Is this Hadith authentic?
Sayyiduna Anas (radiyallahu ‘anhu) narrates that the Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) used to perform Salah and prolong the qiyam (standing position). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) once urinated in the well. There was no well in Madinah sweeter than this well. When people used to visit, I use to feed people from it. The well was called ‘Al-Barud’ (the cool well) in the Pre-Islamic era.
Answer
The words of the Hadith in question appear in one edition of Dalailun Nubuwwah of Imam Abu Nu’aym (rahimahullah) as you have translated.
(Dalailun Nubuwwah, pg. 444, Hadith: 366, edition of Darun Nafais)
However, certain Muhaddithun and Historians have cited this narration from Imam Abu Nu’aym with the words بزق instead of بال which means that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) placed his mubarak saliva in the well and not urine as the current printed version of Dalailun Nubuwwah suggests. Among these ‘Ulama are:
1) ‘Allamah Suyuti (rahimahullah) in Al Khasaisul Kubra, vol. 1 pg. 109
2) ‘Allamah Samhudi in Wafa-ul Wafa, vol. 3 pg. 125
3) ‘Allamah Salihi (rahimahullah) in Subulul Huda War Rashad, vol. 7 pg. 223
Secondly, Hafiz Ibn Hajar (rahimahullah) writes that ‘Umar ibn Muhammad Al Bujayri has recorded a narration in his Sahih, which mentions Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) placed his saliva in the well. ‘Umar ibn Muhammad’s chain of narrators meets up with Hafiz Abu Nu’aym’s chain.
(Refer: Ithaful Maharah, vol. 1 pg. 436, Hadith: 784)
Based on the above, it seems as though there is a typographical error in one current printed edition of Dalailun Nubuwwah. Therefore the Hadith should be quoted with the words ‘Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) placed his saliva’
See here and here for similar miracles of Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam)
And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.
Update: It has been brought to our attention that in a recent well researched edition of Dalailun Nubuwwah, the words بزق appear and not بال which means that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) placed his mubarak saliva in the well and not urine. It is therefore safe to assume that the Darun Nafais edition of Dalailun Nubuwwah does indeed have a typographical error.
Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala
Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar
Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar