15/39. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 1380 — Public Resources and Salt Mine
What Has Been Related About Land Reserves
Hadith About Public Resources and Salt Mine
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 1380
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 1380
قَالَ قُلْتُ لِقُتَيْبَةَ بْنِ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَكُمْ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْمَأْرِبِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ ثُمَامَةَ بْنِ شُرَاحِيلَ، عَنْ سُمَىِّ بْنِ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ شُمَيْرٍ، عَنْ أَبْيَضَ بْنِ حَمَّالٍ، أَنَّهُ وَفَدَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَاسْتَقْطَعَهُ الْمِلْحَ فَقَطَعَ لَهُ فَلَمَّا أَنْ وَلَّى قَالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ الْمَجْلِسِ أَتَدْرِي مَا قَطَعْتَ لَهُ إِنَّمَا قَطَعْتَ لَهُ الْمَاءَ الْعِدَّ . قَالَ فَانْتَزَعَهُ مِنْهُ . قَالَ وَسَأَلَهُ عَمَّا يُحْمَى مِنَ الأَرَاكِ قَالَ " مَا لَمْ تَنَلْهُ خِفَافُ الإِبِلِ " . فَأَقَرَّ بِهِ قُتَيْبَةُ وَقَالَ نَعَمْ . حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ قَيْسٍ الْمَأْرِبِيُّ، بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ نَحْوَهُ . الْمَأْرِبُ نَاحِيَةٌ مِنَ الْيَمَنِ . قَالَ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ وَائِلٍ وَأَسْمَاءَ بِنْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى حَدِيثُ أَبْيَضَ بْنِ حَمَّالٍ حَدِيثٌ غَرِيبٌ . وَالْعَمَلُ عَلَى هَذَا عِنْدَ أَهْلِ الْعِلْمِ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم وَغَيْرِهِمْ فِي الْقَطَائِعِ يَرَوْنَ جَائِزًا أَنْ يُقْطِعَ الإِمَامُ لِمَنْ رَأَى ذَلِكَ .
Shumair Narrated from:
Abyad Bin Hammal Visited The Messenger Of Allah (ﷺ) Who Asked Him To Set Aside A Reserve Of Salt(A Mine). So He Reserved It For Him. As He Was Turning Away, A Man In The Gathering Said: "Do You Know What You Reserved For Him ? You Merely Reserved Stagnant Water For Him." He (Shumair) Said: "So He Left Him." He (Shumair) Said: "So He Asked Him (The Prophet (ﷺ)) About Making A Private Pasture Of Arak (A Type Of Tree)." He Said: "As Long As It Is Not Harmed By The Hooves Of The Camels." So I (At-Tirmidhi) Recited That Before Qutaibah And He Said: "Yes". (Another Chain) With Similar Meaning.
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 1380In-book reference : Book 15, Hadith 61English translation : Vol. 3, Book 13, Hadith 1380
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 1380
This hadith about public resources and a salt mine reports that Abyad bin Hammal came to the Messenger of Allah (صلى الله عليه وسلم) and asked him to set aside a salt reserve. The Prophet first reserved it for him. Then a man in the gathering said that what had been reserved was like abundant water. After that, the Prophet took it back from him. The report also mentions a question about making a private pasture of arak trees, and the answer was that it may be protected as long as it is not reached by the hooves of camels. The hadith teaches care with resources that may be widely needed and shows that a decision can be revised when an important fact becomes clear.
What we learn from this hadith
- Publicly needed resources should be treated with care.
- A grant may be reviewed when new information appears.
- The salt reserve was taken back after its public nature was pointed out.
- Private use should not harm wider access mentioned in the text.
