1524 — “Break your bows—meaning, during times of civil strife—cut your bowstrings, remain within your homes, and be therein like the better of Adam’s two sons.”

Al-Tirmidhi (3/222, Tuhfah), al-Bayhaqi in al-Shuʿab (2/113/2), and Ibn ʿAsakir (17/491/1) narrated it from Hammam, who said: Muhammad ibn Jahadah narrated to us from ʿAbd al-Rahman ibn Tharwan, from al-Huzayl, from Abu Musa, from the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, who said it. Al-Tirmidhi said: “A good, singular hadith.”

I say: Its chain of transmission is authentic; all its narrators are trustworthy and are among al-Bukhari’s narrators. The hadith strongly indicates that the instruction to remain at home applies only in times of civil strife, killing, and turmoil. Accordingly, some hadiths that command remaining at home without qualification should be understood in this light, such as the forthcoming hadith (1535) and the similar hadith (1531).

1525 — “Guarantee six things for me, and I shall guarantee Paradise for you: when one of you speaks, let him not lie; when he is entrusted, let him not betray the trust; when he promises, let him not break his promise; lower your gazes, restrain your hands, and guard your private parts.”

Ibn ʿAdi recorded it in al-Kamil (fol. 325/1), al-Tabarani (8018), al-Silafi in Muʿjam al-Safar (fol. 137/2), and Ibn al-Jawzi in Dhamm al-Hawa (pp. 83 and 138), by way of Fadal ibn Jubayr, who said: “I heard Abu Umamah al-Bahili say: I heard the Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, saying it.” Ibn ʿAdi said: “Fadal ibn Jubayr has approximately ten hadith, all of them unpreserved.” Ibn Hibban said: “It is not permissible to cite him as evidence under any circumstances, for he narrates hadiths that have no basis.”

I say: Yet it has a supporting narration from the hadith of ʿUbadah ibn al-Samit, through which it gains strength; its documentation has already been given