42/35. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 4351 — The Whale Cast Ashore by the Sea
Dead Meat From The Sea
Whale Meat in Islam: The Hadith of the Stranded Expedition
Sunan an-Nasai : 4351
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 4351
أَخْبَرَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ آدَمَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ، عَنْ هِشَامٍ، عَنْ وَهْبِ بْنِ كَيْسَانَ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ بَعَثَنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَنَحْنُ ثَلاَثُمِائَةٍ نَحْمِلُ زَادَنَا عَلَى رِقَابِنَا فَفَنِيَ زَادُنَا حَتَّى كَانَ يَكُونُ لِلرَّجُلِ مِنَّا كُلَّ يَوْمٍ تَمْرَةٌ . فَقِيلَ لَهُ يَا أَبَا عَبْدِ اللَّهِ وَأَيْنَ تَقَعُ التَّمْرَةُ مِنَ الرَّجُلِ قَالَ لَقَدْ وَجَدْنَا فَقْدَهَا حِينَ فَقَدْنَاهَا فَأَتَيْنَا الْبَحْرَ فَإِذَا بِحُوتٍ قَذَفَهُ الْبَحْرُ فَأَكَلْنَا مِنْهُ ثَمَانِيَةَ عَشَرَ يَوْمًا .
Jabir bin `Abdullah Narrated from:
The Prophet sent us, a group of three hundred, and we carried our provision on our mounts. Our supplies ran our until each man of us had one date per day. It was said to him: "O Abu'Abdullah, what good is one date for a man?" he said: "When we ran out of dates it became very difficult for us. Then we found a whale that had been cast ashore by the sea. And we ate from it for eight days."
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 4351In-book reference : Book 42, Hadith 89English translation : Vol. 5, Book 42, Hadith 4356
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 4351
This hadith describes a group of three hundred companions whose food supplies slowly ran out. Their hardship became so severe that each man received only one date per day. Jabir explained that even a single date mattered, because they felt its loss when there were no dates left. Then they reached the sea and found a whale that had been cast ashore. According to the provided translation, they ate from it for eight days. The report is often searched as the whale meat hadith or the story of the companions and the great fish. Its main message in this passage is simple: the group faced real hunger, valued even a tiny amount of food, and then ate from the large sea animal they found on the shore.
What we learn from this hadith
- The companions endured a serious shortage of food.
- Even one date per person became valuable during hunger.
- They ate from a whale that the sea cast ashore.
- The story shows the difference that available food can make during hardship.
