49/21. Chapter:
Sunan an-Nasai 5409 — Teach the Ignorant and Feed the Hungry
Seeking Help Against Another Person
Hadith About Feeding the Hungry and Teaching the Ignorant
Sunan an-Nasai : 5409
Sunan an-NasaiHadith Number 5409
أَخْبَرَنَا الْحُسَيْنُ بْنُ مَنْصُورِ بْنِ جَعْفَرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا مُبَشِّرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ رَزِينٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ بْنُ حُسَيْنٍ، عَنْ أَبِي بِشْرٍ، جَعْفَرِ بْنِ إِيَاسٍ عَنْ عَبَّادِ بْنِ شَرَاحِيلَ، قَالَ قَدِمْتُ مَعَ عُمُومَتِي الْمَدِينَةَ فَدَخَلْتُ حَائِطًا مِنْ حِيطَانِهَا فَفَرَكْتُ مِنْ سُنْبُلِهِ فَجَاءَ صَاحِبُ الْحَائِطِ فَأَخَذَ كِسَائِي وَضَرَبَنِي فَأَتَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم أَسْتَعْدِي عَلَيْهِ فَأَرْسَلَ إِلَى الرَّجُلِ فَجَاءُوا بِهِ فَقَالَ " مَا حَمَلَكَ عَلَى هَذَا " . فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّهُ دَخَلَ حَائِطِي فَأَخَذَ مِنْ سُنْبُلِهِ فَفَرَكَهُ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " مَا عَلَّمْتَهُ إِذْ كَانَ جَاهِلاً وَلاَ أَطْعَمْتَهُ إِذْ كَانَ جَائِعًا ارْدُدْ عَلَيْهِ كِسَاءَهُ " . وَأَمَرَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِوَسْقٍ أَوْ نِصْفِ وَسْقٍ .
'Abbad bin Shurahbil Narrated from:
I came to Al-Madinah with my paternal uncles and entered one of its gardens, where I rubbed an ear of grain (to take some grains). The owner of the garden came, took my cloak and hit me. I came to the Messenger of Allah [SAW] and sought his help against him.He sent for the man and they brought him. He said: 'What made you do that?' He said: 'O Messenger of Allah, he entered my garden and took one of the ears of grain and rubbed it.' The Messenger of Allah [SAW] said: 'You did not teach him if he was ignorant, nor feed him if he was hungry. Give him back his cloak.' And the Messenger of Allah [SAW] ordered me with a Wasq or half a Wasq.
Reference : Sunan an-Nasa'i 5409In-book reference : Book 49, Hadith 31English translation : Vol. 6, Book 49, Hadith 5411
Summary of Sunan an-Nasai Hadith 5409
This hadith about feeding the hungry tells of Abbad bin Shurahbil, who entered a garden in Madinah and rubbed an ear of grain. The owner took his cloak and hit him. Abbad went to the Messenger of Allah SAW for help. When the owner explained that Abbad had taken grain from his garden, the Prophet SAW did not ignore the owner's concern, but he corrected the harsh response. He said the man had not taught him if he was ignorant, nor fed him if he was hungry. He ordered the cloak to be returned and gave Abbad a measure of food. The hadith teaches that correction should be joined with mercy, especially when ignorance or hunger is involved.
What we learn from this hadith
- Ignorance should be met with teaching, not only punishment.
- Hunger should move people toward feeding and mercy.
- Taking someone's cloak and hitting him was corrected by the Prophet SAW.
- Fairness includes caring about the condition of the person who made the mistake.
