Musannaf Ibn Abi Shaybah

It is narrated from Hazrat Abdullah bin Shaddad that Kisra wrote to Bazan that: "I have been informed that there is a man who says things of which I have no knowledge. So send someone to him so that he may remain quiet in his house and not spread anything among the people, otherwise let him fix a time and place with me, I will meet him there." The narrator says: Bazan sent to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) two men who had shaved beards and long mustaches. The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Who incited you to this?" The narrator says: Both of them submitted to him (peace and blessings be upon him): "He who, according to the people's assumption, is their Lord, has ordered us to do this." The narrator says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "But we oppose your way. We trim this (the mustache) and let this (the beard) grow." The narrator says: A Qurayshi man with a long mustache passed by the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), so he (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered him: "Cut them." The narrator says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) kept those envoys for a little over twenty days. Then the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Both of you go to the one whom you consider your Lord and tell him that my Lord has killed that person who, in his own assumption, had made himself a lord." Those men asked: "When did this happen?" The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: "On this very day." The narrator says: So both of them went to Bazan and informed him of this. The narrator says: He wrote a letter to Kisra and found that Kisra's murder had occurred on that very day.

Hazrat Saeed bin Al-Musayyib narrates: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote letters to Kisra, Caesar, and Najashi. After praise, he said: "Come to a word that is common between us and you (and that is) that we worship none but Allah, and that we associate nothing with Him, and that we do not take one another as lords instead of Allah." But if they turn away, then say: "Bear witness that we are Muslims." Hazrat Saeed bin Al-Musayyib narrates: Kisra tore up the letter and did not even look at it. The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: He himself is torn apart, and his nation is also torn apart. And Najashi accepted faith, and those who were with him also accepted faith. And he sent a pair of garments as a gift to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said: As long as they leave you alone, you also leave them alone. And Caesar read the letter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and said: After the letter of Prophet Sulaiman, I have not heard of any letter beginning with "Bismillah-ir-Rahman-ir-Raheem." Then he sent a messenger to Abu Sufyan and Mughirah bin Shu'bah. Both of them were present in the land of Caesar as traders. Caesar asked them about some conditions of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him). And he asked them: Who are the followers of this man? They replied: The weak and the women follow him. Then he asked: Tell me, have those who went to him ever returned? They replied: No! Caesar said: This man is a Prophet. Surely, he will gain dominance over the land beneath my feet. If I were with him, I would have kissed his feet.

Hazrat Ja'far bin Amr says: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent four individuals as envoys to four people. One man to Kisra, one man to Caesar, one man to Muqawqis, and Amr bin Umayyah to Najashi. Each of these men became a speaker of the language of the people to whom they were sent as envoys. So when Hazrat Amr bin Umayyah arrived at Najashi, he found there a small door through which people would pass by bowing. When Hazrat Amr saw this, he turned back on his heels. The narrator says: This act was resented by the Abyssinians sitting in Najashi’s assembly to the extent that they intended to harm him, and to the extent that they complained to King Najashi, saying: This man did not enter in the way we enter. Najashi asked: What prevented you from entering as people do? Hazrat Amr replied: We do not do this with our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and if we were to do this with anyone, we would do it with our Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). Najashi said: He has spoken the truth, and Najashi said: Leave him alone. The people said to Najashi: This man thinks that Isa (Jesus) is a slave. Najashi asked: What do you say about Isa? Hazrat Amr replied: He is Allah’s word and a spirit from Allah. Najashi said: Isa cannot go beyond this (i.e., this is indeed the reality).

Hazrat Mujahid says: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, wrote a letter to my grandfather. And this blessed letter of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, is with us. "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. This letter is to Dhi Murran Umair and to the Muslims of Hamdan. Peace be upon you! I praise before you Allah, besides whom there is no deity. After that! On our return from the land of Rome, news of your acceptance of Islam reached us. So glad tidings to you, for Allah has granted you guidance from His guidance. And when you people testified that there is no deity except Allah and that Muhammad is the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him), and you established prayer and paid zakat, then for you is the guarantee of Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings be upon him) over your wealth and your blood, and the level land on which you embraced Islam, its mountains, its springs, and its pastures are yours. Neither will you be wronged nor will you be oppressed. So indeed, charity (its wealth) is not lawful for Muhammad and the family of Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him). This is the zakat by which you purify your wealth by giving this zakat to the poor Muslims. Indeed, Malik bin Murarah Rahawi remembered the unseen matters and conveyed the news. And O Dhi Murran! I command you to do good with him, for he is favored. And this letter was written by Ali (may Allah be pleased with him) bin Abi Talib. And peace be upon you. May your Lord send peace upon you."

