Hadith Narrated By Yahya bin Said

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab used to say, "Whoever prays on waterless, desolate land - an angel prays on his right and an angel prays on his left. When he calls both the adhan and the iqama for the prayer, or calls out the iqama, angels like mountains pray behind him."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was sitting by a grave which was being dug at Madina. A man looked into the grave and said, 'An awful bed for the mumin. 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah blesshim and grant him peace, said, 'Evil? What you have said is absolutely wrong.' The man said, 'I didn't mean that, Messenger of Allah. I meant being killed in the way of Allah.' The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Being killed in the way of Allah has no like! There is no place on the earth which I would prefer my grave to be than here (meaning Madina). He repeated it three times.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said, "On the Day of Uhud, The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'Who will bring me news of Sad ibn al-Rabi al-Ansari?' a man said, 'Me, Messenger of Allah!' So the man went around among the slain, and Sad ibn al-Rabi said to him, 'What are you doing?' The man said to him, 'The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, sent me to bring him news of you.' He said, 'Go to him, and give him my greetings, and tell him that I have been stabbed twelve times, and am mortally wounded. Tell your people that they will have no excuse with Allah if the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, is slain while one of them is still alive.' "

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, stimulated people for jihad and mentioned the Garden. One of the Ansar was eating some dates in his hand, and said, "Am I so desirous of this world that I should sit until I finish them?" He threw aside what was in his hand and took his sword, and fought until he was slain.

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was seen wiping the face of his horse with his cloak. He was questioned about it and said, "I was reproached in the night about horses." i.e. not taking care of them.

Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "I have heard that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to a man from the Aslam tribe called Hazzal, 'Hazzal, had you veiled him with your cloak, it would have been better for you.' " Yahya ibn Said said, "I related this hadith in an assembly among whom was Yazid ibn Nuaym ibn Hazzal al-Aslami. Yazid said, 'Hazzal was my grandfather. This hadith is true.' "

Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said that Sulayman ibn Yasar informed him that Abdullah ibn Abbas ibn Abi Rabia al-Makhzumi said, "Umar ibn al-Khattab gave me orders about the slaves of Quraysh and we flogged some of the slave-girls of the muslim lands fifty times each for fornication."

Yahya related to me from Malik that Yahya ibn Said said that Abu Bakr ibn Muhammad ibn Amr ibn Hazm informed him that he had taken a Nabatean who had stolen some iron rings and jailed him in order to cut off his hand. Amra bint Abd ar-Rahman sent a girl mawla to him called Umayya. Abu Bakr said that she had come to him while he was among the people and said that his aunt Amra sent word to him saying, "Son of my brother! You have taken a Nabatean for something insignificant which was mentioned to me. Do you want to cut off his hand?" He had said, "Yes." She said, "Amra says to you not to cut off the hand except for a quarter of a dinar and upwards." Abu Bakr added, "So I let the Nabatean go." Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things among us about the confession of slaves is that if a slave confesses something against himself, the hadd and punishment for it is inflicted on his body. His confession is accepted from him and one does not suspect that he would inflict something on himself." Malik said, "As for the one of them who confesses to a matter which will incur damages agains this master, his confession is not accepted against his master." Malik said, "One does not cut off the hand of a hireling or a man who is with some people to serve them, if he robs them, because his state is not the state of a thief. His state is the state of a treacherous one. The treacherous one does not have his hand cut off." Malik said about a person who borrows something and then denies it, "His hand is not cut off. He is like a man who owes a debt to another man and denies it. He does not have his hand cut off for what he has denied." Malik said, "The generally agreed-on way of dealing among us, with the thief who is found in a house and has gathered up goods and has not taken them out, is that his hand is not cut off. That is like the man who places wine before him to drink it and does not do it. The hadd is not imposed on him. That is like a man who sits with a woman and desires to have haram intercourse with her and does not do it and he does not reach her. There is no hadd against that either." Malik said, "The generally agreed-on way of doing things among us is that there is no cutting off the hand for what is taken by chance, openly and in haste, whether or not its price reaches that for which the hand is cut off."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that he heard Said ibn al-Musayyab say, "There is nothing that Allah does not like to be pardoned as long as it is not a hadd." Yahya said that Malik said, "The sunna with us is that the hadd is obliged against anyone who drinks something intoxicating whether or not he becomes drunk."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Marwan ibn al-Hakam wrote to Muawiya ibn Abi Sufyan that a madman was brought to him who had killed a man. Muawiya wrote to him, "Tie him up and do not inflict any retaliation on him. There is no retaliation against a madman." Malik said about an adult and a child when they murder a man together, "The adult is killed and the child pays half the full blood-money." Malik said, "It is like that with a freeman and a slave when they murder a slave. The slave is killed and the freeman pays half of his value."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyab said, "The blood-money for a woman is the same as for a man up to one third of the blood-money. Her finger is like his finger, her tooth is like his tooth, her injury which lays bare the bone is like his, and her head wound which splinters the bone is like his." Yahya related to me from Malik that Ibn Shihab and also Urwa ibn az-Zubayr said the same as Said ibn al-Musayyab said about a woman. Her blood-money from a man is the same up to a third of the blood-money of a man. If what she is owed exceeds a third of the blood-money of the man, she is given up to half of the blood-money of a man. Malik said, "The explanation of that is that she has blood-money for a head wound that lays bare the bone and one that splinters the bone and for what is less than the brain wound and the belly wound and the like of that of those which obliges a third of the blood-money or more. If the amount owed her exceeds that, her blood-money in that is half of the blood-money of a man." Yahya related to me from Malik that he heard Ibn Shihab say, "The precedent of the sunna when a man injures a woman is that he must pay the blood-money for that injury and there is no retaliation against him." Malik said, "That is an accidental injury, when a man strikes a woman and hits with a blow what he did not intend, for instance, if he struck her with a whip and cut her eye open and the like of that." Malik said about a woman who has a husband and children who are not from her paternal relatives or her people, that since he is from another tribe, there is no blood-money against her husband for her criminal action, nor any against her children if they are not from her people, nor any against her maternal brothers when they are not from her paternal relations or her people. These are entitled to her inheritance but only the paternal relations have paid blood-money from since the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. Until today it is like that with the mawla of a woman. The inheritance they leave goes to the children of the woman even if they are not from her tribe, but the blood-money of the criminal act of the mawla is only against her tribe."

