36/4. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 3955 — Jealousy and the Broken Bowl
Jealousy
The Broken Bowl Hadith: Jealousy, Calmness and Replacement
Sunan an-Nasai : 3955
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 3955
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُمَيْدٌ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا أَنَسٌ، قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم عِنْدَ إِحْدَى أُمَّهَاتِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ فَأَرْسَلَتْ أُخْرَى بِقَصْعَةٍ فِيهَا طَعَامٌ فَضَرَبَتْ يَدَ الرَّسُولِ فَسَقَطَتِ الْقَصْعَةُ فَانْكَسَرَتْ فَأَخَذَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم الْكِسْرَتَيْنِ فَضَمَّ إِحْدَاهُمَا إِلَى الأُخْرَى فَجَعَلَ يَجْمَعُ فِيهَا الطَّعَامَ وَيَقُولُ " غَارَتْ أُمُّكُمْ كُلُوا " . فَأَكَلُوا فَأَمْسَكَ حَتَّى جَاءَتْ بِقَصْعَتِهَا الَّتِي فِي بَيْتِهَا فَدَفَعَ الْقَصْعَةَ الصَّحِيحَةَ إِلَى الرَّسُولِ وَتَرَكَ الْمَكْسُورَةَ فِي بَيْتِ الَّتِي كَسَرَتْهَا .
Anas Narrated from:
The Prophet was with one of the Mothers of the Believers when another one sent a wooden bowl in which was some food. She struck the hand of the Prophet and the bowl fell and broke. The Prophet picked up the two pieces and put them together, then he started to gather up the food and said: 'Your mother got jealous; eat.' So they ate. He waited until she brought the wooden bowl that was in her house, then he gave the sound bowl to the messenger and left the broken bowl in the house of the one who had broken it.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 3955In-book reference : Book 36, Hadith 17English translation : Vol. 4, Book 36, Hadith 3407
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 3955
This broken bowl hadith shows the Prophet handling a tense moment with calm action. While he was with one Mother of the Believers, another sent food in a wooden bowl. The wife present struck the messenger’s hand, causing the bowl to fall and break. The Prophet gathered the two broken pieces, collected the food, and told the people to eat, saying that their mother had become jealous. He then waited until a sound bowl was brought from the house of the wife who broke it. He gave that unbroken bowl to the messenger and left the broken one with the person who had caused the damage. The report does not ignore the jealousy, but it also does not turn the scene into a public outburst. The damage was handled, the food was gathered, and a replacement was made.
What we learn from this hadith
- The Prophet responded calmly when the bowl was broken.
- He named jealousy without turning the moment into a harsh scene.
- The guests were told to continue eating the gathered food.
- The sound bowl was given in place of the broken bowl.
