Sunan Abi Dawud

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) announced an expedition, and I was a very old man and I had no servant. I, therefore, sought a hireling who would serve instead of me, and I would give him his portion. So I found a man. When the time of departure arrived, he came to me and said: I do not know what would be the portions, and how much would be my portion. So offer something (as wages) to me, whether there would be any portion or not. I offered three dinars (as his wages) for him. When some booty arrived, I wanted to offer him his portion. But I remembered the dinars, so I went to the Prophet (ﷺ) and mentioned the matter to him. He said: All I can find for him regarding this expedition of his in this world and the next is three dinars which were offered him.

A man came to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) and said: I came to you to take the oath of allegiance to you on emigration, and I left my parents weeping. He (the Prophet) said: Return to them and make them laugh as you made them weep.

The name of the narrator Abu al-'Abbas, a poet, is al-Sa'ib b. Farrukh.

A man emigrated to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) from the Yemen. He asked (him): Have you anyone (of your relatives) in the Yemen? He replied: My parents. He asked: Did they permit you? He replied: No. He said: Go back to them and ask for their permission. If they permit you, then fight (in the path of Allah), otherwise be devoted to them.

When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) went on an expedition, he took Umm Sulaym, and he had some women of the Ansar who supplied water and tended the wounded.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Three things are the roots of faith: to refrain from (killing) a person who utters, "There is no god but Allah" and not to declare him unbeliever whatever sin he commits, and not to excommunicate him from Islam for his any action; and jihad will be performed continuously since the day Allah sent me as a prophet until the day the last member of my community will fight with the Dajjal (Antichrist). The tyranny of any tyrant and the justice of any just (ruler) will not invalidate it. One must have faith in Divine decree.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Striving in the path of Allah (jihad) is incumbent on you along with every ruler, whether he is pious or impious; the prayer is obligatory on you behind every believer, pious or impious, even if he commits grave sins; the (funeral) prayer is incumbent upon every Muslim, pious and impious, even if he commits major sins.

Once the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) intended to go on an expedition. He said: O group of the emigrants (Muhajirun) and the helpers (Ansar), among your brethren there are people who have neither property nor family. So one of you should take with him two or three persons; with me. I also rode on my camel by turns like one of them.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) sent us on foot to get spoil, but we returned without getting any. When he saw the signs of distress on our faces, he stood up on our faces and said: O Allah, do not put them under my care, for I would be too weak to care for them; do not put them in care of themselves, for they would be incapable of that, and do not put them in the care of men, for they would choose the best things for themselves. He then placed his hand on my head and said: Ibn Hawalah, when you see the caliphate has settled in the holy land, earthquakes, sorrows and serious matters will have drawn near and on that day the Last Hour will be nearer to mankind than this hand of mine is to your head. Abu Dawud said: 'Abd Allah b. Hawalah belongs to Hims.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Our Lord Most High is pleased with a man who fights in the path of Allah, the Exalted; then his companions fled away (i.e. retreated). But he knew that it was a sin (to flee away from the battlefield), so he returned, and his blood was shed. Thereupon Allah, the Exalted, says to His angels: Look at My servant; he returned seeking what I have for him (i.e. the reward), and fearing (the punishment) I have, until his blood was shed.

Amr ibn Uqaysh had given usurious loans in pre-Islamic period; so he disliked to embrace Islam until he took them. He came on the day of Uhud and asked: Where are my cousins? They (the people) replied: At Uhud. He asked: Where is so-and-so? They said: At Uhud. He asked: Where is so-and-so? They said: At Uhud. He then put on his coat of mail and rode his horse; he then proceeded towards them. When the Muslims saw him, they said: Keep away, Amir. He said: I have become a believer. He fought until he was wounded. He was then taken to his family wounded. Sa'd ibn Mu'adh came to his sister: Ask him (whether he fought) out of partisanship, out of anger for them, or out of anger for Allah. He said: Out of anger of Allah and His Apostle. He then died and entered Paradise. He did not offer any prayer for Allah.

Salamah bin Al Akwa’ said “On the day of the battle of the Khaibar, my brother fought desperately. But his sword fell back on him and killed him. The Companions of the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) talked about him and doubted it (his martyrdom) saying “A man who died with his own weapon”. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “he died as a warrior striving in the path of Allaah. Ibn Shihab said “I asked the son of Salamah bin Al Akwa’.” He narrated to me on the authority of his father similar to that except that he said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) said “They told a lie, he died as a warrior striving in the path of Allaah. There is a double reward for him.””

AbuSalam reported on the authority of a man from the companion of the Prophet (ﷺ). He said: We attacked a tribe of Juhaynah. A man from the Muslims pursued a man of them, and struck him but missed him. He struck himself with the sword. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Your brother, O group of Muslims. The people hastened towards him, but found him dead. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) wrapped him with his clothes and his blood, and offered (funeral) prayer for him and buried him. They said: Messenger of Allah, is he a martyr? He said: Yes, and I am witness to him.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Two (prayers) are not rejected, or seldom rejected: Prayer at the time of the call to prayer, and (the prayer) at the time of fighting, when the people grapple with each other. Musa said: Rizq ibn Sa'id ibn AbdurRahman reported from AbuHazim on the authority of Sahl ibn Sa'd from the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying: And while it is raining.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: If anyone fights in Allah's path as long as the time between two milkings of a she-camel, Paradise will be assured for him. If anyone sincerely asks Allah for being killed and then dies or is killed, there will be a reward of a martyr for him. Ibn al-Musaffa added from here: If anyone is wounded in Allah's path, or suffers a misfortune, it will come on the Day of resurrection as copious as possible, its colour saffron, and its odour musk; and if anyone suffers from ulcers while in Allah's path, he will have on him the stamp of the martyrs.

Utbah heard the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) say: Do not cut the forelocks, manes, or tails of horse, for their tails are their means of driving flies, their manes provide them with warmth, and blessing is tide to their forelocks.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Keep to every dark bay horse with a white blaze and white on the legs, or sorrel with a white blaze and white on the legs , or black with a white blaze and white on the legs.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Keep to every sorrel horse with a white blaze and white on the legs, or dark bay with a white blaze. He then mentioned something similar. Muhammad ibn al-Muhajir said: I asked him: Why was a sorrel horse preferred? He replied: Because the Prophet (ﷺ) had sent a contingent, and the man who first brought the news of victory was the rider of a sorrel horse.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The most favoured horses are the sorrel.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) used to name a mare a horse.

Abu Hurairah said “The Prophet (ﷺ) disapproved the shikal horses. Shikal are the horses that are white on their right hind leg and white on their left foreleg or white on their right foreleg and left hind leg. Abu Dawud said “This means alternate legs”.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) came upon an emaciated camel and said: Fear Allah regarding these dumb animals. Ride them when they are in good condition and feed them when they are in good condition.

‘Abd Allaah bin Jafar said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) seated me behind him(on his ride) one day, and told me secretly a thing asking me not to tell it to anyone. The place for easing dearer to the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) was a mound or host of palm trees by which he could conceal himself. He entered the garden of a man from the Ansar(Helpers). All of a sudden when a Camel saw the Prophet (ﷺ) it wept tenderly producing yearning sound and it eyes flowed. The Prophet (ﷺ) came to it and wiped the temple of its head. So it kept silence. He then said “Who is the master of this Camel? Whose Camel is this? A young man from the Ansar came and said “This is mine, Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ).” He said “Don’t you fear Allaah about this beast which Allaah has given in your possession. It has complained to me that you keep it hungry and load it heavily which fatigues it.”

Abu Hurairah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “ While a man was going on his way, he felt himself thirsty severely. He found a well and e went down in it. He drank water and came out. Suddenly he saw a dog panting and eating soil due to thirst. The man said (to himself) “This dog must have reached the same condition due to thirst as I had reached. So he went down into the well, filled his sock with water, held it with his mouth and came up. He supplied water to the dog. Allaah appreciated this and forgave him.” They asked “Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ), Is there any reward for us for these beasts? He replied, For every cool liver there is a reward.”

When we alighted at a station (for stay), we did not pray until we united the saddles of the camels.

