Do Not Alter Anything the Prophet ﷺ Has Done✒ Written by: Abu Mu'adh bin Mujaddid
Source: Monthly Al-Hadith, Hazro❖ The Bowl of the Prophet ﷺ
ʿĀṣim al-Aḥwal (a Tābiʿī) narrates:
I saw the bowl of the Prophet ﷺ with Sayyidunā Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه. The bowl had cracked, and he had repaired it with a silver wire.
It was a wide, high-quality bowl made of polished wood.
❖ Concern for Preservation and Authenticity
Muḥammad ibn Sīrīn (Tābiʿī) narrates:
The ring (bracket) of the bowl was made of iron.
Sayyidunā Anas رضي الله عنه intended to replace it with a gold or silver ring.
But his stepfather, Abū Ṭalḥah رضي الله عنه, instructed him:
"لَا تُغَيِّرَنَّ شَيْئًا صَنَعَهُ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ"
"Do not change anything that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ has done."
As a result, Anas رضي الله عنه abandoned his intention.
Sahih al-Bukhārī, Ḥadīth: 5638❖ Key Lesson
This narration highlights the deep reverence and commitment of the Companions to preserving the Sunnah exactly as it was—even in seemingly small matters like the ring of a bowl.
Their attitude exemplifies the principle that:
“What the Prophet ﷺ did is sacred—altering it is neither necessary nor acceptable.”
