Hadith #188

Arabic Text

English Translation

Wakīʿ narrated to us: Sufyān narrated to us, from his father, from ʿAbāyah ibn Rifāʿah, from his grandfather Rāfiʿ ibn Khadīj, he said: We were with the Prophet ﷺ at Dhū al-Ḥulayfah of Tihāmah. We obtained sheep and camels. The people hastened and set up pots with them. the Prophet ﷺ came and ordered the pots overturned, then said: 'Ten sheep equal one camel.' Then a camel bolted and the people had only a few horses. A man shot it with an arrow and stopped it. the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: 'These animals have wild tendencies like wild beasts. Whatever overpowers you of them, do the same to it.' Rāfiʿ ibn Khadīj said: 'We hope and we fear that we will meet the enemy tomorrow and we have no knives — shall we slaughter with reeds?' He said: 'Hasten — or: use whatever causes the blood to flow, and the name of Allah is mentioned over it, then eat. Not the tooth or the nail, and I shall tell you about that: as for the tooth, it is bone; and as for the nail, it is the knife of the Abyssinians.'