“Take cow’s milk and ghee, but beware of its meat, for its milk and ghee are medicine and healing, while its meat is disease.” Al-Hakim recorded it and was lax in declaring it authentic, as I have explained in detail, together with its other routes of transmission, in some of my responses. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, offered cows in sacrifice on behalf of his wives, apparently to demonstrate its permissibility, or because no other animal was readily available; otherwise, one does not draw near to Allah Most High by means of something diseased. Moreover, al-Hulaymi said—as I previously cited under the heading “Take”—that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said this concerning cattle because of the aridity of the Hijaz, which causes the meat of cattle to be dry, while their milk and ghee are moist. He considered this interpretation sound. And Allah knows best.”

I say: The hadith of Ibn Mas'ud is a strong corroborating report for the hadith cited in the heading. Its source documentation will appear under no. 1949. The discussion of the routes concerning cow’s milk has already appeared under no. 518 and will also come under hadith no. 1650.

1534 — “Keep away from the bottom of Muhassir, and use pebbles the size of those used for flicking.”

Ahmad (1/219), al-Tahawi in Mushkil al-Athar (2/72), and al-Bayhaqi (5/115) recorded it through Sufyan ibn Uyaynah, from Ziyad ibn Sa'd, from Abu al-Zubayr, from Abu Ma'bad, from Ibn Abbas, who reported that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said this. Ibn Khuzaymah recorded it in his Sahih (1/278/1), as did al-Hakim (1/462), and al-Bayhaqi through him, through Muhammad ibn Kathir, who narrated from Sufyan ibn Uyaynah with the same chain. However, the wording in this version is: “Keep away from the bottom of Uranah, and keep away from the bottom of Muhassir.” Thus, it does not mention the second part of the hadith. He said: “Authentic according to the criteria of Muslim,” and it is as he said. He then cited a corroborating report for it through another route from Ibn Abbas with similar wording. It also has another corroborating report from the hadith of Jubayr ibn Mut'im, which Ibn Hibban declared authentic. I have referred to it in Takhrij al-Mishkat (2596).