الْحَدِيثُ التَّاسِعُ: عَنْ أَبِي مَسْعُودٍ الْأَنْصَارِيِّ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ { أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ نَهَى عَنْ ثَمَنِ الْكَلْبِ ، وَمَهْرِ الْبَغِيِّ ، وَحُلْوَانِ الْكَاهِنِ . }
Abu Mas’ud al-Ansari (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the price of a dog, the earnings of a prostitute, and the fee of a soothsayer.
Explanation of vocabulary:
ثمن الكلب: The price obtained from dog fights or races, or from buying and selling dogs.
مهر البعي: A prostitute or adulteress who earns wealth through the commission of fornication; likewise, a dancer who earns through singing and dancing is included in this.
حلوان الكاهن: A soothsayer who claims knowledge of the unseen and the power to solve difficulties, and who takes wealth from people through deception, lies, cheating and fraud.
Explanation of the hadith:
The buying and selling of a dog that is kept for guarding crops and the like is permissible, as Sayyidna Jabir (may Allah be pleased with him) narrates:
نَهى رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عَنْ ثَمَنِ الْكَلْبِ وَالسِّنَّورِ ، إِلَّا كَلْبَ صَيْدِ
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ forbade the price (buying and selling) of dogs and cats, except a dog kept for guarding a field.”
Sunan al-Nasa’i: 4668, its chain is sound (jayyid).
(263) صحيح البخاري، كتاب البيوع، باب ثمن الكلب ، ح: 2237 – صحيح مسلم ، كتاب المساقاة، باب تحريم ثمن الكلب ، ح: 1567
264 – الْحَدِيثُ الْعَاشِرُ: عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ { أَنْ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ قَالَ ثَمَنُ الْكَلْبِ خَبِيثٌ . وَمَهْرُ الْبَغِيِّ خَبِيثٌ ، وَكَسْبُ الْحَجَّامِ خَبِيثٌ }
It is narrated from Rafi’ ibn Khadij (may Allah be pleased with him) that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: The price of a dog is impure, the earnings of a prostitute are impure, and the earnings of a cupper are impure.
Explanation of vocabulary:
الحجام: This refers to one who applies cupping, i.e. one who performs hijama (wet cupping).
Explanation of the hadith:
Ibn Daqiq al-‘Id (may Allah have mercy on him) writes that the word خبيث does not explicitly indicate prohibition; there is also external evidence for this, namely that the Prophet ﷺ himself had cupping done and also ordered that the one who performed the cupping be paid his fee.
Therefore, if it were forbidden, he ﷺ would not have paid him for it.
Narrator of the hadith:
Rafi’ (may Allah be pleased with him) had the kunya Abu ‘Abd Allah. He was an Ansari companion. He took part in Uhud. He is a narrator of seventy-eight hadiths. He passed away in Madinah in 74 AH.
(264) صحيح مسلم ، كتاب المساقاة، باب تحريم ثمن الكلب — ، ح: 4095
