45. Letters
عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ قَالَ إِنِّي لَأَرَى لِجَوَابِ الْكِتَابِ حَقًّا كَرَدِّ السَّلامِ
✧ From Ibn ʿAbbās, who said: "I consider answering a letter to be a right, just like returning the greeting of peace."
حَدَّثَنِي مُوسَى بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَتْنَا عَائِشَةُ بِنْتُ طَلْحَةَ قَالَتْ قُلْتُ لِعَائِشَةَ وَأَنَا فِي حِجْرِهَا وَكَانَ النَّاسُ يَأْتُونَهَا مِنْ كُلِّ مِصْرٍ فَكَانَ الشُّيُوخُ يَنْتَابُونِي لِمَكَانِي مِنْهَا وَكَانَ الشَّبَابُ يَتَأَخَّوْنِي فَيُهْدُونَ إِلَيَّ وَيَكْتُبُونَ إِلَيَّ مِنَ الأَمْصَارِ فَأَقُولُ لِعَائِشَةَ يَا خَالَةُ هَذَا كِتَابُ فُلاَنٍ وَهَدِيَّتُهُ فَتَقُولُ لِي عَائِشَةُ أَيْ بُنَيَّةُ فَأَجِيبِيهِ وَأَثِيبِيهِ فَإِنْ لَمْ يَكُنْ عِنْدَكِ ثَوَابٌ أَعْطَيْتُكِ فَقَالَتْ فَتُعْطِينِي
✧ Mūsā b. ʿAbdullāh narrated to me, saying: ʿĀʾishah bt. Ṭalḥah narrated to us, saying: I said to ʿĀʾishah while I was in her care—people used to come to her from every region, the elders would frequent me because of my position with her, and the young men would befriend me, sending me gifts and writing to me from the various regions. I would say to ʿĀʾishah, “O maternal aunt, this is a letter from so-and-so and his gift.” ʿĀʾishah would say to me, “O my little daughter, answer him and reward him. If you do not have anything to give as a reward, I will give you something.” She said, “And she would give me.”
بِالسَّمْعِ وَالطَّاعَةِ عَلَى سُنَّةِ اللهِ وَسُنَّةِ رَسُولِهِ فِيمَا اسْتَطَعْتُ
✧ With hearing and obedience, upon the sunnah of Allah and the sunnah of His Messenger, as far as I am able.
عَنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ أَسْلَمَ قَالَ أَرْسَلَنِي أَبِي إِلَى ابْنِ عُمَرَ فَرَأَيْتُهُ يَكْتُبُ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ أَمَّا بَعْدُ
✧ From Zayd b. Aslam, who said: My father sent me to Ibn ʿUmar, and I saw him writing, “In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Most Merciful. Following on from that…”
عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ قَالَ رَأَيْتُ رَسَائِلَ مِنْ رَسَائِلِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ كُلَّمَا انْقَضَتْ قِصَّةٌ قَالَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ
✧ From Hishām b. ʿUrwah, who said: I saw some of the letters of the Prophet ﷺ; whenever a section ended, he would say, “Following on from that…”
أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ ثَابِتٍ كَتَبَ بِهَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةِ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ لِعَبْدِ اللهِ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ فَإِنِّي أَحْمَدُ إِلَيْكَ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لا إِلَهَ إلا هُوَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ
✧ Zayd b. Thābit wrote this letter: “In the Name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Most Merciful. To the servant of Allah Muʿāwiyah, Commander of the Believers, from Zayd b. Thābit. Peace be upon you, Commander of the Believers, and the mercy of Allah. I praise Allah to you, besides whom there is no deity. Following on from that…”
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1123No grade recorded
حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو مَسْعُودٍ الْجُرَيْرِيُّ قَالَ سَأَلَ رَجُلٌ الْحَسَنَ عَنْ قِرَاءَةِ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ؟ قَالَ تِلْكَ صُدُورُ الرَّسَائِلِ
✧ Abū Masʿūd al-Jurayrī reported: A man asked al-Ḥasan about the recitation of “Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm” (In the name of Allah, the All-Merciful, Most Merciful). He said, “Those are the openings of letters.”
عَنْ نَافِعٍ قَالَ كَانَتْ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ حَاجَةٌ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ فَأَرَادَ أَنْ يَكْتُبَ إِلَيْهِ فَقَالُوا ابْدَأْ بِهِ فَلَمْ يَزَالُوا بِهِ حَتَّى كَتَبَ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ إِلَى مُعَاوِيَةَ
✧ Nāfiʿ reported: Ibn ʿUmar needed something from Muʿāwiyah, so he wanted to write to him. They said, “Begin with him,” and they kept at him until he wrote: “Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm, to Muʿāwiyah.”