Yahya said from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Bushayr ibn Yasar informed him that Abdullah ibn Sahl al-Ansari and Muhayyisa ibn Masud went out to Khaybar, and they separated on their various businesses and Abdullah ibn Sahl was killed. Muhayyisa, and his brother Huwayyisa and Abd ar-Rahman ibn Sahl went to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and Abd ar-Rahman began to speak before his brother. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "The older first, the older first. Therefore Huwayyisa and then Muhayyisa spoke and mentioned the affair of Abdullah ibn Sahl. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to them, "Do you swear with fifty oaths and claim the blood-money of your companion or the life of the murderer?" They said, "Messenger of Allah, we did not see it and we were not present." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Will you acquit the jews for fifty oaths?' They said, "Messenger of Allah, how can we accept the oaths of a people who are kafirun?" Yahya ibn Said said, "Bushayr ibn Yasar claimed that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, paid the blood-money from his own property." Malik said, "The generally agreed on way of doing things in our community and that which I heard from whoever I am content with, concerning the oath of qasama, and upon which the past and present imams agree, is that those who claim revenge begin with the oaths and swear. The oath for revenge is only obligatory in two situations. Either the slain person says, 'My blood is against so-and-so,' or the relatives entitled to the blood bring a partial proof of it that is not irrefutable against the one who is the object of the blood-claim. This obliges taking an oath on the part of those who claim the blood against those who are the object of the blood-claim. With us, swearing is only obliged in these two situations." Malik said, "That is the sunna in which there is no dispute with us and which is still the behaviour of the people. The people who claim blood begin the swearings, whether it is an intentional killing or an accident." Malik said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, began with Banu Harith in the case of the killing of their kinsman murdered at Khaybar." Malik said, "If those who make the claim swear, they deserve the blood of their kinsman and whoever they swear against is slain. Only one man can be killed in the qasama. Two cannot be killed in it. Fifty men from the blood-relatives must swear fifty oaths. If their number is less or some of them draw back, they can repeat their oaths, unless one of the relatives of the murdered man who deserves blood and who is permitted to pardon it, draws back. If one of these draws back, there is no way to revenge." Yahya said that Malik said, "The oaths can be made by those of them who remain if one of them draws back who is not permitted to pardon. If one of the blood-relatives draws back who is permitted to pardon, even if he is only one, more oaths can not be made after that by the blood-relatives. If that occurs, the oaths can be on behalf of the one against whom the claim is made. So fifty of the men of his people swear fifty oaths. If there are not fifty men, more oaths can be made by those of them who already swore. If there is only the defendant, he swears fifty oaths and is acquitted." Yahya said that Malik said, "One distinguishes between swearing for blood and oaths for one's rights. When a man has a money-claim against another man, he seeks to verify his due. When a man wants to kill another man, he does not kill him in the midst of people. He keeps to a place away from people. Had there only been swearing in cases where there is a clear proof and had one acted in it as one acts about one's rights (i.e. needing witnesses), the right of blood retribution would have been lost and people would have been swift to take advantage of it when they learned of the decision on it. However, the relatives of the murdered man were allowed to initiate swearing so that people might restrain themselves from blood and the murderer might beware lest he was put into a situation like that (i.e. qasama) by the statement of the murdered man.' " Yahya said, "Malik said about a people of whom a certain number are suspected of murder and the relatives of the murdered man ask them to take oaths and they are numerous, so they ask that each man swears fifty oaths on his own behalf. The oaths are not divided out between them according to their number and they are not acquitted unless each man among them swears fifty oaths on his own behalf." Malik said, "This is the best I have heard about the matter." He said, "Swearing goes to the paternal relatives of the slain. They are the blood-relatives who swear against the killer and by whose swearing he is killed."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Said ibn al-Musayyub said, "Ibrahim, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, was the first to give hospitality to the guest and the first person to be circumcised and the first person to trim the moustache and the first person to see grey hair. He said, 'O Lord! What is this?' Allah the Blessed, the Exalted, said, 'It is dignity, Ibrahim.' He said, 'Lord, increase me in dignity!' " Yahya said that he had heard Malik say, "One takes from the moustache until the edge of the lip appears, that is the rim. One does not cut if off completely so that one mutilates oneself."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Umar ibn al-Khattab was eating bread with ghee. He summoned one of the desert people and he began to eat and follow the grease in the dish with a morsel of bread. Umar said, "It is as if you were poor." He said, "By Allah. I have not eaten ghee nor have I seen food with it since such-and-such a time." Umar declared, "I shall not eat clarified butter until people are given life again like they were first given life," (i.e. on the Day of Rising.)

