29/4. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3606 — Uthman's Public Charity
An Endowment (Waqf) For Masjids
Uthman's Charity: The Well of Rumah, the Mosque, and Tabuk
Sunan an-Nasai : 3606
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3606
أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ، قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا الْمُعْتَمِرُ بْنُ سُلَيْمَانَ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبِي يُحَدِّثُ، عَنْ حُصَيْنِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ جَاوَانَ، - رَجُلٌ مِنْ بَنِي تَمِيمٍ - وَذَاكَ أَنِّي قُلْتُ لَهُ أَرَأَيْتَ اعْتِزَالَ الأَحْنَفِ بْنِ قَيْسٍ مَا كَانَ قَالَ سَمِعْتُ الأَحْنَفَ يَقُولُ أَتَيْتُ الْمَدِينَةَ وَأَنَا حَاجٌّ فَبَيْنَا نَحْنُ فِي مَنَازِلِنَا نَضَعُ رِحَالَنَا إِذْ أَتَى آتٍ فَقَالَ قَدِ اجْتَمَعَ النَّاسُ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ فَاطَّلَعْتُ فَإِذَا يَعْنِي النَّاسَ مُجْتَمِعُونَ وَإِذَا بَيْنَ أَظْهُرِهِمْ نَفَرٌ قُعُودٌ فَإِذَا هُوَ عَلِيُّ بْنُ أَبِي طَالِبٍ وَالزُّبَيْرُ وَطَلْحَةُ وَسَعْدُ بْنُ أَبِي وَقَّاصٍ رَحْمَةُ اللَّهِ عَلَيْهِمْ فَلَمَّا قُمْتُ عَلَيْهِمْ قِيلَ هَذَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عَفَّانَ قَدْ جَاءَ - قَالَ - فَجَاءَ وَعَلَيْهِ مُلَيَّةٌ صَفْرَاءُ فَقُلْتُ لِصَاحِبِي كَمَا أَنْتَ حَتَّى أَنْظُرَ مَا جَاءَ بِهِ . فَقَالَ عُثْمَانُ أَهَا هُنَا عَلِيٌّ أَهَا هُنَا الزُّبَيْرُ أَهَا هُنَا طَلْحَةُ أَهَا هُنَا سَعْدٌ قَالُوا نَعَمْ . قَالَ فَأَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ أَتَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ يَبْتَاعُ مِرْبَدَ بَنِي فُلاَنٍ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ " . فَابْتَعْتُهُ فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ إِنِّي ابْتَعْتُ مِرْبَدَ بَنِي فُلاَنٍ . قَالَ " فَاجْعَلْهُ فِي مَسْجِدِنَا وَأَجْرُهُ لَكَ " . قَالُوا نَعَمْ . قَالَ فَأَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ هَلْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ يَبْتَاعُ بِئْرَ رُومَةَ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ " . فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقُلْتُ قَدِ ابْتَعْتُ بِئْرَ رُومَةَ . قَالَ " فَاجْعَلْهَا سِقَايَةً لِلْمُسْلِمِينَ وَأَجْرُهَا لَكَ " . قَالُوا نَعَمْ . قَالَ فَأَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ هَلْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ " مَنْ يُجَهِّزْ جَيْشَ الْعُسْرَةِ غَفَرَ اللَّهُ لَهُ " . فَجَهَّزْتُهُمْ حَتَّى مَا يَفْقِدُونَ عِقَالاً وَلاَ خِطَامًا . قَالُوا نَعَمْ . قَالَ اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدِ اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدِ اللَّهُمَّ اشْهَدْ .
Al-Ahnaf Narrated from:
I came to Al-Madinah, and I was performing Hajj, and while we were in our camping place unloading our mounts, someone came to us and said: 'The people have gathered in the Masjid.' I looked and found the people gathered, and in the midst of them was a group; there I saw 'Ali bin Abi Talib, Az-Zubair, Talhah and Sa'd bin Abi Waqqas, may Allah have mercy on them. When I got there, it was said that 'Uthman bin 'Affan had come. He came, wearing a yellowish cloak. I said to my companion: Stay where you are until I find out what is happening.'Uthman said: Is 'Ali here? Is Az-Zubair here? Is Talhah here? Is Sa'd here? They said: Yes. He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, are you aware that the Messenger of Allah said: Whoever buys the Mirbad of Banu so and so, Allah will forgive him, and I bought it, then I came to the Messenger of Allah and told him, and he said: Add it to our Masjid and the reward for it will be yours? They said: Yes.He said: I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, are you aware that the Messenger of Allah said: Whoever buys the well of Rumah, Allah will forgive him, so I came to the Messenger of Allah and said: I have bought the well of Rumah. He said: Give it to provide water for the Muslims, and the reward for it will be yours? They said: Yes.He said: 'I adjure you by Allah, beside Whom there is none worthy of worship, are you aware that the Messenger of Allah said: Whoever equips the army of Al-'Usrah (i.e. Tabuk), Allah will forgive him, so I equipped them until they were not lacking even a rope or a bridle?' They said: Yes. He said: O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness, O Allah, bear witness.
[1] Mirbad : a place for drying dates.Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3606In-book reference : Book 29, Hadith 13English translation : Vol. 4, Book 29, Hadith 3636
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3606
This hadith records Uthman asking several well-known Companions to confirm charitable acts they had witnessed. He first mentioned buying a plot and adding it to the mosque after the Messenger of Allah called for someone to purchase it. He then mentioned buying the well of Rumah and making its water available to the Muslims. Finally, he recalled equipping the army of hardship so fully that they did not lack even basic ropes or bridles. Ali, Az-Zubair, Talhah, and Sa'd confirmed what he said. The narration presents three forms of public charity: providing space for worship, providing water, and supplying people during a difficult expedition. Uthman ended by asking Allah to bear witness to their confirmation.
What we learn from this hadith
- Wealth can be used to support places of worship and public needs.
- Providing water for Muslims is presented as a rewarded charitable act.
- Supporting an army in hardship may require careful attention to basic supplies.
- Uthman asked witnesses to confirm the charitable acts they had personally known.