Abu Bashir Al Ansari said that he was with the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) on one of his journeys. The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ)sent a messenger. The narrator ‘Abd Allah bin Abu Bakr said “I think he said while the people were sleeping. No necklace of bowstring or anything else must be left on a Camels’ neck, must be cut off. The narrator Malik said “I think this was due to evil eye.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Tie the horses, rub down their forelocks and their buttocks (or he said: Their rumps), and put things on their necks, but do not put bowstrings.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: The angels do not go with a travelling company in which there is a bell.

Abu Hurairah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “The angels do not accompany the fellow travelers who have a dog or bell (with them).”

Abu Hurairah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “The bell is a wooden wind musical instrument of Satan.”

It has been prohibited to ride the beast which eats dung.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited to ride a camel which eats dung.

Mu’adh said “I was seated behind the Prophet (ﷺ) on a donkey that was called ‘Ufair”.

The Prophet (ﷺ) named our cavalry "the Cavalry of Allah," when we were struck with panic, and when panic overtook us, the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) commanded us to be united, to have patience and perseverance; and to be so when we fought.

‘Imran bin Hussain said “The Prophet (ﷺ) was on a journey. He heard a curse. He asked “What is this? They (the people) said “This is so and so (a woman) who cursed her riding beast. The Prophet (ﷺ) said “Remove the saddle from it, for it is accursed. So, they removed (the saddle) from it. ‘Imran said “As if I am looking at it a grey she Camel.”

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) prohibited to provoke the beasts for fighting.

Anas bin Malik said “I brought my brother when he was born to Prophet(ﷺ) to chew something for him and rub his palate with it and found him in a sheep pen branding the sheep, I think, on their ears.”

Jabir reported the Prophet (ﷺ) as saying when an ass which had been branded on its face passed him. Did it not reach you that I cursed him who branded the animals on their faces or struck them on their faces. So he prohibited it.

The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was present with a she-mule which he rode, so Ali said: If we made asses cover mares we would have animals of this type. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: Only those who do not know do that.

‘Abd Allah bin Ja’far said “When the Prophet (ﷺ) arrived after a journey, we were taken for his reception. Any of us who met him first he lifted him in front of him. As I was the first to meet him, he lifted me in front of him. Then Hasan or Hussain was brought to him and he set him behind him. We the entered Madeenah and we (were) riding so (three on one beast).”

Abu Hurairah reported the Prophet(ﷺ) as saying “Do not treat the backs of your beasts as pulpits, for Allaah has made them subject to you only to convey you to a town which you cannot reach without difficulty and He has appointed the earth (a floor to work) for you, so conduct your business on it.

Abu Hurairah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “There are Camels which belong to devils and there are houses which belong to devils. As for the Camels of the devils, I have seen them. One of you goes out with his side Camels which he has fattened neither riding any of them nor giving a lift to a tired brother when he meets. As regard the houses of the devils, I have not seen them. The narrator Sa’id says “I think they are those cages (Camel litters) which conceal people with brocade.”

Abu Hurairah reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “When you travel in fertile country, give the Camel their due (from the ground), and when you travel in time of drought make them go quickly. When you intend to encamp in the last hours of the night, keep away from the roads.”

A similar tradition has also been narrated by Jabir bin ‘Abd Allaah from the Prophet (ﷺ). But this version adds after the phrase “their due” And do not go beyond the destinations.

Anas reported the Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “Keep to travelling by night, for the earth is traversed (more easily) by night.

While the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) was walking a man who had an ass came to him and said: Messenger of Allah, ride; and the man moved to the back of the animal. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: No, you have more right to ride in front on your animal than me unless you grant that right to me. He said: I grant it to you. So he mounted.

My foster-father said to me - he was one of Banu Murrah ibn Awf, and he was present in that battle, the battle of Mu'tah: By Allah, as if I am seeing Ja'far who jumped from his reddish horse and hamstrung it; he then fought with the people until he was killed. Abu Dawud said: The tradition is not strong.

The Prophet (ﷺ) said: Wagers are allowed only for racing camels, or horses or shooting arrows.

‘Abd Allah bin Umar said “The Apostle of Allaah(ﷺ) held race between the horses which had been made lean by training from Al Hafya’. The goal was Thaniyyat Al Wada’ and he held a race between the horses Banu Zuraiq and ‘Abd Allaah was one of the racers.

The Prophet (ﷺ) used to make lean by training horses which he employed in the race.