39/2. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2121c — Give the Path Its Due Right
One Of The Duties Of Sitting In The Street Is To Return Salam
Give the Road Its Right: Hadith on Public Manners
Sahih Muslim : 2121c
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2121c
حَدَّثَنَا سُوَيْدُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَفْصُ بْنُ مَيْسَرَةَ، عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ، بْنِ يَسَارٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَعِيدٍ الْخُدْرِيِّ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " إِيَّاكُمْ وَالْجُلُوسَ بِالطُّرُقَاتِ " . قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ مَا لَنَا بُدٌّ مِنْ مَجَالِسِنَا نَتَحَدَّثُ فِيهَا . قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " إِذَا أَبَيْتُمْ إِلاَّ الْمَجْلِسَ فَأَعْطُوا الطَّرِيقَ حَقَّهُ " . قَالُوا وَمَا حَقُّهُ قَالَ " غَضُّ الْبَصَرِ وَكَفُّ الأَذَى وَرَدُّ السَّلاَمِ وَالأَمْرُ بِالْمَعْرُوفِ وَالنَّهْىُ عَنِ الْمُنْكَرِ " .
Abu Sa'id al-Khudri Narrated from:
Abu Sa'id Khudri reported Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) as saying: Avoid sitting on the paths. They (the Companions) said: Allah's Messenger, we cannot help but holding our meetings (in these paths) and discuss matters (there). Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: If you insist on holding meetings, then give the path its due right. They said: What are its due rights? Upon this he said: Lowering the gaze, refraining from doing harm, exchanging of greetings. commanding of good and forbidding from evil.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2121cIn-book reference : Book 39, Hadith 3USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 26, Hadith 5376
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2121c
This Hadith gives a full list of the rights of the path. The Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) first warned against sitting on the roads. The Companions explained that they needed those sitting places for meetings and discussion. He then said that if they insisted on sitting, they must give the path its due right. The rights mentioned are lowering the gaze, refraining from harm, returning greetings, commanding good, and forbidding evil. This makes the Hadith about public road manners very direct. It is not only about where people sit. It is about how they behave when others pass by them.
What we learn from this hadith
- Public sitting comes with responsibility toward others.
- The path's rights include avoiding harm and lowering the gaze.
- Returning salam and encouraging good are part of public manners.
