2125 — “He would sit on the ground, eat on the ground, tether a sheep, and accept a slave’s invitation to a meal of barley bread.”
It was narrated by al-Tabarani in al-Kabir (3/164/1), from Abdullah ibn Muslim ibn Hurmuz, from Sa'id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas, attributed to the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him. I say: This is a weak chain of transmission. This Ibn Hurmuz is weak, as stated in al-Taqrib.
It has another chain, narrated by Muslim al-A'war from Sa'id ibn Jubayr with the same report, but without the words, “to a meal of barley bread.” Abu al-Shaykh narrated it in Akhlaq al-Nabi (p. 63), as did al-Baghawi in Sharh al-Sunnah (4/3/1). This Muslim—namely, Muslim ibn Kaysan al-A'war—is also weak, as stated in al-Taqrib. Through his chain, al-Tirmidhi narrated it in al-Shama'il (p. 190) from Anas, without mentioning Sa'id between them. It is also a narration of Abu al-Shaykh (p. 62), with the wording: “He would visit the sick, ride a donkey, and accept a slave’s invitation …”
Ibn Sa'd also narrated it (1/371), as did Abu Nu'aym in al-Hilyah (7/312) and al-Hakim (4/119), who graded it authentic. Al-Dhahabi rebutted him, saying: “I say: Muslim is abandoned.”
However, the hadith has come through other chains:
- From Anas ibn Malik, who said: “The Messenger of Allah, peace and blessings be upon him, would sit on the ground, eat on the ground, and accept a slave’s invitation. He would say: ‘If I were invited to a foreleg, I would accept; and if I were given a trotter as a gift, I would accept it.’ And he would tether his sheep.”