Sahih Muslim (Volume 2). Imam Abul-Husain Muslim
we have summed up what scholars have said about sincerity. Ibn Battal said: ‘This hadith makes clear that sincerity is also called religion and Islam. Religion denotes action in the same way as it denotes words. Sincere counselling is an obligation which earns reward for the ones who undertake it, and when it is done by some people, others are exempt from it. However, it is obligatory inasmuch as one can do it, provided that the one offering sincere counsel realizes that his counsel is accepted. If such a person fears that he may come to harm as a result of offering sincere counsel, he may abstain from it; but God knows best.’
[100–97]. (Dar al-Salam 0101) Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah nar-rated: [Abdullah ibn Numayr and Abu Usamah narrated; from Isma[il ibn Abi Khalid; from Qays; from Jarir. He said: ‘I gave my pledge to God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) to attend regularly to prayer, pay zakat and to be sincere to every Muslim’.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ نُمَيْر وَأَبُو أُسَامَةَ، عَنْ إِسْمَاعِيلَ بْنِ أَبِي خَالِدٍ، عَنْ قَيْسٍ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ بَايَعْتُ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى إِقَامِ الصَّلاَةِ وَإِيتَاءِ الزَّكَاةِ وَالنُّصْحِ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ.
[101–98]. (Dar al-Salam 0102) Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah, Zuhayr ibn Harb and Ibn Numayr narrated: Sufyan narrated; from Ziyad ibn [Ilaqah that he heard Jarir ibn [Abdullah say: ‘I pledged to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to be sincere to every Muslim’.
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، وَزُهَيْرُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، وَابْنُ، نُمَيْرٍ قَالُوا: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ عِلاَقَةَ، سَمِعَ جَرِيرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ، يَقُولُ: بَايَعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى النُّصْحِ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ.
[102–99]. (Dar al-Salam 0103) Surayj ibn Yunus and Ya[qub al-Dawraqi narrated: Hushaym narrated; from Sayyar; from al-Sha[bi; from Jarir: ‘I pledged to the Prophet (peace be upon him) to listen and obey. He instructed me to add “in what I can” and to be sincere to every Muslim’. Ya[qub said in his report: ‘Sayyar narrated’.6
حَدَّثَنَا سُرَيْجُ بْنُ يُونُسَ، وَيَعْقُوبُ الدَّوْرَقِيُّ، قَالاَ حَدَّثَنَا هُشَيْمٌ، عَنْ سَيَّارٍ، عَنِ الشَّعْبِيِّ، عَنْ جَرِيرٍ، قَالَ بَايَعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَلَى السَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ فَلَقَّنَنِي «فِيمَا اسْتَطَعْتَ». وَالنُّصْحِ لِكُلِّ مُسْلِمٍ. قَالَ يَعْقُوبُ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا سَيَّارٌ.
Text Explanation
6. In this hadith Jarir, a companion of the Prophet, mentions the terms of the pledge he gave to the Prophet, but states only prayer and zakat, because they are almost always stated together. They are the most important essentials of Islam after the declaration of belief in God’s oneness and the Prophet’s message. He does not mention fasting or any other duty because all these are included in the pledge ‘to listen and obey’.
When Jarir pledged to listen and obey, the Prophet instructed him to add ‘in what I can’. This shows the Prophet’s care for his followers since a person may sometimes be unable to fulfil what he has committed himself to do. Unless he restricts his commitment to what he is able to do, he may at times fall short of doing it, but God knows best.
One of Jarir’s characteristics is related to this hadith. It is mentioned with a sound chain of transmission by Abu al-Qasim al-Tabarani, and here is a summary of it: Jarir instructed his servant to buy him a horse, and the servant bought one for 300 dirhams. He took the horse and its owner to Jarir so he could pay him. Jarir said to the seller: ‘Your horse is worth more than 300 dirhams, will you sell it for 400?’ The man said: ‘This is your choice, Abu [Abdullah’. Jarir said: ‘But your horse is worth more, will you sell it for 500?’ He continued to add 100 after another until the price was 800 dirhams, although the seller accepted every figure. Jarir bought the horse at 800 dirhams. When he was questioned about this, he answered: ‘I pledged to God’s Messenger to be sincere to every Muslim’, but God knows best.
Transmission
One of the chains of transmission in this chapter includes: Abu Bakr ibn Abi Shaybah narrated: [Abdullah ibn Numayr and Abu Usamah narrated; from Isma[il ibn Abi Khalid; from Qays; from Jarir. All reporters in this chain of transmission belonged to Kufah.
The last chain of transmission includes: Surayj ibn Yunus and Ya[qub al-Dawraqi narrated: Hushaym narrated; from Sayyar; from al-Sha[bi; from Jarir. At the end of this version, Muslim says: ‘Ya[qub said in his report: “Sayyar narrated”’. This is a very interesting point since Hushaym is graded by Hadith scholars as ‘misleading’, and he reports the hadith ‘from Sayyar’. The rule is that when a misleading reporter says ‘from so-and-so’, his report is discarded, unless it is proved otherwise that he actually received the hadith from the one he mentions. Muslim reports this hadith from two of his teachers: Surayj and Ya[qub. However, Surayj said: ‘Hushaym narrated from Sayyar’, but Ya[qub said: ‘Hushaym narrated; Sayyar narrated’. Thus Muslim highlights the difference between the way the hadith is reported by the two reporters, so as to make clear that his narration is both continuous and complete. To ensure this, he mentions both reports. This is another indication of his meticulous care and complete accuracy.
i.We may also interpret the meaning of the Arabic word nasihah as ‘sincere counsel’.
i.We normally translate falah as ‘success’ realizing that it is far from adequate in rendering the full meaning of the Arabic word, but this is one of the difficulties of translation.
CHAPTER 25
FAITH IS DIMINISHED BY INDULGING IN SIN; ITS NEGATION AT THE TIME OF COMMITTING SIN, SO AS TO SAY IT BECOMES IMPERFECT
[103–100]. (Dar al-Salam 0104) Harmalah ibn Yahya ibn [Abdullah ibn [Imran al-Tujibi narrated:i Ibn Wahb mentioned; Yunus reported to me; from Ibn Shihab who said: I heard Salamah ibn [Abd al-Rahman and Sa[id ibn al-Musayyib say: Abu Hurayrah said: ‘God’s Messenger (peace be upon him) said: “An adulterer is not a believer when he commits adultery; a thief is not a believer when he steals; a drunkard is not a believer when he drinks intoxicants”.’
Ibn Shihab said: [Abd al-Malik ibn Abi Bakr ibn [Abd al-Rahman reported to me that Abu Bakr narrated the hadith in this form from Abu Hurayrah, but then said that Abu Hurayrah used to add to these: ‘A person is not a believer when he robs something of value, while people are looking on’.
حَدَّثَنِي حَرْمَلَةُ بْنُ يَحْيَى بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عِمْرَانَ التُّجِيبِيُّ، أَنْبَأَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، قَالَ: سَمِعْتُ أَبَا سَلَمَةَ بْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَسَعِيدَ بْنَ الْـمُسَيَّبِ،