Luwayn reported: Hudayj narrated to us, from Abu Ishaq, who said:
“Jabalah ibn Harithah was living among the clan when they asked him, ‘Are you older, or is Zayd?’
He replied, ‘Zayd is older than I am, although I was born before him, and I shall tell you why. Our mother was from the tribe of Tayy’. When she died, we were left in our grandfather’s care. My two uncles said to him, “We are more entitled to the sons of our brother.” He answered, “Take Jabalah and leave Zayd.” So they took me and set off, but a cavalry party from Tihamah raided and seized Zayd. He later came into the possession of Khadijah, who then presented him as a gift to the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.’
ʿAbd al-Malik ibn Abi Sulayman (1) reported: Abu Fazarah said:
‘The Messenger of Allah ﷺ once saw Zayd ibn Harithah—a young boy with a single plait—standing in al-Batha’, where his people had set him up for sale. He went to Khadijah, and she asked, “How much is he?”
He answered, “(Seven hundred),”
and she said, “Take seven hundred.”
He bought him and brought him to her, saying, “(Had he been mine, I would have set him free.)”
She replied, “Then he is yours,” so he emancipated him (2).
… delighted, the radiance of joy visible on his face.
He then said, “Did you not notice that a moment ago Mujazziz looked at Zayd ibn Haritha and at Usama ibn Zayd and declared: ‘These feet are of one and the same stock’?”
The qaif is the expert who follows traces; qafah is the practice of deducing lineage from bodily features.
Muslim transmitted the report (1459) in the Book of Breast-feeding, chapter: Acting on the judgment of the qaif in attributing a child; Abu Dawud (2267) in Divorce, chapter: On the qaif; al-Tirmidhi (2130) in Wala and Gifts, chapter: What is reported concerning the qaif—he graded the hadith sound and authentic; al-Nasa i, 6/184–185, in Divorce, chapter: The qaif; and Ibn Majah (2349) in Legal Rulings, chapter: The qaif.
Al-Khattabi observed that the hadith confirms the legitimacy of relying on a qaif’s assessment in matters of paternity, for the Messenger of Allah ﷺ would not rejoice over anything unless he knew it to be true.
Some people had entertained doubts about Zayd ibn Haritha and his son Usama, since Zayd was light-skinned whereas Usama was dark. Their remarks pained the Prophet ﷺ, but when he heard Mujazziz’s statement he was pleased and reassured.
(1) Misread in the printed edition as “Salman.”
(2) The chain of transmission is broken.
Abu Fazzara is Rashid ibn Kaysan al-Absiy al-Kufi; cf. al-Istiyab 4/49, Usd al-Ghaba 2/281, and al-Isaba 4/74.