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ كَتَبْتُ لِابْنِ عُمَرَ فَقَالَ اكْتُبْ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ أَمَّا بَعْدُ إِلَى فُلانٍ
✧ Anas b. Sīrīn reported: I wrote for Ibn ʿUmar, and he said, “Write: Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm. To proceed: to so-and-so.”
عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ سِيرِينَ قَالَ كَتَبَ رَجُلٌ بَيْنَ يَدَيِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ بِسْمِ اللهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيمِ لِفُلاَنٍ فَنَهَاهُ ابْنُ عُمَرَ وَقَالَ قُلْ بِسْمِ اللهِ هُوَ لَهُ
✧ Anas b. Sīrīn reported: A man wrote before Ibn ʿUmar: “Bismillāh al-Raḥmān al-Raḥīm for so-and-so.” Ibn ʿUmar forbade him and said, “Say: Bismillāh, it is for him.”
أَنَّ زَيْدًا كَتَبَ بِهَذِهِ الرِّسَالَةِ لِعَبْدِ اللهِ مُعَاوِيَةَ أَمِيرِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ مِنْ زَيْدِ بْنِ ثَابِتٍ سَلاَمٌ عَلَيْكَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ فَإِنِّي أَحْمَدُ إِلَيْكَ اللَّهَ الَّذِي لاَ إِلَهَ إِلاَّ هُوَ أَمَّا بَعْدُ
✧ Zayd wrote this letter to ʿAbdullāh Muʿāwiyah, Commander of the Believers: From Zayd b. Thābit. Peace be upon you, Commander of the Believers, and the mercy of Allah. I praise Allah to you, besides whom there is no god. To proceed:
قَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِنَّ رَجُلاً مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ وَذَكَرَ الْحَدِيثَ وَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ صَاحِبُهُ مِنْ فُلاَنٍ إِلَى فُلانٍ
✧ The Prophet ﷺ said: “A man of the Children of Israel…” and he mentioned the ḥadīth, and his companion wrote to him: “From so-and-so to so-and-so.”
يُقَالُ لَهَا رُفَيْدَةُ وَكَانَتْ تُدَاوِي الْجَرْحَى فَكَانَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ إِذَا مَرَّ بِهِ يَقُولُ كَيْفَ أَمْسَيْتَ؟ وَإِذَا أَصْبَحَ كَيْفَ أَصْبَحْتَ؟ فَيُخْبِرُهُ
✧ She was called Rufaydah, and she used to treat the wounded. When the Prophet ﷺ passed by him, he would say, “How did you spend the evening?” and when morning came, “How are you this morning?” and he would tell him.
أَخْبَرَهُ أَنَّ عَلِيَّ بْنَ أَبِي طَالِبٍ ؓ خَرَجَ مِنْ عِنْدِ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فِي وَجَعِهِ الَّذِي تُوُفِّيَ فِيهِ فَقَالَ النَّاسُ يَا أَبَا الْحَسَنِ كَيْفَ أَصْبَحَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ؟ قَالَ أَصْبَحَ بِحَمْدِ اللهِ بَارِئًا قَالَ فَأَخَذَ عَبَّاسُ بْنُ عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ بِيَدِهِ فَقَالَ أَرَأَيْتُكَ؟ فَأَنْتَ وَاللَّهِ بَعْدَ ثَلاَثٍ عَبْدُ الْعَصَا وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لَأَرَى رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ سَوْفَ يُتَوَفَّى فِي مَرَضِهِ هَذَا إِنِّي أَعْرِفُ وُجُوهَ بَنِي عَبْدِ الْمُطَّلِبِ عِنْدَ الْمَوْتِ فَاذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَلْنَسْأَلْهُ فِيمَنْ هَذَا الأَمْرُ؟ فَإِنْ كَانَ فِينَا عَلِمْنَا ذَلِكَ وَإِنْ كَانَ فِي غَيْرِنَا كَلَّمْنَاهُ فَأَوْصَى بِنَا فَقَالَ عَلِيٌّ إِنَّا وَاللَّهِ إِنْ سَأَلْنَاهُ فَمَنَعَنَاهَا لاَ يُعْطِينَاهَا النَّاسُ بَعْدَهُ أَبَدًا وَإِنِّي وَاللَّهِ لاَ أَسْأَلُهَا رَسُولَ اللهِ ﷺ أَبَدًا
It is related from Ka'b ibn Malik, who was one of the three to whom Allah turned that Ibn 'Abbas informed him that 'Ali ibn Abi Talib emerged from the Messenger of Allah ﷺ in his illness from which he died and the people said, "O Abu'l-Hasan! How is the Messenger of Allah ﷺ this morning?" He said, "Praise be to Allah, he is well this morning." 'Abbas ibn 'Abdu'l-Muttalib took him by the hand and said to him, "By Allah, in three days time you will be a subject. By Allah, I think that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ will die of this illness. I recognise death in the faces of the Banu Abdu'l-Muttalib when they are dying. Let us go to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ and ask him who will have this authority. If it is for us, then we will know that, and if it is for other than us, we will know it and he can advise him to look after us." 'Ali replied, "By Allah, if we ask him for it and he refuses us, then the people would never give it to us afterwards. By Allah, I will not ask it from the Messenger of Allah."
عَنْ مِيرَاثِ الْجَدِّ وَالإِخْوَةِ فَذَكَرَ الرِّسَالَةَ وَنَسْأَلُ اللَّهَ الْهُدَى وَالْحِفْظَ وَالتَّثَبُّتَ فِي أَمْرِنَا كُلِّهِ وَنَعُوذُ بِاللَّهِ أَنْ نَضِلَّ أَوْ نَجْهَلَ أَوْ نُكَلَّفَ مَا لَيْسَ لَنَا بِهِ عِلْمٌ وَالسَّلاَمُ عَلَيْكَ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ وَرَحْمَةُ اللهِ وَبَرَكَاتُهُ وَمَغْفِرَتُهُ وَكَتَبَ وُهَيْبٌ يَوْمَ الْخَمِيسِ لِثِنْتَيْ عَشْرَةَ بَقِيَتْ مِنْ رَمَضَانَ سَنَةَ اثْنَيْنِ وَأَرْبَعِينَ
✧ About the inheritance of the grandfather and brothers, so he mentioned the letter, “and we ask Allah for guidance, protection, and steadfastness in all our affairs, and we seek refuge in Allah from going astray or being ignorant or being burdened with what we have no knowledge of. Peace be upon you, Commander of the Believers, and the mercy of Allah, His blessings, and His forgiveness.” Wuhayb wrote on Thursday, when twelve nights remained of Ramaḍān, in the year forty-two.
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1132No grade recorded
فَقَالَ عُمَرُ هَذَا الَّذِي أَرَدْتُ مِنْكَ
This is what I wanted to hear from you."
عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللهِ قِيلَ لِلنَّبِيِّ ﷺ كَيْفَ أَصْبَحْتَ؟ قَالَ بِخَيْرٍ مِنْ قَوْمٍ لَمْ يَشْهَدُوا جَنَازَةً وَلَمْ يَعُودُوا مَرِيضًا
✧ Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh reported: It was said to the Prophet ﷺ, “How are you this morning?” He said, “In good, unlike a people who did not attend a funeral or visit a sick person.”
Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 1134No grade recorded
عَنْ مُهَاجِرٍ هُوَ الصَّائِغُ قَالَ كُنْتُ أَجْلِسُ إِلَى رَجُلٍ مِنْ أَصْحَابِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ ضَخْمٍ مِنَ الْحَضْرَمِيِّينَ فَكَانَ إِذَا قِيلَ لَهُ كَيْفَ أَصْبَحْتَ؟ قَالَ لا نُشْرِكُ بِاللَّهِ
✧ Muhājir, the goldsmith, reported: I used to sit with a man among the Companions of the Prophet ﷺ, a large man from the Ḥaḍramīs. When it was said to him, “How are you this morning?” he would say, “We do not associate anything with Allah.”
سَمِعْتُ مَا انْتَظَرْتُمْ بِي جُنْحَ هَذَا اللَّيْلِ وَلَكِنْ يَا عَمْرُو بْنَ صُلَيْعٍ إِذَا رَأَيْتَ قَيْسًا تَوَالَتْ بِالشَّامِ فَالْحَذَرَ الْحَذَرَ فَوَاللَّهِ لاَ تَدَعُ قَيْسٌ عَبْدًا لِلَّهِ مُؤْمِنًا إِلاَّ أَخَافَتْهُ أَوْ قَتَلَتْهُ وَاللَّهِ لَيَأْتِيَنَّ عَلَيْهِمْ زَمَانٌ لاَ يَمْنَعُونَ فِيهِ ذَنَبَ تَلْعَةٍ قَالَ مَا يَنْصِبُكَ عَلَى قَوْمِكَ يَرْحَمُكَ اللَّهُ؟ قَالَ ذَاكَ إِلَيَّ ثُمَّ قَعَدَ
✧ I heard, “What have you been waiting for? I have been anxious for the darkness of this night, but O ʿAmr b. Ṣulayʿ, when you see Qays taking over in Syria, beware, beware! By Allah, Qays will not leave any believing servant of Allah except that they frighten him or kill him. By Allah, a time will come upon them when they will not defend even the tail of a watercourse.” He said, “What causes you to set yourself against your people, may Allah have mercy on you?” He said, “That is up to me.” Then he sat down.