The Prophet ﷺ Expressed Displeasure Over Building a Solid House – Hadith and Ruling
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith, Vol. 1, p. 533
Question:
A Companion built a solid house, upon which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ expressed displeasure. In which book is this hadith found? Please provide the full hadith in Urdu translation.
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
This hadith is recorded in the following books of hadith:
✿ Sunan Abī Dāwūd – Kitāb al-Adab, Bāb fī al-Bināʾ (Vol. 4, p. 530 with al-ʿAwn)
✿ Sunan Ibn Mājah – Kitāb al-Zuhd, Bāb fī al-Bināʾ wa’l-Kharāb (Hadith no. 316)
✿ Musnad Aḥmad – (Vol. 3, p. 220)
Since the narration in Abu Dawud is more detailed, its translation is presented here:
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه narrates:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and saw a tall dome. He ﷺ asked: “What is this?”
The Companions replied: “It belongs to such-and-such man from the Ansār.”
The Prophet ﷺ remained silent but kept this in his heart.
When the owner of the dome later came to greet the Prophet ﷺ, he ﷺ turned away from him.
This happened four times until the man sensed the anger and turning away of the Prophet ﷺ.
The man then complained to the Companions and said: “By Allah! I feel estranged from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
The Companions said: “When the Prophet ﷺ came out, he saw your dome.”
The man returned to his dome and demolished it until it was level with the ground.
One day, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and did not see the dome. He ﷺ asked: “What happened to that dome?”
The Companions replied: “Its owner complained of your turning away, so we informed him. He then demolished it.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Behold! Every building is a burden on its owner, except that which is necessary.”
It should be noted that this narration is weak (ḍaʿīf). In its chain of narration, there is a narrator named Abu Talhah al-Asadi, who is majhūl al-ḥāl (unknown in status). In the chain of Ibn Mājah, Isḥāq ibn Abī Ṭalḥah is mentioned, but this is actually a mistake—the correct name is Abu Talhah.
For details regarding the weakness of this narration, refer to al-Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ḍaʿīfah by Shaykh al-Albānī, Vol. 1, p. 212, Hadith no. 176.
Source: Aḥkām wa Masāʾil in the Light of Qur’an and Hadith, Vol. 1, p. 533
Question:
A Companion built a solid house, upon which the Messenger of Allah ﷺ expressed displeasure. In which book is this hadith found? Please provide the full hadith in Urdu translation.
Answer:
Al-ḥamdu lillāh, waṣ-ṣalātu was-salāmu ʿalā Rasūlillāh, ammā baʿd!
This hadith is recorded in the following books of hadith:
✿ Sunan Abī Dāwūd – Kitāb al-Adab, Bāb fī al-Bināʾ (Vol. 4, p. 530 with al-ʿAwn)
✿ Sunan Ibn Mājah – Kitāb al-Zuhd, Bāb fī al-Bināʾ wa’l-Kharāb (Hadith no. 316)
✿ Musnad Aḥmad – (Vol. 3, p. 220)
Since the narration in Abu Dawud is more detailed, its translation is presented here:
Ḥadīth Translation
Sayyiduna Anas ibn Mālik رضي الله عنه narrates:
The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and saw a tall dome. He ﷺ asked: “What is this?”
The Companions replied: “It belongs to such-and-such man from the Ansār.”
The Prophet ﷺ remained silent but kept this in his heart.
When the owner of the dome later came to greet the Prophet ﷺ, he ﷺ turned away from him.
This happened four times until the man sensed the anger and turning away of the Prophet ﷺ.
The man then complained to the Companions and said: “By Allah! I feel estranged from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”
The Companions said: “When the Prophet ﷺ came out, he saw your dome.”
The man returned to his dome and demolished it until it was level with the ground.
One day, the Messenger of Allah ﷺ came out and did not see the dome. He ﷺ asked: “What happened to that dome?”
The Companions replied: “Its owner complained of your turning away, so we informed him. He then demolished it.”
The Prophet ﷺ said:
“Behold! Every building is a burden on its owner, except that which is necessary.”
Clarification and Ruling
It should be noted that this narration is weak (ḍaʿīf). In its chain of narration, there is a narrator named Abu Talhah al-Asadi, who is majhūl al-ḥāl (unknown in status). In the chain of Ibn Mājah, Isḥāq ibn Abī Ṭalḥah is mentioned, but this is actually a mistake—the correct name is Abu Talhah.
For details regarding the weakness of this narration, refer to al-Silsilah al-Aḥādīth al-Ḍaʿīfah by Shaykh al-Albānī, Vol. 1, p. 212, Hadith no. 176.