It is narrated from Hazrat Qais bin Abi Hazim that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent some people from among the tribe of Khath'am as envoys to their own people. When the Muslims surrounded them, those people sought protection through prostrations (i.e., they expressed their Islam by prostrating). The narrator says: So those people prostrated. The narrator says: Yet the Muslims killed some of those who were prostrating. This matter reached the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, so he said: Pay half the blood money for them because of their prayers. Then the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Beware! Whoever lives with a polytheist, I, Muhammad (peace and blessings be upon him), am free from him.

It is narrated from Hazrat Usama that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent us on an expedition: we encountered a man from the tribe of Juhaina, and he said "La ilaha illallah" (There is no god but Allah). I struck him with a spear. Afterwards, this matter weighed on my heart, so I mentioned it to the Noble Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: He said "La ilaha illallah" and yet you killed him? The narrator says: I submitted, O Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him! He only said this out of fear of the weapon. He, peace and blessings be upon him, said: Why did you not cut open his heart so that you would know whether he said this word out of fear of the weapon or not? He, peace and blessings be upon him, repeated this so many times that I wished in my heart that (I wish) I had embraced Islam just today.

It is narrated from Hazrat Abu Saeed Khudri that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Alqamah bin Muhariz as the leader of a delegation. I was also in that delegation. When they were on the way, or he said, after they had covered some distance, a group from the army asked for permission. He granted them permission and appointed Abdullah bin Huzafah bin Qais Sahmi as their leader. I was also among those who participated in jihad with them. When we had covered some distance, the people lit a fire to warm their hands and feet or to cook some food on it. Abdullah (the leader of the caravan) said—he was joking and laughing—"Is it not obligatory for you to listen to and obey my words?" The people said, "Why not!" Then Abdullah said, "So whatever command I give you, will you comply with it?" The people said, "Yes!" Abdullah said, "I emphatically command you to jump into this fire." The narrator says: Some people stood up and got ready for it. When Abdullah realized that these people were about to jump, he said, "Stop! I was only joking with you." When we returned, we mentioned this incident before the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. He said, "If any of these (leaders) commands you to commit a sin, then do not obey him."

Hazrat Abdullah bin Abi Al-Hazil narrates: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) sent Hazrat Khalid bin Walid towards Uzza. So Hazrat Khalid was striking Uzza with swords and saying: O Uzza! You are to be denied, not to be sanctified. I have seen that Allah has disgraced you.

Hazrat Abu Burdah narrates that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, wrote a letter to a man from among the People of the Book. The narrator says: The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, had not yet finished dictating his letter when a letter from that man arrived to him, in which the man was praying for peace upon the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him. So the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, replied to his greeting at the end of his own letter.

It is narrated from Hazrat Yazid bin Abdullah bin Shukhair that we were sitting in this enclosure in Basra. Then a Bedouin came, and he had a piece of leather or hide with him. That man said, "This is the letter which the Noble Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) wrote for me." The narrator says, "I took that letter and read it out to the people. It was written in it: In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful. From Allah’s Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), Muhammad, to the Banu Zuhair bin Aqeesh. Verily, if you establish prayer and pay zakat, and give the fifth (khums) from the spoils of war, the share of the Prophet (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him), and the selected portion for the ruler, then you will have the protection of Allah and His Messenger (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)." The narrator asked, "Have you heard anything from the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him)?" The Bedouin said, "I heard him say: Fasting in the month of patience and fasting three days in every month removes the whispers (evil thoughts) of the chest."

Muhammad bin Ja'far bin Zubair narrated that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent Abdullah bin Unais to Khalid bin Sufyan. The narrator said: So when I reached near him, and it was the time of Asr, I feared that he might be engaged or that some action might begin before I reached him, so I prayed while walking.

