Narrated Anas: The Prophet said, "Every nation has an Amin (i.e. the most honest man), and the Amin of this nation is Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah."
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
The Prophet (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) invited them to Islam and conveyed the message, but they did not accept. Eventually, he said, "Come, let us engage in mubāhala," meaning that both parties should together supplicate to Allah, saying: "O Allah! Whoever among us is upon falsehood, send Your punishment upon him."
They were not willing to engage in mubāhala either; rather, they agreed to a treaty on the condition that they would give one thousand sets of garments in the month of Rajab and one thousand sets in the month of Safar, and with each set, they would also give one uqiyyah of silver.
The Qur'anic verse was revealed concerning them.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 4382
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
1.
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah has narrated the hadith from Anas radi Allahu anhu because its context is related to the invocation of blessings (salat) as mentioned in the hadith narrated from Hudhayfah 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 so that he might collect from them the alms (sadaqat), jizyah, or other dues.
(Zad al-Ma'ad: 3/557)
It is possible that the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam first sent Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah radi Allahu anhu so that he might collect the compensation for reconciliation from them, and after that sent Ali radi Allahu anhu so that he might collect jizyah from those Christians who remained upon their religion, and collect alms (sadaqah) and zakat from those who had become Muslim.
2.
From these ahadith, it is understood that if the opposing party does not accept the true evidences but rather rejects them, then it is legislated (mashru') to engage in mutual invocation of Allah's curse (mubahalah) with them.
Ibn Abbas radi Allahu anhu also invited one of his opponents to mubahalah, and Imam Awza'i rahimahullah also encountered an occasion for mubahalah with a group.
Hafiz Ibn Hajar rahimahullah writes that the party upon falsehood who engages in mubahalah is seized by Allah's punishment within a year.
He further states:
A heretic once engaged in mubahalah with me, and he perished within two months.
(Fath al-Bari: 8/119)
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 4382
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
He was outstanding in honesty and trustworthiness. Although all the Companions were also honest and trustworthy, his rank in this particular quality was exceedingly elevated, just as the rank of Uthman (radi Allahu anhu) was in modesty, and the rank of Ali (radi Allahu anhu) was in courage.
(radi Allahu anhum ajma‘een)
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 7255
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
All the noble Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma'in) of the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) were believers and trustworthy, but Abu Ubaydah (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) excelled even further in honesty and trustworthiness, just as Uthman (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) was foremost in modesty, and Ali (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) was foremost in bravery.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) selected Abu Ubaydah ibn al-Jarrah (radi Allahu ta'ala anhu) for the education of the people of Najran. This means that a solitary report (khabar wahid) is authoritative, and denial of its authority is only from those whose hearts harbor doubts and suspicions regarding the religion of Islam.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 7255
Shaykh Maulana Abdul Aziz Alvi
Hadith Commentary: Benefits and Issues: (1)
The greed and desire for wealth and property is, as it were, the nature of ordinary human beings. Even if their house is filled with wealth, and forests upon forests and fields upon fields are overflowing with riches, still their hearts are not content, and they only desire more and more increase. This remains the state of their greed until the very last breath of life, and only in the grave do they find deliverance from this hunger and desire for wealth. Nowadays, landlords, capitalists, industrialists, and both civil and military bureaucrats, indeed every trader, shopkeeper, and every employee, has become a living example of this greed and desire. However, those servants who turn their faces away from the world and its wealth and direct themselves towards Allah and establish their connection with Him, upon them Allah’s special favor descends, and Allah grants them tranquility of heart, richness of the soul (ghina al-nafs), and contentment.
(2)
Some chapters of the Noble Qur’an were revealed in the beginning, temporarily, concerning concern for the Hereafter and detachment and lack of interest in the world. However, since it was not intended for them to remain as part of the Qur’an, they were removed from the minds of the Messenger and the Ummah. Therefore, some meaning remained preserved in the minds of certain Companions (radi Allahu anhum ajma‘in), but their exact words and the Qur’anic style and eloquence were not preserved, and now they are not part of the Qur’an. Thus, the conditions for being Qur’an are also absent in them. As for the “Musabbihat,” these are the chapters in which, at the beginning, the word “Subhan” or its derivatives appear, such as: (Sabbih, yusabbihu, Sabbih isma rabbika), etc.
Source: Tuhfat al-Muslim: Commentary on Sahih Muslim, Page: 2419