Bukhari

Hadith Commentary:

Hafiz Ibn Hajar states:

In the story of the people of Najran, among the benefits is that the mere acknowledgment of prophethood by a disbeliever does not admit him into Islam until he commits to the rulings of Islam. In it is also the permissibility of debating with the People of the Book, and at times it may even be obligatory if its benefit is determined. In it is the legitimacy of invoking mutual imprecation (mubahalah) with an opponent if he persists after the evidence has been made clear. Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu also invited his opponent to mubahalah, and then al-Awza‘i, and this has occurred with a group of scholars. It is known from experience that whoever engages in mubahalah while being upon falsehood does not last a year from the day of mubahalah, and this happened to me with a person who was fanatical for some heretics, and he did not survive more than two months after that. In it is also the permissibility for the Imam to make a treaty with the people of dhimmah (protected non-Muslims) for whatever type of wealth he deems appropriate, and this is akin to imposing jizyah upon them, for both are wealth taken from disbelievers as a sign of subjugation every year. In it is also the sending of a trustworthy, knowledgeable man by the Imam to the people of truce for the benefit of Islam. In it is a manifest virtue for Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu. Ibn Ishaq has mentioned that the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent ‘Ali to the people of Najran to collect their charity (sadaqah) and jizyah, and this incident is different from the story of Abu ‘Ubaydah, because Abu ‘Ubaydah went with them, collected the reconciliation money, and returned, while ‘Ali was sent by the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam after that to collect from them what was due upon them of jizyah, and to take from those among them who had accepted Islam what was due upon them of charity. And Allah knows best. (Fath al-Bari)

Hafiz Ibn Hajar states that there are many benefits in the story of the people of Najran.

Among them is that if a disbeliever acknowledges prophethood, this does not admit him into Islam until he commits to all the rulings of Islam. Also, that it is permissible to debate with the People of the Book in religious matters, and at times it is obligatory when there is a benefit in it. And that invoking mutual imprecation (mubahalah) with an opponent is also legislated when, after the evidence has been made clear, he still intends mubahalah.

Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu also invited his opponent to mubahalah, and Imam al-Awza‘i, along with a group of scholars, also had the opportunity to do mubahalah. It has been experienced that the party upon falsehood who engages in mubahalah is seized by Allah’s punishment within a year, and with me (Allamah Ibn Hajar), a heretic did mubahalah and he perished within two months. And from this, it is established that the Imam has the discretionary authority, for the sake of benefit, to impose whatever type of wealth he deems appropriate upon the people of dhimmah, and that the person whom the Imam appoints as a collector among the dhimmis should be a knowledgeable and trustworthy person. In this is also a manifest virtue for Abu ‘Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu. Ibn Ishaq has mentioned that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent ‘Ali radi Allahu anhu to the people of Najran to collect their zakat and jizyah.

This was a separate occasion.

Abu ‘Ubaydah radi Allahu anhu was sent with them only to collect the amount agreed upon at the time of the peace treaty, and later ‘Ali radi Allahu anhu was sent to collect the annual jizyah from them and to collect zakat from those who had become Muslim.

These were the same people of Najran for whom the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam vacated half of the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi) for them to worship according to their own religion.

The tolerance of the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam with the followers of other religions will always be written in golden letters. (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam)

Alas, today this tolerance is absent even among the Islamic sects themselves.

A Sunni is looked at with strange eyes in a Shia mosque.

A Barelwi’s eyes turn red upon seeing a Wahhabi.

So weep for Islam, whoever is able to weep.

