The Incident of Migration: Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه and the Shepherd
Source: Fatāwā Ameenpuri by Shaykh Ghulam Mustafa Zaheer Ameenpuri
❖ Question:
Al-Barāʾ ibn ʿĀzib رضي الله عنه narrates from Abu Bakr al-Ṣiddīq رضي الله عنه an incident during the journey of Hijrah (migration).
❖ Answer:
Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه said:
إذا أنا براعي غنم مقبل بغنمه إلى الصخرة، يريد منها الذى أردنا، فلقيته فقلت: لمن أنت؟ يا غلام فقال: لرجل من أهل المدينة، قلت: أفي غنمك لبن؟ قال: نعم، قلت: أفتحلب لي؟ قال: نعم
“I came across a shepherd driving his sheep towards a rock, seeking the same shade as we were. I met him and asked: Whose servant are you, O boy? He replied: I belong to a man from Madinah. I asked: Do your sheep have any milk? He said: Yes. I asked: Will you milk some for me? He replied: Yes.”
(Ṣaḥīḥ Muslim: 2009)
✿ Question of Concern:
Why did Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه take milk from the shepherd, while the shepherd did not seek permission from the owner of the sheep?
✿ Answers from the Scholars
➊ Custom of Arab Hospitality
It was a well-known custom among the Arabs to show hospitality. The shepherd considered the Prophet ﷺ and Abu Bakr رضي الله عنه as guests and offered milk in the spirit of hospitality.
➋ Owner’s Prior Permission
It is possible that the owner of the flock had already given the shepherd permission to use milk to a reasonable extent, and based on that authority, he offered it to them.
