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Meaning of a statement that Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made regarding Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu ‘anhu)

Could the following please be sourced:

Once Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) sent Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas (radiyallahu ‘anhuma) to call Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu ‘anhu). Sayyiduna ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Abbas came to Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) and said that Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah is eating. After this occurred for a second time, Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said: “May Allah not satiate him”

Answer

Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) has recorded this narration in his Sahih.

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2604)

The commentators of Sahih Muslim have offered various explanations to the last part of the Hadith where Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said ‘ May Allah not satiate him‘. Among them are the following:

1) Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said this without intending the literal meaning nor did he desire that Allah accept this du’a. This was the general habit of the ‘Arabs to make statements of this nature without intending the literal meaning, as they would say ‘taribat yadak‘ [may your hands be rubbed in sand] or ‘thakilatka Ummuk’ [may your Mother bereave you] as an expression of disapproval.

2) Some commentators have opted to take the literal meaning as Allah Ta’ala says “Answer/respond to Allah and The Messenger when they call” (Surah Al Anfal). Since Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) did not respond promptly, he was rebuked.

3) Other Muhaddithun have stated that this in fact is a virtue for Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu ‘anhu). Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) said:

“I have made a condition with Allah that I am a human. I become happy just as people get happy. I also at times, get angry just as people become angry. So if I make a du’a against someone from my Ummah who is not deserving of that du’a, then Allah will make my du’a against him a means of cleansing him from his sins, a means of purification, a means of reward and a means of gaining closeness to Allah on the day of Qiyamah”

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 2603)

‘Allamah Nawawi states that Imam Muslim (rahimahullah) has recorded the narration in question regarding Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) immediately after the above mentioned Hadith, indicating towards the fact that Sayyiduna Mu’awiyah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) will in actual fact be rewarded for the du’a that Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wa sallam) made.

References for all of the above:

Ikmalul Mu’lim,under Hadith: 2604, Al Mufhim, under Hadith: 2511, Hashiyatus Sindhi ‘Ala Sahih Muslim, pg. 658, Al Minhaj, under Hadith: 6571 and Takmilah Fathul Mulhim. Also see Siyaru A’alamin Nubala, vol. 3 pg. 123/124

And Allah Ta’ala Knows best.

Answered by: Moulana Suhail Motala

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar

Checked by: Moulana Haroon Abasoomar

This answer was collected from HadithAnswers.com. The answers were either answered or checked by Moulana Haroon Abasoomar (rahimahullah) who was a Shaykhul Hadith in South Africa, or by his son, Moulana Muhammad Abasoomer (hafizahullah), who is a Hadith specialist. 

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