39/28. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 2214b — Indian Aloeswood and Gentle Child Care
Treatment With Indian Aloeswood, Which Is Costmary
Hadith About Indian Aloeswood and Gentle Child Care
Sahih Muslim : 2214b
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 2214b
وَحَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، أَخْبَرَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ، أَنَّ ابْنَ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَهُ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ بْنِ مَسْعُودٍ، أَنَّ أُمَّ قَيْسٍ بِنْتَ مِحْصَنٍ، - وَكَانَتْ مِنَ الْمُهَاجِرَاتِ الأُوَلِ اللاَّتِي بَايَعْنَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَهِيَ أُخْتُ عُكَّاشَةَ بْنِ مِحْصَنٍ أَحَدِ بَنِي أَسَدِ بْنِ خُزَيْمَةَ - قَالَ أَخْبَرَتْنِي أَنَّهَا أَتَتْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِابْنٍ لَهَا لَمْ يَبْلُغْ أَنْ يَأْكُلَ الطَّعَامَ وَقَدْ أَعْلَقَتْ عَلَيْهِ مِنَ الْعُذْرَةِ - قَالَ يُونُسُ أَعْلَقَتْ غَمَزَتْ فَهِيَ تَخَافُ أَنْ يَكُونَ بِهِ عُذْرَةٌ - قَالَتْ - فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " عَلاَمَهْ تَدْغَرْنَ أَوْلاَدَكُنَّ بِهَذَا الإِعْلاَقِ عَلَيْكُمْ بِهَذَا الْعُودِ الْهِنْدِيِّ - يَعْنِي بِهِ الْكُسْتَ - فَإِنَّ فِيهِ سَبْعَةَ أَشْفِيَةٍ مِنْهَا ذَاتُ الْجَنْبِ " . قَالَ عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ وَأَخْبَرَتْنِي أَنَّ ابْنَهَا ذَاكَ بَالَ فِي حَجْرِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَدَعَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِمَاءٍ فَنَضَحَهُ عَلَى بَوْلِهِ وَلَمْ يَغْسِلْهُ غَسْلاً .
Umm Qais, daughter of Mihsan, was one of the earlier female emigrants who had pledged allegiance to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ). She was the sister of Ukasha b. Mihsan, one of the posterity of Asad b. Khuzaima. She reported that she came to Allah's messenger (ﷺ) along with her son who had not attained the age of weaning and she had compressed the swelling of his uvula. (Yunus said: She compressed the uvula because she was afraid that there might be swelling of uvula.) Thereupon Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said: Why do you afflict your children by compressing in this way? You should use Indian aloeswood, for it has seven remedies in it, one of them being the remedy for pleurisy. Ubaidullah reported that she had told that that was the child who had urinated in the lap of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) called for water and sprinkled it on his urine, but he did not wash it well.
Reference : Sahih Muslim 2214b, 287eIn-book reference : Book 39, Hadith 117USC-MSA web (English) reference : Book 26, Hadith 5488
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 2214b
This Hadith about Indian aloeswood shows the Prophet’s gentle guidance in a matter of child care and treatment. Umm Qais came with her young son, who had not yet reached the age of weaning, after she had pressed the swelling of his uvula out of fear for him. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم did not ignore the child’s pain. He asked why children were being afflicted by that kind of pressing, then pointed to Indian aloeswood, also called costus, saying it has seven remedies, including a remedy for pleurisy. The report also mentions that the child urinated in the Prophet’s lap, and he called for water and sprinkled it over the urine without washing it heavily. So the core message is calm Prophetic medicine, care for children, and a lighter way of dealing with the urine of a nursing child as described in this text.
What we learn from this hadith
- Children should not be treated in a way that causes unnecessary pain.
- The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم guided Umm Qais toward Indian aloeswood as a remedy mentioned in the Hadith.
- The report describes sprinkling water over the urine of a nursing child rather than heavy washing.
- A parent’s fear for a child should be met with careful and gentle guidance.