It is narrated from Hazrat Qais that the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, sent the army of Dhat al-Salasil towards Lakhm, Juthum, and the people of the coast of Syria under the command of Hazrat Amr. The narrator says: His companions were few. The narrator says: Hazrat Amr told the people, "None of you should light a fire." This was very difficult for the people, so they spoke to Hazrat Abu Bakr to speak to Hazrat Amr about it. Hazrat Abu Bakr spoke to Hazrat Amr regarding this, so he said: "Whoever lights a fire, I will push that person into the same fire." Then Hazrat Amr fought the enemy and prevailed over them and uprooted their army. The people asked: "Should we not pursue the enemy?" Hazrat Amr replied: "No! I fear that their reinforcements may be present behind this mountain, by which they may cut the Muslims to pieces." When the people returned to the noble service of the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, they complained to the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, about Hazrat Amr. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, asked: "O Amr! Are they telling the truth?" Hazrat Amr replied: "My companions were few. I feared that the enemy would be tempted by them due to their small number (that is why I forbade lighting a fire). Then, when Allah Almighty granted me victory over them, these people said: 'Pursue them.' I said: 'I fear that behind this mountain the enemy's reinforcements may be present, who would cut the Muslims to pieces.'" The narrator says: It is as if the Holy Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, praised Hazrat Amr's statement.

It is narrated from Hazrat Qais that the Holy Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked Hazrat Bilal: Have you given provisions for the journey to the riders or the group, and their belongings? He replied: No! The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said: Then give them provisions, and start with the people of firm religion before the people of compulsion.

It is narrated from Hazrat Sha’bi: The Noble Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) wrote a letter to Ra’iy al-Suhaimi. He took the letter of the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and used it to patch his bucket. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) sent an army. They (went and) took possession of his family and wealth. And Ra’iy mounted a horse, naked, with nothing on him. Thus, he came to his daughter. And this daughter of his was married to someone from Banu Hilal. The narrator says: He came to his daughter, and in the courtyard of her house, people would gather. So he came from the back of the house. When his daughter saw him in a naked state, she threw a cloth over him and asked, “What has happened to you?” Ra’iy replied, “Complete evil has occurred. Nothing has been left for me of my family and wealth.” Then Ra’iy asked, “Where is your husband?” The daughter replied, “With the camels.” The narrator says: Then her husband came, and Ra’iy told him the whole story. He said, “Take my mount with its saddle, and I will also give you milk from my strength.” Ra’iy said, “I do not need that, but give me a young camel and a water vessel so that I may quickly reach Muhammad, lest he distribute my family and wealth.” So he left in that state, with only a cloth on him. When he covered his head with it, his buttocks would be exposed, and when he covered his buttocks, his head would be exposed. Thus, he kept walking until he entered Madinah at night. Then he reached the vicinity of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) had finished the Fajr prayer, he said to him, “O Messenger of Allah! Extend your hand so that I may pledge allegiance to you.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) extended his blessed hand. But when Ra’iy wanted to place his hand on the blessed hand of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) withdrew his hand. Ra’iy again requested the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), “O Messenger of Allah! Extend your hand.” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) asked, “Who are you?” He replied, “I am Ra’iy al-Suhaimi.” The narrator says: The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) took hold of his wrist and raised it, then said, “O people! This is Ra’iy al-Suhaimi, to whom I wrote a letter, and he took my letter and used it to patch his bucket. Now he has come to Islam.” Then Ra’iy requested, “O Messenger of Allah! My family and my wealth?” The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Your wealth has been distributed among the Muslims. And your family—so, of them, whoever you are able to find, look for them (you will find them).” Ra’iy says: I went outside, and my son, who had recognized the saddle, was standing by the saddles. So I presented myself to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) and requested, “This is my son.” Then Hazrat Bilal was sent with me, and the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “Go with him and ask the boy, ‘Is this your father?’ If he says, ‘Yes,’ then hand the boy over to him.” The narrator says: Hazrat Bilal came to the young man and asked, “Is this your father?” The youth replied, “Yes.” Hazrat Bilal handed the youth over to Ra’iy. The narrator says: Hazrat Bilal came to the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) and said, “By Allah! I did not see either of them weeping at the sight of his companion.” The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) said, “This is the coarseness of the people of the desert.”