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Hadith 5683

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو نُعَيْمٍ ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ الْغَسِيلِ ، عَنْ عَاصِمِ بْنِ عُمَرَ بْنِ قَتَادَةَ ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا ، قَالَ : سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ يَقُولُ : " إِنْ كَانَ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ أَدْوِيَتِكُمْ أَوْ يَكُونُ فِي شَيْءٍ مِنْ أَدْوِيَتِكُمْ خَيْرٌ : فَفِي شَرْطَةِ مِحْجَمٍ ، أَوْ شَرْبَةِ عَسَلٍ ، أَوْ لَذْعَةٍ بِنَارٍ ، تُوَافِقُ الدَّاءَ وَمَا أُحِبُّ أَنْ أَكْتَوِيَ " .
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah: I heard the Prophet saying, "If there is any healing in your medicines, then it is in cupping, a gulp of honey or branding with fire (cauterization) that suits the ailment, but I don't like to be (cauterized) branded with fire."
Hadith Reference صحيح البخاري / كتاب الطب / 5683
Hadith Grading محدثین: أحاديث صحيح البخاريّ كلّها صحيحة
Related hadith on this topic
Explanation & Benefits
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
The indication in the conformity of the medicine is that cauterization with fire is also legislated only when it is appropriate for the illness; therefore, it should also be applied after proper investigation.
(2)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) did not like cauterization; this indicates that the treatment of cauterization should only be done when no other medicine is effective and no relief is found through any other remedy, because cauterizing with fire causes the patient great pain.
(3)
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) declared drinking honey to be a cure; these words correspond exactly with the title.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 5683
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
The relevance of this hadith to the chapter is as follows: since cupping (hijama) has been established as the best treatment, applying it for headache will also be beneficial.
The prohibition regarding cauterization with fire is one of dislike (tanzihi), because in another narration, some Companions are mentioned as having used this treatment (see Hadith no. 671).
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 5702
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
From this hadith, it is understood that cupping (hijamah) is an excellent treatment.
It is also very beneficial for headaches.
The Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) suffered from migraine (shaqiqah).
On one occasion, at the place of Khaybar, he put a morsel of poisoned food in his mouth, due to which he would experience migraine.
He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) treated this by having cupping performed.
(‘Umdat al-Qari: 14/687) (2)
In a situation of necessity, it is permissible to treat by cauterization with fire.
He (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) had cauterization performed on Sa‘d ibn Mu‘adh (radi Allahu anhu).
On this basis, his prohibition of it is to be understood as a discouragement (tanzihi), not as absolute prohibition.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 5702
Maulana Dawood Raz
Hadith Commentary:
From this hadith, it is understood that to not like for any Muslim what the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) does not like is a requirement of love.
Source: Sahih Bukhari: Commentary by Maulana Dawood Raz, Page: 5704
Shaykh Abdul Sattar al-Hammad
Hadith Commentary:
(1)
This hadith is extremely concise, because firstly, honey is not mentioned in it, and secondly, there is no statement about these remedies being suitable for the illness, whereas both of these are found in the hadith.
(Sahih al-Bukhari, Book of Medicine, Hadith: 5683)
(2)
From this, the permissibility of treatment by cauterization (using fire) is established, because there is healing in it, as the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam said.
Although he did not prefer this method, it is not necessary that what he did not prefer is not permissible.
For example, the flesh of the monitor lizard (sa’ndah) was not liked by him, but it was eaten in his presence. Then, he himself treated some of the noble Companions with this method, such as:
When Sa’d ibn Mu’adh radi Allahu anhu was wounded in the Battle of the Trench (Khandaq), the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam himself cauterized his median vein (akhal) with fire. (Sahih Muslim, Book of Peace, Hadith: 5748 (2208))
However, the virtue lies in not adopting this method of treatment; but if no other method proves effective, then there is no harm in adopting it, provided there is a definite hope of healing through it.
And Allah knows best.
Source: Hidayat al-Qari: Commentary on Sahih Bukhari, Urdu, Page: 5704