0/5.1. Chapter:
Sahih Muslim 68 — Caution with Strange Reports
Unveiling Defects of the Transmitters of Ḥadīth and Relaters of Reports and the Statements of the A’immah Regarding That
Hadith Authentication and Strange Reports
Sahih Muslim : 68
Sahih MuslimHadith Number 68
وَحَدَّثَنَا عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ الْقَوَارِيرِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، قَالَ كَانَ رَجُلٌ قَدْ لَزِمَ أَيُّوبَ وَسَمِعَ مِنْهُ فَفَقَدَهُ أَيُّوبُ فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِنَّهُ قَدْ لَزِمَ عَمْرَو بْنَ عُبَيْدٍ . قَالَ حَمَّادٌ فَبَيْنَا أَنَا يَوْمًا مَعَ أَيُّوبَ وَقَدْ بَكَّرْنَا إِلَى السُّوقِ فَاسْتَقْبَلَهُ الرَّجُلُ فَسَلَّمَ عَلَيْهِ أَيُّوبُ وَسَأَلَهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَيُّوبُ بَلَغَنِي أَنَّكَ لَزِمْتَ ذَاكَ الرَّجُلَ . قَالَ حَمَّادٌ سَمَّاهُ . يَعْنِي عَمْرًا . قَالَ نَعَمْ يَا أَبَا بَكْرٍ إِنَّهُ يَجِيئُنَا بِأَشْيَاءَ غَرَائِبَ . قَالَ يَقُولُ لَهُ أَيُّوبُ إِنَّمَا نَفِرُّ أَوْ نَفْرَقُ مِنْ تِلْكَ الْغَرَائِبِ .
Hammād bin Zayd Narrated from:
A man kept company with Ayyūb and listened [to Ḥadīth] from him, but then Ayyūb did not find him [one day]. [When Ayyūb asked, the people] said: ‘Oh Abā Bakr, indeed he keeps company with Amr bin Ubayd [now]’.Hammād said: ‘One day we were with Ayyūb, and we went to the market early in the morning. A man came to meet Ayyūb so he gave Salām to him, asked how he was doing, and then Ayyūb said to him: ‘It reached me that you kept company with that man’. Hammād said: ‘[Ayyūb] designated him, that is to say ‘Amr’.’ [The man] said: ‘Yes, Oh Abā Bakr. Indeed he came to us with strange things [i.e. reports]’. Ayyūb said to him: ‘Indeed we flee…’ or ‘…we fear from these strange things [transmissions]’.
Reference : Sahih Muslim Introduction 68In-book reference : Introduction, Narration 67
Summary of Sahih Muslim Hadith 68
This narration deals with strange reports in Hadith study. A man used to stay with Ayyub and hear from him, but later he began staying with Amr bin Ubayd. When Ayyub met him, the man said that Amr brought them strange things. Ayyub replied that those strange things were exactly what they feared or fled from. The message is simple. Not every unusual report is a sign of deeper knowledge. Sometimes strange reports need more caution, especially when they come from a person whose narration is already a concern. For people searching how to check hadith authenticity, this report shows the value of careful source selection.
What we learn from this hadith
- Strange reports should be approached with caution.
- A person’s source of learning affects what he receives.
- Unusual narration is not automatically a sign of strong knowledge.
- Ayyub’s response shows concern for safe Hadith transmission.
