Toggle above to switch between keyword search and direct hadith lookup
سنن ابن ماجه
Ibn Majah
كتاب الأحكام
The Chapters on Rulings
بَابُ : إِذَا تَشَاجَرُوا فِي قَدْرِ الطَّرِيقِ
Chapter: When There Is A Dispute As To How Wide A Road Or Path Should Be
Sunan Ibn Majah 2339 — When There Is A Dispute As To How Wide A Road
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى ، وَمُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُمَرَ بْنِ هَيَّاجٍ ، قَالَا : حَدَّثَنَا قَبِيصَةُ ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ ، عَنْ عِكْرِمَةَ ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ، قَالَ : قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ : " إِذَا اخْتَلَفْتُمْ فِي الطَّرِيقِ فَاجْعَلُوهُ سَبْعَةَ أَذْرُعٍ " .
´It was narrated from Ibn 'Abbas that the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said:` “When you dispute concerning a path, make it seven forearms length wide.' ”
Explanation & Benefits
Maulana Ataullah Sajid
Benefits and Issues:
➊ By "hand" is meant the distance from the bottom to the elbow, which is two spans, i.e., eight finger-widths or approximately one and a half feet. The measure of seven cubits is equal to three and a half yards or about ten and a half feet.
➋ By "path" can be meant the width of a street, or it can also refer to an open path between fields. Its width should be such that pedestrians, women, and those riding horses, donkeys, or mules can all pass easily.
➌ Today is the era of cars, buses, etc., so an appropriate limit can be set according to their requirements. When planning new settlements, the width of streets and roads should not be kept less than this.
➍ When cultivating barren land, the width of any path left should also be determined in the same manner.
➊ By "hand" is meant the distance from the bottom to the elbow, which is two spans, i.e., eight finger-widths or approximately one and a half feet. The measure of seven cubits is equal to three and a half yards or about ten and a half feet.
➋ By "path" can be meant the width of a street, or it can also refer to an open path between fields. Its width should be such that pedestrians, women, and those riding horses, donkeys, or mules can all pass easily.
➌ Today is the era of cars, buses, etc., so an appropriate limit can be set according to their requirements. When planning new settlements, the width of streets and roads should not be kept less than this.
➍ When cultivating barren land, the width of any path left should also be determined in the same manner.
Source: Commentary on Sunan Ibn Mājah by Mawlānā ‘Atā’ullāh Sājid, Page: 2339
