Hadith 3579

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْمُثَنَّى ، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو أَحْمَدَ الزُّبَيْرِيُّ ، حَدَّثَنَا إِسْرَائِيلُ ، عَنْ مَنْصُورٍ ، عَنْ إِبْرَاهِيمَ ، عَنْ عَلْقَمَةَ ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ، قَالَ : كُنَّا نَعُدُّ الْآيَاتِ بَرَكَةً وَأَنْتُمْ تَعُدُّونَهَا تَخْوِيفًا ، كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي سَفَرٍ فَقَلَّ الْمَاءُ ، فَقَالَ : " اطْلُبُوا فَضْلَةً مِنْ مَاءٍ فَجَاءُوا بِإِنَاءٍ فِيهِ مَاءٌ قَلِيلٌ فَأَدْخَلَ يَدَهُ فِي الْإِنَاءِ ، ثُمَّ قَالَ : حَيَّ عَلَى الطَّهُورِ الْمُبَارَكِ وَالْبَرَكَةُ مِنَ اللَّهِ فَلَقَدْ رَأَيْتُ الْمَاءَ يَنْبُعُ مِنْ بَيْنِ أَصَابِعِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ ، وَلَقَدْ كُنَّا نَسْمَعُ تَسْبِيحَ الطَّعَامِ وَهُوَ يُؤْكَلُ " .
Narrated `Abdullah: We used to consider miracles as Allah's Blessings, but you people consider them to be a warning. Once we were with Allah's Apostle on a journey, and we ran short of water. He said, "Bring the water remaining with you." The people brought a utensil containing a little water. He placed his hand in it and said, "Come to the blessed water, and the Blessing is from Allah." I saw the water flowing from among the fingers of Allah's Apostle , and no doubt, we heard the meal glorifying Allah, when it was being eaten (by him).
Hadith Reference صحيح البخاري / كتاب المناقب / 3579
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح البخاريّ كلّها صحيحة
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
This was a miracle of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) that the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum) would hear, with their own ears, the sound of glorification (tasbih) coming from food and other things. Otherwise, every thing declares the glorification of Allah the Exalted, as He has said:
﴿وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ﴾
“There is nothing except that it glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification.”
Imam Bayhaqi (rahimahullah) has narrated in Dala’il that the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) took seven pebbles, and they declared tasbih in his hand, and their sound was heard.
Then he placed them in the hands of Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu), then in the hand of Umar (radi Allahu anhu), then in the hand of Uthman (radi Allahu anhu); in each one’s hand, they declared tasbih.
Hafiz has said: The splitting of the moon (shaqq al-qamar) is established by the Qur’an and authentic hadiths, and the crying of the tree is also established by authentic hadith, but the tasbih of the pebbles is established only by a single chain, which is weak.
In any case, these are miracles of the Noble Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), and it is necessary to have faith in them exactly as they are established. The meaning of the statement of Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (radi Allahu anhu) is that you consider every sign and extraordinary event to be a warning (takhwif).
This is your mistake.
Some of Allah’s signs are indeed for warning, such as eclipses and the like, and some signs, such as blessing in food and drink, are a manifestation of divine favor and grace.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 3579
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:

The Companions (radi Allahu anhum) hearing the glorification (tasbih) of the food was a miracle (mu‘jizah) of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam). Otherwise, according to the explicit statement of the Noble Qur’an, every thing declares the glorification of Allah, the Exalted.
The statement of Allah, the Exalted, is:
﴿وَإِن مِّن شَيْءٍ إِلَّا يُسَبِّحُ بِحَمْدِهِ وَلَٰكِن لَّا تَفْقَهُونَ تَسْبِيحَهُمْ﴾
“And there is nothing except that it glorifies Him with His praise, but you do not understand their glorification.”
(Bani Isra’il: 44/17)
Once, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) took seven pebbles, and they glorified Allah aloud in his hand. Then he placed them in the hand of Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu), then in the hand of ‘Umar (radi Allahu anhu), and after that in the hand of ‘Uthman (radi Allahu anhu). Each of them heard the glorification in their respective hands.
(al-Mu‘jam al-Awsat by al-Tabarani: 2/59, Dar al-Haramayn edition; Fath al-Bari: 6/723)


It is stated in the Noble Qur’an:
“We do not send the signs except as a warning.”
(Bani Isra’il: 59/17)
From this verse, some people have taken the position that every sign is sent as a warning. ‘Abdullah ibn Mas‘ud (radi Allahu anhu) refuted them, stating that it is questionable to consider every sign as being for warning.
Some of the signs of Allah, the Exalted, are indeed for warning, while some signs—such as blessing in food and drink—are purely the grace and favor of Allah, the Exalted.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 3579