Narrated Muhammad bin `Ali: Jabir bin `Abdullah said, "When the Prophet died, Abu Bakr received some property from Al-`Ala bin Al-Hadrami. Abu Bakr said to the people, "Whoever has a money claim on the Prophet, or was promised something by him, should come to us (so that we may pay him his right)." Jabir added, "I said (to Abu Bakr), Allah's Apostle promised me that he would give me this much, and this much, and this much (spreading his hands three times)." Jabir added, "Abu Bakr counted for me and handed me five-hundred (gold pieces), and then five-hundred, and then five-hundred."
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
It is as if Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi Allahu anhu) fulfilled the era of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam); from this, it is also intended to establish that a promise must indeed be fulfilled, even if it is through the means of a court.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 2683
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
All three handfuls were completed.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had promised three handfuls, as is mentioned in another narration which Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) has recorded in the Book of Testimonies, where this is explicitly stated.
The relevance of this to the chapter is derived as follows: When Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) became the Caliph and successor of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), it was as if he became the guarantor for all his affairs and promises, and thus it became incumbent upon him to fulfill those promises.
(Qastallani rahimahullah)
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 2296
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
After the passing of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), when Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) was chosen as the caliph, he made it a point to fulfill whatever obligations remained upon the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), whether in the form of promises or debts.
With this commitment, those responsibilities became incumbent upon him.
Since the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) liked to fulfill promises, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) continued to implement this practice.
Because the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had promised three times, spreading out his hand to give, Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) gave three handfuls, that is, he fully fulfilled the promise made by the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
(Fath al-Bari: 4/599)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 2296
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
➊
From this hadith, Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has established the second part of the chapter heading: that a promise was made to Jabir radi Allahu anhu to give him something from the fay’ wealth and jizyah of Bahrain, but before fulfilling the promise, the Messenger answered the call of death.
In reality, the wealth of jizyah had come from Bahrain, and jizyah is also included in fay’, which is acquired without warfare.
➋
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s position is that the wealth of fay’, jizyah, kharaj, etc., is subject to the discretion of the Imam (leader); he may spend it wherever and however he wishes.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, due to his discretionary authority, had promised to give something to Jabir radi Allahu anhu, which Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu fulfilled.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3164
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
The intention of Imam Bukhari rahimahullah is that it is as if the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam granted Jabir, on a conditional basis, three handfuls of wealth as a gift upon the arrival of the wealth from Bahrain. However, neither did the wealth arrive, nor was the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam able to fulfill it.
Later, Abu Bakr as-Siddiq radi Allahu anhu fulfilled his (the Prophet’s) promise.
From this, the objective of the chapter is established.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 2598
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) made a conditional promise of a gift (hiba) to Jabir (radi Allahu anhu), stating that if wealth came from Bahrain, he would give him such-and-such an amount. However, the wealth did not arrive, nor was he able to fulfill it until he passed away. Later, Sayyiduna Abu Bakr as-Siddiq (radi Allahu anhu) fulfilled this promise of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam).
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to encourage the fulfillment of promises and himself acted upon this. Therefore, Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu), following the example of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), fulfilled his promise.
(2)
The purpose of Imam Bukhari (rahimahullah) is to draw attention to the fact that if someone has made a gift (hiba) or a promise of a gift, then noble character demands that it be fulfilled, even though from a legal (shar‘i) perspective, its fulfillment is not obligatory.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 2598
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
The statement of Abu Bakr radi Allahu anhu meant that he wished to give from his share, that is, from the khums (one-fifth). The khums is specifically allotted to the Caliph of Islam, and then he has the discretion to give it to whomever he wishes.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 4383
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
➊
In this hadith, there is no story about Bahrain; only Oman is mentioned. However, in this hadith, there is mention of wealth coming from Bahrain.
➋
From this, it is understood that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had sent someone to the people of Bahrain. Thus, it is narrated from Hazrat Miswar bin Makhramah (radi Allahu anhu) that the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sent delegations to the kings.
In this context, he sent Hazrat Amr bin al-As (radi Allahu anhu) to the two sons of the king of Oman, Julanda, namely Jaifar and ‘Ayyadh. The rest of the companions returned before the death of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), but Amr bin al-As (radi Allahu anhu) was still in Bahrain when the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) passed away.
He came to Madinah Tayyibah after the Prophet’s (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) demise.
From this, it is also understood that Oman and Bahrain were close to each other, and that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) sent delegations to the kings shortly before his passing.
(Fath al-Bari: 8/120)
➌
In one narration, it is reported from Hazrat Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) that wealth from Bahrain came through Hazrat ‘Ala’ bin Hadrami (radi Allahu anhu), so Hazrat Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) called me and ordered me to fill my lap with both hands, then count it; it was five hundred (dirhams).
He gave Hazrat Jabir (radi Allahu anhu) another five hundred dirhams twice more.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Shahadat, Hadith: 2683)
In another narration, it is explicitly stated that Hazrat Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) gave me one thousand five hundred dirhams.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, al-Jizyah wa al-Muwada‘ah, Hadith: 3146)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 4383
Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim bin Basheer
Benefit:
In this hadith, there is a prophecy and a miracle that wealth would come from Bahrain, and indeed it came; the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in) saw it and it was distributed. From this, it is understood that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had passed away. It is also understood from this that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) used to make promises, and there were several promises that he was unable to fulfill and departed from this world.
Source: Musnad al-Humaydi: Commentary by Muhammad Ibrahim bin Bashir, Page: 1266
Shaykh Muhammad Ibrahim bin Basheer
Benefit:
The leader of a people is very wise. If at any time the leader withholds cooperation from one person and extends cooperation to another, and his intention is that he will cooperate with the first person at another opportunity, then his purpose is not to discourage anyone. Man is naturally desirous, but Sayyiduna Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu) was not miserly. If he had been miserly, he would not have given all his wealth in charity, and his services constitute a complete history.
Source: Musnad al-Humaydi: Commentary by Muhammad Ibrahim bin Bashir, Page: 1268