Hadith Commentary:
1.
The name of Sayyid was Abham; he was also called Sharjeel.
And the name of Aqib was Abdul-Masih; he was their advisor.
They would carry out all their affairs based on his counsel. Abu Harith bin Alqamah was a great scholar, imam, and the head of their school, and Sayyid was their overseer and responsible for their affairs during both residence and travel.
2.
When the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) invited them to Islam, they refused to accept Islam.
After that, the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“If you reject my words, then I will invoke mutual imprecation (mubahalah) against you.”
Among them, Sayyid and Aqib said:
“We will not engage in mubahalah with you; however, whatever you demand from us, we are ready to give, and we make peace with you.”
Thus, you (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) made peace with them on the condition that they would pay one thousand sets of garments in the month of Rajab and one thousand sets in the month of Safar, and with each set, one uqiyyah of silver would also be given. When they made peace and returned to their homeland, after only a few days, Sayyid and Aqib came to the service of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) and embraced Islam.
(al-Tabaqat al-Kubra by Ibn Sa’d: 1/357.
And Fath al-Bari: 8/118)

Hadith Commentary:
The noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in) of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) each possessed distinct characteristics. Thus, the Messenger (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) said:
“The most merciful of my Ummah towards my Ummah is Abu Bakr (radi Allahu anhu); the strictest in enforcing Allah’s commands is Umar (radi Allahu anhu); the most modest is Uthman (radi Allahu anhu); the most knowledgeable regarding what is lawful and unlawful is Mu’adh ibn Jabal (radi Allahu anhu); the most knowledgeable regarding inheritance is Zayd ibn Thabit (radi Allahu anhu); the reciter of the Qur’an is Ubayy ibn Ka’b (radi Allahu anhu); and every Ummah has a trustworthy one, and the trustworthy one of this Ummah is Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (radi Allahu anhu).”
(Jami‘ at-Tirmidhi, al-Manaqib, Hadith: 3791)

Although the quality of trustworthiness and honesty was also present in other Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in), the context and sequence indicate that Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (radi Allahu anhu) was especially distinguished by this attribute, just as Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was described as being modest and Ali (radi Allahu anhu) as being just.
(Fath al-Bari: 7/119)

Hadith Commentary:
From this as well, the validity of a solitary report (khabar wahid) is established, as the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) announced the dispatch of Abu Ubaydah (radi Allahu anhu) alone and sent him.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) spoke the truth.

Hadith Commentary:
Abu Ubaydah Amir ibn Abdullah ibn al-Jarrah (radi Allahu anhu) was a Fahri Qurashi.
He was among the ten who were given glad tidings of Paradise (asharah mubashsharah) and is known as the trustworthy one (amin) of this ummah.
He accepted Islam together with Uthman ibn Maz'un (radi Allahu anhu).
He migrated to Abyssinia (Habashah) for the second time.
He was present in all the battles (ghazawat).
In the Battle of Uhud, he pulled out with his own hand the two rings (of the helmet) that had become embedded in the blessed face of the Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam), due to which his own two front teeth were martyred.
He was tall and had a handsome face.
He passed away in the plague of ‘Amwas in the year 18 AH at the location of Jordan and was buried in Baysan.
He was fifty-eight years old.
His lineage meets that of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) at Fihr ibn Malik. Radi Allahu anhu wa ardah, ameen.

Hadith Commentary:
Vocabulary of the Hadith:
Istashrafa laha:
To raise one's eyes towards it and to desire and aspire to possess that quality.
The people of Najran here refers to the people of Yemen,
Both regions are located adjacent to each other.

Commentary:
(1)
The region of Najran lies between Makkah and Yemen, and its people were followers of the Christian religion. In the 9th year of Hijrah, their delegation came to Madinah Munawwarah and discussed certain issues with the Noble Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam. The Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam invited them to Islam. When they refused, the verses of Mubahalah were revealed. They said among themselves: If Muhammad sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is truly a Prophet, then by engaging in Mubahalah with him, we will not be able to escape destruction. Thus, they made peace by agreeing to pay the jizyah (tribute). They requested that a trustworthy man be sent with them, so the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam sent Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu to collect the tribute, and on this occasion, these words were spoken. Later, these people accepted Islam. See: (Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum, pp. 604 to 606)

(2)
For financial responsibilities, a trustworthy person should be appointed. Along with other abilities, trustworthiness is the most important condition necessary for such a position.