سنن نسائي
Nasai
كتاب المساجدThe Book of the Masjids
بَابُ : اتِّخَاذِ الْبِيَعِ مَسَاجِدَChapter: Taking Churches As Masjids
Hadith 702
اُردوEn
أَخْبَرَنَا هَنَّادُ بْنُ السَّرِيِّ ، عَنْ مُلَازِمٍ ، قال : حَدَّثَنِي عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ بَدْرٍ ، عَنْ قَيْسِ بْنِ طَلْقٍ ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ طَلْقِ بْنِ عَلِيٍّ ، قال : خَرَجْنَا وَفْدًا إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَبَايَعْنَاهُ وَصَلَّيْنَا مَعَهُ وَأَخْبَرْنَاهُ أَنَّ بِأَرْضِنَا بِيعَةً لَنَا فَاسْتَوْهَبْنَاهُ مِنْ فَضْلِ طَهُورِهِ ، فَدَعَا بِمَاءٍ ، فَتَوَضَّأَ وَتَمَضْمَضَ ثُمَّ صَبَّهُ فِي إِدَاوَةٍ ، وَأَمَرَنَا ، فَقَالَ : " اخْرُجُوا ، فَإِذَا أَتَيْتُمْ أَرْضَكُمْ فَاكْسِرُوا بِيعَتَكُمْ وَانْضَحُوا مَكَانَهَا بِهَذَا الْمَاءِ وَاتَّخِذُوهَا مَسْجِدًا " . قُلْنَا : إِنَّ الْبَلَدَ بَعِيدٌ وَالْحَرَّ شَدِيدٌ وَالْمَاءَ يَنْشُفُ ، فَقَالَ : " مُدُّوهُ مِنَ الْمَاءِ ، فَإِنَّهُ لَا يَزِيدُهُ إِلَّا طِيبًا " ، فَخَرَجْنَا حَتَّى قَدِمْنَا بَلَدَنَا فَكَسَرْنَا بِيعَتَنَا ثُمَّ نَضَحْنَا مَكَانَهَا وَاتَّخَذْنَاهَا مَسْجِدًا فَنَادَيْنَا فِيهِ بِالْأَذَانِ ، قَالَ : وَالرَّاهِبُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ طَيِّئٍ ، فَلَمَّا سَمِعَ الْأَذَانَ ، قَالَ : دَعْوَةُ حَقٍّ ، ثُمَّ اسْتَقْبَلَ تَلْعَةً مِنْ تِلَاعِنَا فَلَمْ نَرَهُ بَعْدُ .
´It was narrated that Talq bin 'Ali said:` "We went out as a delegation to the Prophet (ﷺ); we gave him our oath of allegiance and prayed with him. We told him that in our land there was a church that belonged to us. We asked him to give us the leftovers of his purification (Wudu' water). So he called for water, performed Wudu' and rinsed out his mouth, then he poured it into a vessel and said to us: 'Leave, and when you return to your land, demolish your church, and sprinkle this water on that place, and take it as a Masjid.' We said: 'Our land is far away and it is very hot; the water is far away and it is very hot; the water will dry up.' He said: 'Add more water to it, for that will only make it better.' So we left and when we came to our land we demolished our church, then we sprinkled the water on that place and took it as a Masjid, and we called the Adhan in it. The monk was a man from Tayy', and when he heard the Adhan, he said: 'It is a true call.' Then he headed toward one of the hills and we never saw him again."
Explanation & Benefits
Hafiz Muhammad Ameen
702. Commentary:
➊ This delegation arrived in the very first year of the Hijrah. At that time, the construction of the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi) was underway. Talq ibn Ali radi Allahu anhu also participated in the construction of the mosque and prepared mortar.
➋ This church belonged to those people themselves. When they became Muslim, they converted their church into a mosque. There is no harm in this because the church too was originally built for the worship of Allah Ta’ala. However, it is necessary to make its outward appearance like that of a mosque, and if there are idols or statues in it, it is necessary to remove them; if there are pictures, they must be erased. However, if non-Muslims do not become Muslim, then their place of worship cannot be forcibly converted into a mosque, as this would be against religious freedom.
