Childhood Participation in a Wedding Gathering: A Hadith Analysis
Authored by: Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Anwar Zāhid ḥafiẓahullāh
It is narrated from Sayyidunā ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
"I never desired the things which the people of Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) used to desire—except on two occasions, and even then Allah saved me from them.
On one such occasion, I said to a young Quraysh companion who used to graze sheep with me in the upper parts of Makkah:
'Look after my sheep tonight while I go to spend the night in the city like the other young men do.'
He agreed. I went out and reached the first house in Makkah, where I heard the sound of music and singing. When I asked what it was, I was told:
'So-and-so Quraysh youth is getting married to so-and-so woman.'
I sat down to listen but was overcome by sleep, and I remained asleep until the sun’s rays struck my face. I then returned to my companion, and he asked what I had done. I told him the entire story.
The next night, the same thing happened—I made the same request, went out, heard similar sounds, and once again fell asleep before I could see or hear anything. The next morning, I told my companion what had occurred.
By Allah, I never again sought such gatherings until Allah granted me Prophethood."
This narration appears in:
◈ Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān – Kitāb al-Tārīkh, Bāb 129, Ḥadīth No. 6272
◈ Ṭabarānī, through another chain from ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir
◈ Referenced in Fiqh al-Sīrah of al-Ghazālī with comments from al-Albānī
① Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Qays ibn Maḥzamah –
Imām Ibn Ḥajar called him "maqbūl" (accepted),
→ but a maqbūl narrator’s ḥadīth is only reliable when supported by other chains.
→ In this case, no strong corroboration exists.
② In the Ṭabarānī version from ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir, the chain includes unknown (majhūl) narrators,
→ which renders the narration weak.
③ Ibn Abī Ḥātim also labelled ʿAbd Allāh ibn Qays ibn Maḥzamah as majhūl (unknown),
→ further weakening the report.
④ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr also deemed the chain weak in his al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah.
This narration presents a moment of divine protection over the Prophet ﷺ during his youth—when he intended to attend typical pre-Islamic social gatherings but was overtaken by sleep both times. While the story aligns with the Prophet’s preserved nature even before Prophethood, the chain of narration does not meet the criteria of authenticity due to:
✖ Weak or unknown narrators,
✖ Lack of corroborating chains,
✖ And the assessment of major scholars labeling it ḍaʿīf (weak).
Therefore, the report cannot be accepted as authentic and should be treated as a weak historical narration, not a definitive account.
Authored by: Ḥāfiẓ Muḥammad Anwar Zāhid ḥafiẓahullāh
❖ The Incident
It is narrated from Sayyidunā ʿAlī ibn Abī Ṭālib (رضي الله عنه) that he heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say:
"I never desired the things which the people of Jāhiliyyah (pre-Islamic ignorance) used to desire—except on two occasions, and even then Allah saved me from them.
On one such occasion, I said to a young Quraysh companion who used to graze sheep with me in the upper parts of Makkah:
'Look after my sheep tonight while I go to spend the night in the city like the other young men do.'
He agreed. I went out and reached the first house in Makkah, where I heard the sound of music and singing. When I asked what it was, I was told:
'So-and-so Quraysh youth is getting married to so-and-so woman.'
I sat down to listen but was overcome by sleep, and I remained asleep until the sun’s rays struck my face. I then returned to my companion, and he asked what I had done. I told him the entire story.
The next night, the same thing happened—I made the same request, went out, heard similar sounds, and once again fell asleep before I could see or hear anything. The next morning, I told my companion what had occurred.
By Allah, I never again sought such gatherings until Allah granted me Prophethood."
❖ Verification of the Narration (Taḥqīq al-Ḥadīth):
This narration appears in:
◈ Ṣaḥīḥ Ibn Ḥibbān – Kitāb al-Tārīkh, Bāb 129, Ḥadīth No. 6272
◈ Ṭabarānī, through another chain from ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir
◈ Referenced in Fiqh al-Sīrah of al-Ghazālī with comments from al-Albānī
◈ Status of the Narrators:
① Muḥammad ibn ʿAbd Allāh ibn Qays ibn Maḥzamah –
Imām Ibn Ḥajar called him "maqbūl" (accepted),
→ but a maqbūl narrator’s ḥadīth is only reliable when supported by other chains.
→ In this case, no strong corroboration exists.
② In the Ṭabarānī version from ʿAmmār ibn Yāsir, the chain includes unknown (majhūl) narrators,
→ which renders the narration weak.
③ Ibn Abī Ḥātim also labelled ʿAbd Allāh ibn Qays ibn Maḥzamah as majhūl (unknown),
→ further weakening the report.
④ Ḥāfiẓ Ibn Kathīr also deemed the chain weak in his al-Bidāyah wa al-Nihāyah.
✔ Summary:
This narration presents a moment of divine protection over the Prophet ﷺ during his youth—when he intended to attend typical pre-Islamic social gatherings but was overtaken by sleep both times. While the story aligns with the Prophet’s preserved nature even before Prophethood, the chain of narration does not meet the criteria of authenticity due to:
✖ Weak or unknown narrators,
✖ Lack of corroborating chains,
✖ And the assessment of major scholars labeling it ḍaʿīf (weak).
Therefore, the report cannot be accepted as authentic and should be treated as a weak historical narration, not a definitive account.
