it forbidden, but personally did not like it. For searches like knowing food before eating hadith, Sahih Muslim 1946b, and lizard meat ruling in Islam, the main lesson is to be clear about what is served and to avoid turning personal dislike into a ban.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم would know what food was before eating it in this report.
- The lizard meat was identified before him.
- His personal dislike did not become a prohibition in the report.
- The narration preserves an added note about Ibn al-Asamm from Maimuna.
