سنن ابي داود
Abu Dawud
كتاب الجهادJihad (Kitab Al-Jihad)
باب فِي الرَّجُلِ يُسَافِرُ وَحْدَهُChapter: Regarding A Man Traveling Alone.
Hadith 2607
اُردوEn
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ الْقَعْنَبِيُّ ، عَنْ مَالِكٍ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ حَرْمَلَةَ ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " الرَّاكِبُ شَيْطَانٌ وَالرَّاكِبَانِ شَيْطَانَانِ وَالثَّلَاثَةُ رَكْبٌ " .
Narrated Abdullah ibn Amr ibn al-As: The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: A single rider is a devil, and a pair of riders are a pair of devils, but three are a company of riders.
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi
Benefits and Issues:
➊
A person traveling alone can sometimes be extremely dangerous.
If, for example, an accident occurs, there will be no one to handle the situation.
Nor will any news reach others.
In this way, the situation of two people is also very weak.
However, if there are three, then everyone will have complete convenience.
They will perform the prayer in congregation.
They will be companions and helpers to one another.
➋
In the present circumstances, although a large number of people travel together in buses, cars, and airplanes as a caravan,
and thus a person is excluded from the aforementioned prohibition,
still, it is far better for a person to have beloved and familiar companions on the journey.
Because ordinary fellow travelers are of various kinds.
Especially now, when mischief and corruption have greatly increased,
and there is a decline in religion and trustworthiness.
➌
This hadith clearly indicates the reprehensibility of traveling alone.
Therefore, some scholars have deduced from this hadith
that the journeys undertaken by Sufi-type people alone in deserts and uninhabited places in the name of self-purification and so-called spiritual retreats (chilla-kashi)
are also clearly wrong and rejected.
Similarly, the spiritual retreats (chilla-kashi) that are practiced nowadays in the pursuit of becoming a saint or friend of Allah (wali Allah)
are also contrary to the Qur’an and hadith.
Therefore, it is necessary to avoid and abstain from all such practices.
Because these things are innovations (bid‘ah).
Regarding innovation, the clear statement of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is:
Whoever introduces into this matter of ours (Islam) something which is not from it, it is rejected.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Sulh, Hadith: 2697)
➊
A person traveling alone can sometimes be extremely dangerous.
If, for example, an accident occurs, there will be no one to handle the situation.
Nor will any news reach others.
In this way, the situation of two people is also very weak.
However, if there are three, then everyone will have complete convenience.
They will perform the prayer in congregation.
They will be companions and helpers to one another.
➋
In the present circumstances, although a large number of people travel together in buses, cars, and airplanes as a caravan,
and thus a person is excluded from the aforementioned prohibition,
still, it is far better for a person to have beloved and familiar companions on the journey.
Because ordinary fellow travelers are of various kinds.
Especially now, when mischief and corruption have greatly increased,
and there is a decline in religion and trustworthiness.
➌
This hadith clearly indicates the reprehensibility of traveling alone.
Therefore, some scholars have deduced from this hadith
that the journeys undertaken by Sufi-type people alone in deserts and uninhabited places in the name of self-purification and so-called spiritual retreats (chilla-kashi)
are also clearly wrong and rejected.
Similarly, the spiritual retreats (chilla-kashi) that are practiced nowadays in the pursuit of becoming a saint or friend of Allah (wali Allah)
are also contrary to the Qur’an and hadith.
Therefore, it is necessary to avoid and abstain from all such practices.
Because these things are innovations (bid‘ah).
Regarding innovation, the clear statement of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is:
Whoever introduces into this matter of ours (Islam) something which is not from it, it is rejected.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Sulh, Hadith: 2697)
Source: Sunan Abu Dawood – Commentary by Shaykh Umar Farooq Saeedi, Page: 2607
Shaykh Dr. Abdur Rahman Freywai
Explanation:
1:
That is, it is not correct for one or two persons to travel alone.
If someone is alone, there will be no one to assist or help him in case of any accident.
Similarly, if there are two people and one of them has to leave for some necessity, then both will end up being alone.
And if one wishes to make a bequest to the other, there will be no witness for it, whereas two witnesses would be required.
1:
That is, it is not correct for one or two persons to travel alone.
If someone is alone, there will be no one to assist or help him in case of any accident.
Similarly, if there are two people and one of them has to leave for some necessity, then both will end up being alone.
And if one wishes to make a bequest to the other, there will be no witness for it, whereas two witnesses would be required.
Source: Sunan al-Tirmidhi – Majlis ‘Ilmi Dar al-Da‘wah, New Delhi Edition, Page: 1674