➌ “Water of ablution” (wudu) can also refer to the water that is used in ablution. In this context, this meaning is appropriate because this water was for seeking blessing (tabarruk). However, in the mentioned hadith, the word «فَضْلِ طَهُورِهِ» is used, so in the translation, it is taken to mean the water with which ablution was performed and some remained in a vessel. Since the blessed hand of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was repeatedly immersed in it, it too became blessed.
➍ Seeking blessing (tabarruk) from things related to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is an agreed-upon issue. The noble Companions radi Allahu anhum sought blessings from his blessed saliva, sweat, blood, beloved hair, sacred nails, noble clothing, blessed sandals, the blessed water of his ablution, his body, and everything that touched him. But can this practice be done with anyone after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? The Companions and Followers (Tabi‘in) did not do so even with the Rightly Guided Caliphs. This practice only became common after the Followers of the Followers (Taba‘ Tabi‘in), when Sufism became widespread. Therefore, it cannot be done now, because no one can be declared absolutely sacred and blessed.
➎ “It will only increase in purity.” That is, by adding more water, the blessing of the original water will not decrease, because the other water is also pure. Previously, a small amount of water was blessed; by adding more, a larger quantity becomes blessed. The blessing remains present in it. From this, it is understood that blessed water, such as Zamzam, can be taken far and more water can be mixed with it.
➏ It appears that the monk became Muslim as soon as he heard the invitation, and Allah Ta’ala made him disappear. There must have been some wisdom in this, or perhaps he went far away, because the church was demolished. And Allah knows best.
➊ This delegation arrived in the very first year of the Hijrah. At that time, the construction of the Prophet’s Mosque (Masjid al-Nabawi) was underway. Talq ibn Ali radi Allahu anhu also participated in the construction of the mosque and prepared mortar.
➋ This church belonged to those people themselves. When they became Muslim, they converted their church into a mosque. There is no harm in this because the church too was originally built for the worship of Allah Ta’ala. However, it is necessary to make its outward appearance like that of a mosque, and if there are idols or statues in it, it is necessary to remove them; if there are pictures, they must be erased. However, if non-Muslims do not become Muslim, then their place of worship cannot be forcibly converted into a mosque, as this would be against religious freedom.
➌ “Water of ablution” (wudu) can also refer to the water that is used in ablution. In this context, this meaning is appropriate because this water was for seeking blessing (tabarruk). However, in the mentioned hadith, the word «فَضْلِ طَهُورِهِ» is used, so in the translation, it is taken to mean the water with which ablution was performed and some remained in a vessel. Since the blessed hand of the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam was repeatedly immersed in it, it too became blessed.
➍ Seeking blessing (tabarruk) from things related to the Messenger of Allah sallallahu alayhi wa sallam is an agreed-upon issue. The noble Companions radi Allahu anhum sought blessings from his blessed saliva, sweat, blood, beloved hair, sacred nails, noble clothing, blessed sandals, the blessed water of his ablution, his body, and everything that touched him. But can this practice be done with anyone after the Prophet sallallahu alayhi wa sallam? The Companions and Followers (Tabi‘in) did not do so even with the Rightly Guided Caliphs. This practice only became common after the Followers of the Followers (Taba‘ Tabi‘in), when Sufism became widespread. Therefore, it cannot be done now, because no one can be declared absolutely sacred and blessed.
➎ “It will only increase in purity.” That is, by adding more water, the blessing of the original water will not decrease, because the other water is also pure. Previously, a small amount of water was blessed; by adding more, a larger quantity becomes blessed. The blessing remains present in it. From this, it is understood that blessed water, such as Zamzam, can be taken far and more water can be mixed with it.
➏ It appears that the monk became Muslim as soon as he heard the invitation, and Allah Ta’ala made him disappear. There must have been some wisdom in this, or perhaps he went far away, because the church was demolished. And Allah knows best.
Source: Sunan Nasa'i: Translation and Benefits by Shaykh Hafiz Muhammad Amin Hafizullah, Page: 702
