Chapter: "Chapter: If the elder does not speak, may the younger speak?"
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The Shaykh : In the previous lesson, we had: "Chapter: The elder begins the speech and the question", and under it was cited the hadith of the Companion who was killed by the Jews, so his companions and some of his brothers came to the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) seeking retribution for his blood. One of them began to speak, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) ordered the eldest among them to begin the speech.
Now, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) introduces a new chapter and says:
"Chapter: If the elder does not speak, may the younger speak?"
We mentioned in the previous lesson that the previous chapter and the hadith under it indicate one of the etiquettes of gatherings, which is that it is not befitting for the younger in knowledge and age to precede the elder in age and knowledge.
Now, due to the precision of Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), he brings a new legal ruling under this chapter and says: "If the elder does not speak, may the younger speak?"
The answer is understood from the following hadith, and it is affirmative, as has become clear to us.
The hadith he cited under this chapter has a valid chain of narration, and it is narrated by
from Ibn 'Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 360. The hadith ends here.
We return to some of the commentary on the hadith:
In a gathering, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) intended to test his Companions and examine their understanding, so he directed to them the following question:Sahih al-Bukhari 6144:
What does "like a Muslim" mean?
It means that it constantly benefits people; that is the nature of the Muslim man, that he is always and forever beneficial to people. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specified the tree he likened to the Muslim by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):Jami` at-Tirmidhi 3119Sahih (Darussalam), and this is a piece of the Noble Qur'an: [Ibrahim 14:24-25]:
The word "al-hin" (time) in the language of the Arabs is used to refer to varying durations, ranging from a moment to long years. So here, in this phrase that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) quoted in this hadith from the aforementioned verse[Ibrahim 14:25], "al-hin" here means the year. This is in contrast to, for example: [Al-Insan 76:1], where the intended meaning is a long period, said to be forty years.
The point is that among the characteristics of this tree, which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) likened to the Muslim, is that he described it as yielding its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord, meaning: every year. And this is one of its characteristics:
, meaning: it does not fall; it remains fixed on its branches and its parts, not falling like most trees, but remaining as it is, green. This was the question; the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) was asking the Companions to inform him of a tree that is like a Muslim, for it constantly and forever benefits people. For the date palm tree, although it bears fruit once a year, this fruit remains food stored for its owners until the next year, when the tree has borne fruit anew, and so on. Thus, it benefits people and yields its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord. This is a prominent characteristic of the date palm tree, so the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) added to this characteristic another characteristic equally prominent, which is its greenness and the persistence of the tree on its mother and its root. He said (peace and blessings be upon him): .
When the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked this question of his noble Companions, it was suggested to the mind of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab that it was the date palm. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab; 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was among the senior Companions who embraced Islam early, and his son was young in age, and naturally he was present in the gathering when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) directed this question. He possessed wisdom; 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar possessed wisdom, and he possessed shrewdness, and he possessed knowledge, and he possessed, finally, the etiquette of knowledge, and the etiquette of scholars and the gatherings of scholars. It was suggested to him that it was the tree whose characteristic is that it yields its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord, and whose characteristic is that its leaves do not fall. Who could this be but the date palm? But he controlled his nerves.
Now, the author (may Allah have mercy on him) introduces a new chapter and says:
"Chapter: If the elder does not speak, may the younger speak?"
We mentioned in the previous lesson that the previous chapter and the hadith under it indicate one of the etiquettes of gatherings, which is that it is not befitting for the younger in knowledge and age to precede the elder in age and knowledge.
Now, due to the precision of Imam al-Bukhari (may Allah have mercy on him), he brings a new legal ruling under this chapter and says: "If the elder does not speak, may the younger speak?"
The answer is understood from the following hadith, and it is affirmative, as has become clear to us.
The hadith he cited under this chapter has a valid chain of narration, and it is narrated by
from Ibn 'Umar, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) said:
Tell me which tree is like the Muslim? It gives fruits at all times by the permission of its Lord and its leaves do not fall.' It occurred to me that it was the palm tree, but I did not want to speak as Abu Bakr and 'Umar, may Allah be pleased with them, were both present. When they did not speak, the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, 'It is the palm tree.' When I left with my father, I said, 'Father, I thought that it was the palm,.' He asked, 'What kept you from saying that? If you had said so, I would have preferred that to such-and-such.' I said, 'What kept me from doing so was that I did not see you or Abu Bakr speak, so I did not like to speak out.'"
أخبروني بشجرة مثلها مثل المسلم ، تُؤتي أُكلها كل حين بإذن ربها لا تحث ورقها ؟ فوقع في نفسي النخلة فكرهت أن أتكلم ، وثَمَ أبوبكر وعمر -رضي الله عنهما- فلما لم يتكلما قال النبي صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم : هي النخلة ، فلما خرجت مع أبي قلت : يا أبتي وقع في نفسي النخلة ، قال : ما منعك أن تقولها ؟! لو كنت قلتها كان أحب إليّ من كذا وكذا ، قال : ما منعني إلا لم أرك ولا أبابكر تكلمتما فكرهتWe return to some of the commentary on the hadith:
In a gathering, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) intended to test his Companions and examine their understanding, so he directed to them the following question:
Inform me of a tree which resembles a Muslim
أخبروني بشجرة مثلها مثل المسلمWhat does "like a Muslim" mean?
It means that it constantly benefits people; that is the nature of the Muslim man, that he is always and forever beneficial to people. And the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) specified the tree he likened to the Muslim by his saying (peace and blessings be upon him):
and its branches (reach) to the sky
تؤتي أُكُلها كلّ حين بإذن ربها(24) Have you not considered how Allah presents an example, [making] a good word like a good tree, whose root is firmly fixed and its branches [high] in the sky? (25) It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord.
ألم تر كيف ضرب الله مثلاً كلمة طيبة كشجرة طيبة أصلُها ثابت وفرعها في السماء تؤتي أُكلها كلَّ حين بإذن ربهاThe word "al-hin" (time) in the language of the Arabs is used to refer to varying durations, ranging from a moment to long years. So here, in this phrase that the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) quoted in this hadith from the aforementioned verse
It produces its fruit all the time, by permission of its Lord.
تُؤتِي أُكلها كل حين بإذن ربهاHas there [not] come upon man a period of time when he was not a thing [even] mentioned?
هل أتى على الإنسان حين من الدهر لم يكن شيئاً مذكوراًThe point is that among the characteristics of this tree, which the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) likened to the Muslim, is that he described it as yielding its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord, meaning: every year. And this is one of its characteristics:
It does not shed its leaves
لا تحث ورقهاIt does not shed its leaves
لا تحث ورقهاWhen the Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings be upon him) asked this question of his noble Companions, it was suggested to the mind of 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab that it was the date palm. 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar ibn al-Khattab; 'Umar ibn al-Khattab was among the senior Companions who embraced Islam early, and his son was young in age, and naturally he was present in the gathering when the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him and his family) directed this question. He possessed wisdom; 'Abdullah ibn 'Umar possessed wisdom, and he possessed shrewdness, and he possessed knowledge, and he possessed, finally, the etiquette of knowledge, and the etiquette of scholars and the gatherings of scholars. It was suggested to him that it was the tree whose characteristic is that it yields its fruit at all times by the permission of its Lord, and whose characteristic is that its leaves do not fall. Who could this be but the date palm? But he controlled his nerves.