The Second Narration

The Third Narration
January 20, 2016
The First Narration
January 20, 2016

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The Second Narration

 

The narration of Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu who reported:

 

I was playing with children when Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam happened to pass by (us). I hid myself behind the door. He came and patted my shoulders and said, “go and call Muawiyah.” I returned and said, “he is busy in taking food.” He asked me to go again and call Muawiyah to him. I went (and came back) and said that he was busy in taking food, whereupon he salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “may Allah not fill his belly.”

Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih (2604).

 

It has been said that there are two flaws of Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu in this narration:

 
  1. The prayer of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam against Muawiyah.
  2. Muawiyah’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu delay in responding to the call of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and that he continued eating which indicates no concern.
 

The response to the first allegation is in three parts:

 

1. This supplication is considered an expression that passed the lips of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam without intent. As the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha, “may your right hand be filled with dust,” and to Safiyyah radiya Llahu ‘anha, “may you be wounded and your head shaved,” and to Muaz radiya Llahu ‘anhu, “may your mother be barren of you.”

2. The scholars of hadith have understood this narration to be one of merit for Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Scholars like Muslim, al Nawawi, Ibn ‘Asakir, al Dhahabi, Ibn Kathir and al Haythami have endorsed this view.

  • Ibn ‘Asakir has stated in his Tarikh (59/106): “This is the most authentic of what has been narrated on the virtues of Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu.”
  • Al Nawawi has stated on his commentary on Sahih Muslim (16/156): “Muslim has understood from this narration that Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu did not deserve to be prayed against, so that is why he included it under this chapter; and others have taken it as a virtue of Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, since it is — in reality — a supplication for him.”[1]
  • Al Dhahabi has stated in Tadhkirat al Huffaz (2/699): “Perhaps this is a merit for Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu since the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has also said, “O Allah, whoever I have cursed or spoken harshly to; make that a means of purification and mercy for them.”
  • Ibn Kathir, in al Bidayah wa al Nihayah (11/402) has stated: “Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu has benefitted from that supplication in this world and the next. As for this world, when he became the leader in al Sham he would eat seven meals a day. A platter would be brought before him laden with meat and onions and he would eat it. He would eat meat seven times in the day, and from sweets and desserts, and fruits, plenty. He would say, “By Allah, I do not become filled, I only get fatigued.” This is a trait that is desired by kings. As for the hereafter, then Muslim has followed this narration by one which is also narrated by al Bukhari and others via numerous chains from a number of Sahabah that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “O Allah, I am but a human being, so any slave [of yours] whom I have harmed verbally or have lashed or prayed against, and he is not deserving of it, let that be a compensation for them and a means of gaining close to You on the Day of Judgement.” So Muslim has managed to bring this narration together proving a virtue for Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu and he has not mentioned of him [any virtue] other than this.
 

3. So if we take the supplication on its apparent meaning, then all that it amounts to is the lengthy period of eating, which indicates to abundance of it but that is not a flaw in terms of the hereafter. Whoever is not in harm’s way as a result of a flaw which affects the hereafter is not excluded from complete accomplishment.

 

As for the second alleged flaw, it can be responded to in two ways:

 
  1. The narration does not mention expressly that Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu told Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam summoned him and he delayed. All that it possibly means is that when Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu saw him eating he felt shy to relay the message so he returned to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam both times.
  2. Assuming that Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu did inform him that he was summoned by the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, it appears that Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu assumed that the matter was not urgent and that it was a courtesy. He did not understand it to be an immediate summons.
 

NEXT⇒ The Third Narration


[1]  See also Usd al Ghabah (1027) by Ibn al Athir

BACK⇒ Return to Table of contents

 

The Second Narration

 

The narration of Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu who reported:

 

I was playing with children when Allah’s Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam happened to pass by (us). I hid myself behind the door. He came and patted my shoulders and said, “go and call Muawiyah.” I returned and said, “he is busy in taking food.” He asked me to go again and call Muawiyah to him. I went (and came back) and said that he was busy in taking food, whereupon he salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “may Allah not fill his belly.”

Narrated by Muslim in his Sahih (2604).

 

It has been said that there are two flaws of Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu in this narration:

 
  1. The prayer of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam against Muawiyah.
  2. Muawiyah’s radiya Llahu ‘anhu delay in responding to the call of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam and that he continued eating which indicates no concern.
 

The response to the first allegation is in three parts:

 

1. This supplication is considered an expression that passed the lips of the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam without intent. As the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said to Aisha radiya Llahu ‘anha, “may your right hand be filled with dust,” and to Safiyyah radiya Llahu ‘anha, “may you be wounded and your head shaved,” and to Muaz radiya Llahu ‘anhu, “may your mother be barren of you.”

2. The scholars of hadith have understood this narration to be one of merit for Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu. Scholars like Muslim, al Nawawi, Ibn ‘Asakir, al Dhahabi, Ibn Kathir and al Haythami have endorsed this view.

  • Ibn ‘Asakir has stated in his Tarikh (59/106): “This is the most authentic of what has been narrated on the virtues of Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu.”
  • Al Nawawi has stated on his commentary on Sahih Muslim (16/156): “Muslim has understood from this narration that Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu did not deserve to be prayed against, so that is why he included it under this chapter; and others have taken it as a virtue of Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu, since it is — in reality — a supplication for him.”[1]
  • Al Dhahabi has stated in Tadhkirat al Huffaz (2/699): “Perhaps this is a merit for Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu since the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam has also said, “O Allah, whoever I have cursed or spoken harshly to; make that a means of purification and mercy for them.”
  • Ibn Kathir, in al Bidayah wa al Nihayah (11/402) has stated: “Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu has benefitted from that supplication in this world and the next. As for this world, when he became the leader in al Sham he would eat seven meals a day. A platter would be brought before him laden with meat and onions and he would eat it. He would eat meat seven times in the day, and from sweets and desserts, and fruits, plenty. He would say, “By Allah, I do not become filled, I only get fatigued.” This is a trait that is desired by kings. As for the hereafter, then Muslim has followed this narration by one which is also narrated by al Bukhari and others via numerous chains from a number of Sahabah that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam said, “O Allah, I am but a human being, so any slave [of yours] whom I have harmed verbally or have lashed or prayed against, and he is not deserving of it, let that be a compensation for them and a means of gaining close to You on the Day of Judgement.” So Muslim has managed to bring this narration together proving a virtue for Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu and he has not mentioned of him [any virtue] other than this.
 

3. So if we take the supplication on its apparent meaning, then all that it amounts to is the lengthy period of eating, which indicates to abundance of it but that is not a flaw in terms of the hereafter. Whoever is not in harm’s way as a result of a flaw which affects the hereafter is not excluded from complete accomplishment.

 

As for the second alleged flaw, it can be responded to in two ways:

 
  1. The narration does not mention expressly that Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu told Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu that the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam summoned him and he delayed. All that it possibly means is that when Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu saw him eating he felt shy to relay the message so he returned to the Prophet salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam both times.
  2. Assuming that Ibn ‘Abbas radiya Llahu ‘anhu did inform him that he was summoned by the Messenger salla Llahu ‘alayhi wa sallam, it appears that Muawiyah radiya Llahu ‘anhu assumed that the matter was not urgent and that it was a courtesy. He did not understand it to be an immediate summons.
 

NEXT⇒ The Third Narration


[1]  See also Usd al Ghabah (1027) by Ibn al Athir