Hadith 2
Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh (may Allah be pleased with him) reported that he was riding a camel which grew so tired that he resolved to release it and let it go.
He said, “The Prophet ﷺ caught up with me, prayed for me, and struck the camel; it then moved at a speed it had never shown before. He said, ‘Sell it to me for one uqiyah.’ I replied, ‘No.’ He repeated, ‘Sell it to me,’ so I sold it to him for a uqiyah on the condition that I might ride it home to my family.
“When we reached (Madīnah) I brought the camel to him and he paid me its price in full. I then left, but he sent someone after me and said, ‘Do you imagine that I bargained with you only to take your camel? Take your camel and your dirhams; they are both yours.’”
Lexical Notes
• fa-aʿyā: when a man or a camel “grows weary,” lacking the strength to continue; it may be used intransitively (“he grew tired”) or transitively (“Allah made him tired”).
• yusayyibahu: to set an animal loose and let it wander wherever it will.
• ḥumlānahu: (with ḍamma on the ḥāʾ and sukūn on the mīm) the right of the seller to continue riding or loading the animal.
• a-tarānī: “Do you think me…?” the tāʾ is ḍamma-vowelled.
• mākastuka: from mumākasah—haggling over a sale in order to raise or lower the price.
Overall Meaning
Jābir ibn ʿAbd Allāh (may Allah be pleased with them both) was with the Prophet ﷺ on one of his campaigns, mounted on a camel that had become thin and unable to keep pace with the army. In frustration he considered letting it go, since it was of no use to him. Out of compassion for his Companions, the Prophet ﷺ customarily walked at the rear of the army to look after the weak and those who fell behind. He reached Jābir, supplicated for him, and struck the failing camel; by Allah’s permission the gentle strike became a source of strength, and the camel began to travel at a pace it had never attained before.
Wishing to cheer Jābir and make the journey lighter through conversation, the Prophet ﷺ said, “Sell it to me for one uqiyah.” Jābir hoped for the bounty of Allah and knew that refusing the sale would not diminish his religion, for no obligatory command was involved. Nevertheless, when the Prophet ﷺ repeated the offer, Jābir agreed to sell the camel for a uqiyah on the stipulation that he might ride it back to his family in Madīnah, which the Prophet ﷺ accepted.
Once they arrived, Jābir brought the camel to the Prophet ﷺ, who paid him its price. After Jābir had left, the Prophet ﷺ sent for him and said, “Do you think I bargained with you in order to take your camel? Take back your camel and your silver; they are yours.” Such generosity and kindness are entirely in keeping with his noble character ﷺ.