47/64. Chapter:
Jami at-Tirmidhi 3317 — Family as a Test
Regarding Surat At-Taghabun
Hadith About Family Holding Back from Religion
Jami at-Tirmidhi : 3317
Jami at-TirmidhiHadith Number 3317
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ، حَدَّثَنَا سِمَاكُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، وَسَأَلَهُ، رَجُلٌ عَنْ هَذِهِ الآيَةِ، ( يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلاَدِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ) قَالَ هَؤُلاَءِ رِجَالٌ أَسْلَمُوا مِنْ أَهْلِ مَكَّةَ وَأَرَادُوا أَنْ يَأْتُوا النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَبَى أَزْوَاجُهُمْ وَأَوْلاَدُهُمْ أَنْ يَدَعُوهُمْ أَنْ يَأْتُوا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلَمَّا أَتَوْا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم رَأَوُا النَّاسَ قَدْ فَقِهُوا فِي الدِّينِ هَمُّوا أَنْ يُعَاقِبُوهُمْ فَأَنْزَلَ اللَّهُ عَزَّ وَجَل َّ: ( يا أَيُّهَا الَّذِينَ آمَنُوا إِنَّ مِنْ أَزْوَاجِكُمْ وَأَوْلاَدِكُمْ عَدُوًّا لَكُمْ فَاحْذَرُوهُمْ ) الآيَةَ . قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ .
'Ikrimah Narrated from:
Ibn Abbas Was Asked By A Man About This Ayah: O You Who Believe! Verily, Among Your Wives And Your Children There Are Enemies For You; Therefore Beware Of Them!He Said: “These Are Men Who Submitted (To Islam) In Makkah, And They Wanted To Come To The Prophet But Their Wives And Children Refused To Allow Them To Come To The Messenger Of Allah. So When They Came To The Messenger Of Allah, They Saw That The People Had Gained Such Understanding In The Religion That They Wanted To Punish Them (Their Families). So Allah Revealed The Ayah: O You Who Believe! Verily, Among Your Wives And Your Children There Are Enemies For You; Therefore Beware Of Them!”
Reference : Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3317In-book reference : Book 47, Hadith 369English translation : Vol. 5, Book 44, Hadith 3317
Summary of Jami at-Tirmidhi Hadith 3317
This hadith explains the verse, “Among your wives and your children there are enemies for you; therefore beware of them.” Ibn Abbas said that these were men from Makkah who accepted Islam and wanted to come to the Prophet. Their wives and children refused to let them go. When they finally came to the Messenger of Allah, they saw that others had gained understanding in the religion. They then wanted to punish their families. Allah revealed the verse mentioned in the hadith. The hadith about family as a test should be read carefully. It does not call every family member an enemy; it speaks about those who blocked these men in this event.
What we learn from this hadith
- Some men were held back from coming to the Prophet by their families.
- Delay caused them to see that others had gained religious understanding before them.
- They wanted to punish their families, and the verse was revealed.
- The wording says “among” your wives and children, not all of them.