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Umar ibn al-Khattab said, "Beware of meat. It has addictiveness like the addictiveness of wine." Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Umar ibn al-Khattab saw Jabir ibn Abdullah carrying some meat. He said, "What is this?" He said, "Amir al-muminin. We desired meat and I bought some meat for a dirham." Umar said, "Does one of you want to fill his belly apart from his neighbour or nephew? How can you overlook this ayat? 'You squandered your good things in the life of this world and sought comfort in them.' " (Sura 46 ayat 20).

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that death came to a man in the time of the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. A man said, "He was fortunate," as he had died without being tried by illness. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Alas for you, what will let you know that if Allah had tried him with illness, He would have wiped out his wrong actions."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Abu Qatada al-Ansari said to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, "I have a lot of hair which comes down to my shoulders, shall I comb it?'' The Messenger of Allah. may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Yes, and honour it." Sometimes Abu Qatada oiled it twice in one day because the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him. "Honour it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that Abu Salama ibn Abd ar-Rahman said, "I heard Abu Qatada ibn Ribiyy say that he heard the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, say, 'The good dream is from Allah, and the bad dream is from shaytan. When you see what you dislike, spit to your left side three times when you wake up, and seek refuge with Allah from its evil. It will not harm you then, Allah willing.' " Abu Salama said, "I would see dreams which weighed on me more heavily than a mountain. When I heard this hadith, I was not concerned about it."

Yahya related to me from Malik from Yahya ibn Said that a man greeted Abdullah ibn Umar. He said, "Peace be upon you and the mercy of Allah and his barakat, on and on." Abdullah ibn Umar said to him, "And on you, a thousand times," as if he disliked that.

Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said that the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked about a milk camel about to be milked, "Who milks this camel?" A man stood up. The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What is your name?" The man said, "Murra (bitterness)." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "Sit down." Then he said, "Who milks this one?" A man stood up and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "What is your name?" He said, "Harb (war)." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Sit down." Then he said, "Who milks this camel?" A man stood up, and the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "What is your name?" The man said, ''Yaish (he lives)." The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said to him, "Milk!"

Yahya related to me from Yahya ibn Said that Umar ibn al-Khattab asked a man what his name was. He said, "Jamra (live coal)." "The son of who?" He said, "Ibn Shihab (meteor, flame)." "From whom?" He said, "From al-Huraqa (burning)." "Where do you live?" He said, "At Harrat an-Nar (lava field of the fire). "At which one of them?" He said, "At Dhati Ladha (one with flames)." Umar said, "Go and look at your family - they have been burned." Yahya added, "It was as Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, said."

Malik related to me from Yahya ibn Said that Isa ibn Maryam encountered a pig on the road. He said to it, "Go in peace." Somebody asked, "Do you say this to a pig?" Isa said, "I fear lest I accustom my tongue to evil speech."