'If at all there is bad omen, it is in the horse ..........'

26-5-2010 | IslamWeb

Question:

Assalamu allai kum i came across two hadith . kindly advice me whether this two hadith is sahih and how to take it. Narrated Sahl bin Sad: Allah's Apostle said, "If at all there is bad omen, it is in the horse, the woman, and the house." (Sahi Bukahri,Book #62, Hadith #32). 'Abdullah b. 'Umar reported Allah's Messenger (may peace be upon him) as saying. There is no transitive disease, no ill omen, and bad luck is lound in the house, or wife or horse. ( Sahi Muslim,Book #026, Hadith #5524) -------------------------------------------------- Musnad of Ahmad ibn Hanbal, 6/246 Abu-Hassan reports that two people came to Aishah and said to her that Abu Hurayrah narrates that the Prophet used to say that bad luck is to be found only in women, horses and houses. At this Aishah replied: By the God who revealed the Qur’an to the Prophet ! The Prophet never said this; what he did say was that the People of the Jahilliyyah hold this opinion. The isnad of A’ishah’s hadith has been declared authentic by the hadith masters al-Hakim ( 2/479 ) and ad-Dhahabi. It has also been declared authentic by Shaykh Shu'ayb al-Arna'ut. Musnad of al-Tayalisi, 1/215 Muhammad bin Raashid narrated to us on the authority of Makhool, it was said to 'Ayesha that Abu Huraira says: that the Messenger of Allaah said: “Pessimism is found in three things: in a house, a woman and a horse.”.. Ayesha said: Abu Huraira did not memorize this, because when he entered, the Messenger of Allaah -sallAllaahu alayhi wa sallam - was saying: May Allaah curse the Jews; they say: “Without doubt pessimism is in a house, a woman and a horse,' so he heard the end of the hadeeth, and he never heard the beginning of it.” This hadeeth has one missing link in the isnad, however like other scholars pointed out, it's clearly supported by the authentic hadeeth in Musnad of Imam Ahmad. Imam Zarkashee, Al-Ejabah , p. 128
Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

 

The first Hadeeth is of the highest degree of authenticity [agreed upon] as it was reported by Al-Bukhari and Muslim may Allaah have mercy upon them. The second Hadeeth is also Saheeh as you mentioned regarding those who reported it.

As regards the Hadeeth of At-Tayaalisi, there is an interruption in the chain of its narrators between Makhool and ‘Aa’ishah may Allaah be pleased with her as stated by Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him because Makhool did not hear from ‘Aa’ishah. However, some scholars, classified it as Saheeh due to its other routes of narration that support it, among whom was Az-Zarkashi, in his book “Al-Ijaabah” as you mentioned.

The scholars held many different opinions about the meaning of these Ahaadeeth, for instance Imaam Maalik and a group of scholars may Allaah have mercy upon them said: “The Hadeeth should be interpreted literally as Allaah may make the house a reason for harm and destruction with His Decree.” Besides, Al-Khattaabi may Allaah have mercy upon him and many other scholars said: “The Hadeeth constitutes an exception of the bad omen that is prohibited, i.e. unless one has a house where he hates to reside, or a wife whom he dislikes to keep company with, or a horse or a servant (that he hates), then he may get rid of all of them…...”

Abu Bakr Ibn Al ‘Arabi may Allaah have mercy upon him from the Maalik School of jurisprudence, interpreted the statements of Imaam Maalik and those who are of his view with the same meaning mentioned by Al-Khattaabi and those who held his opinion. Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him quoted him as saying: “Imaam Maalik may Allaah have mercy upon him did not mean to make bad omen linked to the house but this matter happens so after, therefore he mentioned that a person should get rid of it as a way of protecting his belief from being attached to falsehood.”

Then Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him said commenting on this: “What Ibn Al ‘Arabi may Allaah have mercy upon him pointed to in interpreting the statement of Imaam Maalik may Allaah have mercy upon him is more appropriate, and it is like the order of running away from the leper although there is no Adwah (infection by disease without Allaah’s Will), and what is meant is to avoid what might lead to sin and to block all means to evil so that the one who is affected by this (leprosy) with the Decree of Allaah would not think that it was due to infection or bad omen, and in this case, he would have false beliefs, and so it is required to avoid such a thing. Likewise, the solution for whoever this happens to him regarding a house, for example, is to take the initiative to move from it because if he continues to dwell in it, he might believe in bad omen.”

As regards denying this Hadeeth from Abu Hurayrah may Allaah be pleased with him then Ibn Hajar may Allaah have mercy upon him said: “It is meaningless to deny this Hadeeth from Abu Hurayrah because the companions whom we mentioned are of his view about this matter. Some others interpreted it as being mentioned in order to clarify that people believed in it and not because the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) informed us that this is true, but the context of the sound Ahaadeeth which we previously mentioned makes it highly improbable. Ibn Al-‘Arabi may Allaah have mercy upon him said: “This interpretation is unacceptable because the Prophet sallallaahu `alayhi wa sallam ( may Allaah exalt his mention ) was not sent in order to inform the people about their past beliefs but he was sent in order to teach them what they must believe in.”

Allaah Knows best.

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