Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 21, Hadith 1
Narrated Amir ar-Ram: We were in our country when flags and banners were raised. I said: What is this? The (the people) said: This is the banner of the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). So I came to him. He was (sitting) under a tree. A sheet of cloth was spread for him and he was sitting on it. His Companions were gathered around him. I sat with them. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) mentioned illness and said: When a believer is afflicted by illness and Allah cures him of it, it serves as an atonement for his previous sins and a warning to him for the future. But when a hypocrite becomes ill and is then cured, he is like a camel which has been tethered and then let loose by its owners, but does not know why they tethered it and why they let it loose. A man from among those around him asked: Messenger of Allah, what are illnesses? I swear by Allah, I never fell ill. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Get up and leave us. You do not belong to our number. When we were with him, a man came to him. He had a sheet of cloth and something in his hand. He turned his attention to him and said: Messenger of Allah, when I saw you, I turned towards you. I saw a group of trees and heard the sound of fledglings. I took them and put them in my garment. Their mother then came and began to hover round my head. I showed them to her, and she fell on them. I wrapped them with my garment. They are now with me. He said: Put them away from you. So I put them away, but their mother stayed with them. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said to his companions: Are you surprised at the affection of the mother for her young? They said: Yes, Messenger of Allah. He said: I swear by Him Who has sent me with the Truth, Allah is more affectionate to His servants than a mother to her young ones. Take them back put them and where you took them from when their mother should have been with them. So he took them back.
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ النُّفَيْلِيُّ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي رَجُلٌ، مِنْ أَهْلِ الشَّامِ يُقَالُ لَهُ أَبُو مَنْظُورٍ عَنْ عَمِّهِ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَمِّي، عَنْ عَامِرٍ الرَّامِ، أَخِي الْخُضْرِ – قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ قَالَ النُّفَيْلِيُّ هُوَ الْخُضْرُ وَلَكِنْ كَذَا قَالَ – قَالَ إِنِّي لَبِبِلاَدِنَا إِذْ رُفِعَتْ لَنَا رَايَاتٌ وَأَلْوِيَةٌ فَقُلْتُ مَا هَذَا قَالُوا هَذَا لِوَاءُ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَأَتَيْتُهُ وَهُوَ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ قَدْ بُسِطَ لَهُ كِسَاءٌ وَهُوَ جَالِسٌ عَلَيْهِ وَقَدِ اجْتَمَعَ إِلَيْهِ أَصْحَابُهُ فَجَلَسْتُ إِلَيْهِمْ فَذَكَرَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم الأَسْقَامَ فَقَالَ ” إِنَّ الْمُؤْمِنَ إِذَا أَصَابَهُ السَّقَمُ ثُمَّ أَعْفَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْهُ كَانَ كَفَّارَةً لِمَا مَضَى مِنْ ذُنُوبِهِ وَمَوْعِظَةً لَهُ فِيمَا يَسْتَقْبِلُ وَإِنَّ الْمُنَافِقَ إِذَا مَرِضَ ثُمَّ أُعْفِيَ كَانَ كَالْبَعِيرِ عَقَلَهُ أَهْلُهُ ثُمَّ أَرْسَلُوهُ فَلَمْ يَدْرِ لِمَ عَقَلُوهُ وَلَمْ يَدْرِ لِمَ أَرْسَلُوهُ ” . فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ مِمَّنْ حَوْلَهُ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَمَا الأَسْقَامُ وَاللَّهِ مَا مَرِضْتُ قَطُّ . فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم ” قُمْ عَنَّا فَلَسْتَ مِنَّا ” . فَبَيْنَا نَحْنُ عِنْدَهُ إِذْ أَقْبَلَ رَجُلٌ عَلَيْهِ كِسَاءٌ وَفِي يَدِهِ شَىْءٌ قَدِ الْتَفَّ عَلَيْهِ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنِّي لَمَّا رَأَيْتُكَ أَقْبَلْتُ إِلَيْكَ فَمَرَرْتُ بِغَيْضَةِ شَجَرٍ فَسَمِعْتُ فِيهَا أَصْوَاتَ فِرَاخِ طَائِرٍ فَأَخَذْتُهُنَّ فَوَضَعْتُهُنَّ فِي كِسَائِي فَجَاءَتْ أُمُّهُنَّ فَاسْتَدَارَتْ عَلَى رَأْسِي فَكَشَفْتُ لَهَا عَنْهُنَّ فَوَقَعَتْ عَلَيْهِنَّ مَعَهُنَّ فَلَفَفْتُهُنَّ بِكِسَائِي فَهُنَّ أُولاَءِ مَعِي . قَالَ ” ضَعْهُنَّ عَنْكَ ” . فَوَضَعْتُهُنَّ وَأَبَتْ أُمُّهُنَّ إِلاَّ لُزُومَهُنَّ فَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم لأَصْحَابِهِ ” أَتَعْجَبُونَ لِرُحْمِ أُمِّ الأَفْرَاخِ فِرَاخَهَا ” . قَالُوا نَعَمْ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم . قَالَ ” فَوَالَّذِي بَعَثَنِي بِالْحَقِّ لَلَّهُ أَرْحَمُ بِعِبَادِهِ مِنْ أُمِّ الأَفْرَاخِ بِفِرَاخِهَا ارْجِعْ بِهِنَّ حَتَّى تَضَعَهُنَّ مِنْ حَيْثُ أَخَذْتَهُنَّ وَأُمُّهُنَّ مَعَهُنَّ ” . فَرَجَعَ بِهِنَّ .
Sunan Abi Dawud: Book 21, Hadith 1
The above hadith is from the Sunan Abi Dawud collection of hadiths. Emerging from the vibrant intellectual culture of the 9th century, Sunan Abi Dawud was compiled by Abu Dawud al-Sijistani during a golden age of Islamic scholarship. This period was characterized by a concerted, scholarly effort to journey across the Muslim world, gather narrations, and preserve the authentic teachings of the Prophet for future generations. His work, which became one of the six canonical collections, successfully gathered over 4,800 hadiths covering all aspects of law, worship, and social conduct. The critical methodology he employed in selecting and annotating these narrations secured its enduring status as a highly authoritative and indispensable reference.
Use the tags to drill down deeper and find connections and new streams of information to help you fill gaps in knowledge and better connect the dots. Eman and Life is a growing database of knowledge with the mission to help further us in our pursuit of the best lifestyle through the guidance of the Quran and Sunnah.
For more Hadith in Book 21: Funerals (Kitab Al-Jana’iz)