Ibn Majah

Benefits and Issues:

➊ Physical labor and working for wages is a lawful profession, provided that the laborer performs his work with honesty and is not assigned any task that is prohibited according to the Shariah.

➋ Wages for labor should be fixed before commencing the work.

➌ Herding goats was the profession of the Prophets, which is a task involving much hardship. Sheep generally graze together in one place and move collectively, so managing them is easy, whereas goats scatter while grazing and run swiftly; therefore, much alertness and attention are required to prevent them from entering someone’s field. In addition, goats are physically weak creatures, so one cannot vent anger on them by beating them like buffaloes or donkeys; rather, the shepherd must act with compassion and patience. A Prophet, too, needs patience and forbearance in response to the inappropriate behavior of his people; thus, the training of the Prophets was carried out through herding goats.

➍ Those who falsely claim Prophethood cannot perform the arduous task of herding goats. Such an act can only be done by someone who, exploiting people’s sentiments of devotion, wishes to amass worldly wealth without effort. One of the proofs of the falsehood of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad Qadiani is also that he did not herd goats.

➎ Qirat (قيراط) is the name of a coin, which was the twentieth or twenty-fourth part of a dinar. See: (al-Nihayah by Ibn Athir, entry: q-r-t)

Hadith Commentary:
The purpose of the chapter, according to the leader of the hadith scholars, Imam al-Bukhari rahimahullah, is to show that herding goats as a means of earning wages is also a lawful profession.
Rather, it is the Sunnah of the Prophets alayhimus-salam.
Cows, buffaloes, sheep, and camels can also be analogized to goats, meaning that herding and grazing them for wages is permissible and correct.
Every Prophet herded goats; the wisdom in this is that from the very beginning of their lives, they develop the habit of showing mercy and compassion towards goats, and gradually, by leading them, they become acquainted with leading mankind as well.
And when Allah grants them this lofty position, they can guide the children of Adam to the straight path with mercy and compassion.
According to this principle, you will see glimpses of mercy and compassion in the lives of all the noble Prophets.
Prophet Musa alayhis-salam was being sent for the guidance of Pharaoh.
At the same time, it was emphasized:
﴿فَقُولَا لَهُ قَوْلًا لَيِّنًا لَعَلَّهُ يَتَذَكَّرُ أَوْ يَخْشَى﴾ (Ta-Ha: 44)
That is, both brothers should go to Pharaoh and advise him with utmost gentleness.
Perhaps he may take heed or fear Allah.
It was as a result of this gentleness that Prophet Musa alayhis-salam achieved a great victory over the magicians.
Our Noble Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam also, in his childhood, herded the goats of the people of Makkah for wages.
Therefore, herding goats is, in a way, also a Sunnah of our Noble Messenger sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
He used to herd the goats of the people of Makkah for a few qirats as wages.
A qirat is half a daniq, whose weight is equivalent to five barley grains.
Alhamdulillah! Today, sitting in the valley of Mina on the outskirts of Makkah Sharif, I am writing these lines and gazing at the surrounding hills, remembering that there was a time when the Messenger of Mercy to the worlds, sallallahu alayhi wa sallam, used to herd the goats of the people of Makkah among these mountains.
If only I had the strength to walk on every inch of these mountains on foot and revive the memory of the footsteps of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam.
Sallallahu alayhi wa ala alihi wa ashabihi wa sallam.
Some people have said that in the outskirts of Makkah there was a place called Qarariṭ.
Where the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam used to herd the goats of the people of Makkah.
Hafiz says:
But the first opinion is preferred, because the people of Makkah do not know of any place called Qarariṭ.
That is, the first opinion—that by qarariṭ is meant certain portions of dirhams and dinars—is preferred, because the people of Makkah were unaware of any place called by that name.
And the scholars have said: The wisdom in inspiring the Prophets to herd sheep before prophethood is that by herding them, they gain practice for what they will be tasked with in leading their communities.
That is, the scholars have said that the wisdom in the inspiration for the Prophets to herd goats is that, even before prophethood, by herding them, they gain training for leading the ummah.
The goat itself is such a blessed animal that, if Allah’s favor is with one, in just a few days of keeping goats, one’s fortunes can be transformed.
That is why, in times of tribulation, a person who stays away from all trials and lives in the wilderness herding goats has been praised.
And by subsisting on them, worships Allah in the mountains.
At such a time, this is the best kind of Muslim.
At this moment, in the Prophet’s Mosque, a garden from the gardens of Paradise, in Madinah Munawwarah, while reviewing this section, I am reflecting on the environment of the Haramain Sharifain and pondering over this hadith, and observing how Allah Ta’ala has created so many opportunities in this great land that are in accordance with the temperament of goats.
In Makkah Sharif, I saw at a sincere friend’s house a goat that gave more than 2 kilos of milk.
The Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam spoke the truth: “There is no Prophet except that he herded sheep.”
Today, in Safar 1390 AH, at the aforementioned blessed place, these few words have been written.

Hadith Commentary:
(1)
Imam Bukhari rahimahullah’s purpose is to show that herding goats as a means of earning a wage is a lawful profession; rather, it is the Sunnah of the Prophets (alayhimus-salam).
There is wisdom in the fact that the Prophets (alayhimus-salam) herded goats: from the very beginning, it cultivates the habit of showing mercy and compassion to others, which is extremely necessary for the guardianship of human beings, so that gradually these individuals become acquainted with leading people, and in the future, when they are granted the lofty station of Prophethood, they can, on the basis of gentleness and sympathy, guide people to the straight path.
On the basis of this principle, the quality of wishing well for mankind is found in the Prophets (alayhimus-salam) to the highest degree.
They are never distressed by people scattering here and there; rather, they cheerfully bear the hardship of gathering them together.
Herding goats is, in a sense, a prelude to managing affairs and leading nations; in this way, one develops the ability to manage people’s affairs and supervise their conditions.
The herding of goats by Musa (alayhis-salam) is established by explicit text.
(Musnad Ahmad: 96/3)
(2)
Islahi writes that, in his view, this narration does not conform to the principles of dirayah (critical analysis).
(Tadabbur-e-Hadith: 550/1)
Islahi, through the sickle of dirayah, has undermined many authentic ahadith, even though there is nothing in this narration that is contrary to reason or critical analysis.
The herding of goats by the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) is also established by other evidences.
Jabir radi Allahu anhu narrates that once the Messenger of Allah (sallallahu alayhi wa sallam) was returning from a journey, and along the way, we came across some peelu trees, so we began picking their fruit. He said:
“Select the black ones, for they are the best.”
The Companions radi Allahu anhum asked:
“Did you herd goats?” He replied:
“Yes! Every Prophet has herded goats.”
(Musnad Ahmad: 326/3)