39/28. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 287e — Indian Aloeswood and Infant Urine
Treatment With Indian Aloeswood, Which Is Costmary
Indian Aloeswood Hadith: Prophetic Medicine and Infant Care
Sahih Muslim : 287e
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 287e
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 287e
This narration about Indian aloeswood brings together two simple teachings in one report: gentle care for a small child and measured cleaning after a nursing infant urinates. Umm Qais brought her son to Allah’s Messenger صلى الله عليه وسلم while he was still below the age of weaning. She had pressed the swelling of his uvula because she feared harm. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم corrected that painful method and directed attention to Indian aloeswood, or costus, saying it contains seven remedies, with pleurisy named among them. The same report adds that this child urinated in the Prophet’s lap. The Prophet صلى الله عليه وسلم asked for water and sprinkled it over the urine, without washing it deeply. For readers searching for the Indian aloeswood hadith or infant urine hadith, the teaching stays clear: do not harm children with harsh treatment, and follow the Prophet’s balanced way.
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.
