14/52. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1284 — Do Not Separate Siblings
What Has Been Related About It Being Disliked To Separate Brothers, And A Mother And Her Child In Sales
Hadith About Separating Brothers in Sale
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1284
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1284
حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ قَزَعَةَ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ مَهْدِيٍّ، عَنْ حَمَّادِ بْنِ سَلَمَةَ، عَنِ الْحَجَّاجِ، عَنِ الْحَكَمِ، عَنْ مَيْمُونِ بْنِ أَبِي شَبِيبٍ، عَنْ عَلِيٍّ، قَالَ وَهَبَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم غُلاَمَيْنِ أَخَوَيْنِ فَبِعْتُ أَحَدَهُمَا فَقَالَ لِي رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم " يَا عَلِيُّ مَا فَعَلَ غُلاَمُكَ " . فَأَخْبَرْتُهُ فَقَالَ " رُدَّهُ رُدَّهُ " . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ غَرِيبٌ . وَقَدْ كَرِهَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَغَيْرِهِمُ التَّفْرِيقَ بَيْنَ السَّبْىِ فِي الْبَيْعِ وَيُكْرَهُ أَنْ يُفَرَّقَ بَيْنَ الْوَالِدَةِ وَوَلَدِهَا وَبَيْنَ الْوَالِدِ وَالْوَلَدِ وَبَيْنَ الإِخْوَةِ وَالأَخَوَاتِ فِي الْبَيْعِ . وَرَخَّصَ بَعْضُ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ فِي التَّفْرِيقِ بَيْنَ الْمُوَلَّدَاتِ الَّذِينَ وُلِدُوا فِي أَرْضِ الإِسْلاَمِ . وَالْقَوْلُ الأَوَّلُ أَصَحُّ . وَرُوِيَ عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ النَّخَعِيِّ أَنَّهُ فَرَّقَ بَيْنَ وَالِدَةٍ وَوَلَدِهَا فِي الْبَيْعِ فَقِيلَ لَهُ فِي ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ إِنِّي قَدِ اسْتَأْذَنْتُهَا بِذَلِكَ فَرَضِيَتْ .
'Ali Narrated from:
The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Gave Me Two Boys Who Were Brothers, So I Sold One Of Them, And The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Said To Me: 'O, 'Ali! What Happened To Your Boy?' So I Informed Him, And He Said: 'Return Him, Return Him.'"[Abu 'Eisa Said:] This Hadith Is Hasan Gharib. Some Of The People Of Knowledge Among The Companions Of The Prophet (ﷺ) And Others, Disliked Separating Between The Captives When Selling Them. Some Of The People Of Knowledge Permitted Separating The Children That Were Born In The Land Of Islam, But The First View Is More Correct. It Has Been Related That Ibrahim An-Nakha'I Separated A Mother And Her Child In A Sale, So He Was Asked About That. He Said: "I Sought Her Permission For That And She Approved."
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1284In-book reference : Book 14, Hadith 86English translation : Vol. 1, Book 12, Hadith 1284
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1284
This Hadith gives a clear example of care for family ties. Ali says the Messenger of Allah gave him two boys who were brothers. Ali sold one of them. When the Prophet asked what happened and was told, he said, "Return him, return him." The text then explains that some people of knowledge disliked separating captives in sale, including mother and child, father and child, brothers and sisters. It also notes a different allowance mentioned by some scholars, but says the first view is more correct. The main teaching is simple: business dealings should not ignore the emotional bond between close family members.
What we learn from this hadith
- Selling people in a way that separates close relatives is treated with dislike in this report.
- The Prophet's command to return the boy shows care for sibling bonds.
- Trade decisions should not be made while ignoring family harm.
