Reading from the Commentary
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The Shaykh : Clarify the reason for Abu al-Darda's statement. What is the reason for Abu al-Darda's statement?
The Reader: "And Abu al-Darda said: 'Is there not among you?' This address is to 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, and the one referred to as the owner of the sandals, along with the one mentioned with him, is 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, because he was in charge of serving the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in that regard. In reality, the owner of the sandals is the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it was said of Ibn Mas'ud that he was the owner of the sandals figuratively because he carried them. The hadith mentioned will come connected in the author's section on the Virtues, if Allah wills. The author's presentation of Anas's hadith alongside this part of Abu al-Darda's hadith strongly suggests that the boy mentioned in Anas's hadith is Ibn Mas'ud. We have previously stated that the term 'boy' is used figuratively for someone who is not a minor. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Ibn Mas'ud in Makkah while he was tending sheep: 'You are indeed a boy who has been taught.' Accordingly, Anas's statement: 'And a boy from us' means from the Companions or from the servants of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). As for al-Isma'ili's narration which says: 'From the Ansar,' it is likely a modification by the narrator who saw in the narration: 'From us,' and interpreted it as referring to the tribe, so he narrated it by meaning and said: 'From the Ansar.' Or, using 'Ansar' for all the Companions is permissible, even though custom restricts it to al-Aws and al-Khazraj. Abu Dawud narrated from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he said: 'When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the place of relief, I would bring him water in a jug and he would use it to clean himself.' It is possible that the boy mentioned in Anas's hadith is explained by this. This is supported by what the author narrated in the section on the jinn from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he used to carry the water vessel with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for his ablution and his needs. Also, in another narration by Muslim, Anas described him as young in that hadith, so it is unlikely that he was Ibn Mas'ud, and Allah knows best. The intended meaning of his statement: 'The youngest of us' is in terms of status, due to his recent conversion to Islam. In Muslim's long hadith of Jabir at the end of the book, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to relieve himself, and Jabir followed him with a water vessel. It is possible that the unspecified person is explained by this, especially since he was an Ansari. In al-Isma'ili's narration through the route of 'Asim ibn 'Ali from Shu'bah, it says: 'So I followed him while I was a boy,' with the waw placed before, making it a circumstantial clause. But al-Isma'ili followed up by stating that the correct version is: 'I and a boy,' meaning with the waw of conjunction".
The Shaykh : Is that it?
The Reader: "And Abu Dawud narrated from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he said: 'When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the place of relief, I would bring him water in a jug and he would use it to clean himself.' It is possible that the boy mentioned in Anas's hadith is explained by this. This is supported by what the author narrated in the section on the jinn from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he used to carry the water vessel with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for his ablution and his needs. Also, in another narration by Muslim, Anas described him as young in that hadith, so it is unlikely that he was Ibn Mas'ud, and Allah knows best. The intended meaning of his statement: 'The youngest of us' is in terms of status, due to his recent conversion to Islam. In Muslim's long hadith of Jabir at the end of the book, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to relieve himself, and Jabir followed him with a water vessel. It is possible that the unspecified person is explained by this, especially since he was an Ansari. In al-Isma'ili's narration through the route of 'Asim ibn 'Ali from Shu'bah, it says: 'So I followed him while I was a boy,' with the waw placed before, making it a circumstantial clause. But al-Isma'ili followed up by stating that the correct version is: 'I and a boy,' meaning with the waw of conjunction".
The Shaykh : Is that it?
The Reader: "And Abu al-Darda said: 'Is there not among you?' This address is to 'Uqbah ibn 'Amir, and the one referred to as the owner of the sandals, along with the one mentioned with him, is 'Abdullah ibn Mas'ud, because he was in charge of serving the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) in that regard. In reality, the owner of the sandals is the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him), and it was said of Ibn Mas'ud that he was the owner of the sandals figuratively because he carried them. The hadith mentioned will come connected in the author's section on the Virtues, if Allah wills. The author's presentation of Anas's hadith alongside this part of Abu al-Darda's hadith strongly suggests that the boy mentioned in Anas's hadith is Ibn Mas'ud. We have previously stated that the term 'boy' is used figuratively for someone who is not a minor. The Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) said to Ibn Mas'ud in Makkah while he was tending sheep: 'You are indeed a boy who has been taught.' Accordingly, Anas's statement: 'And a boy from us' means from the Companions or from the servants of the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him). As for al-Isma'ili's narration which says: 'From the Ansar,' it is likely a modification by the narrator who saw in the narration: 'From us,' and interpreted it as referring to the tribe, so he narrated it by meaning and said: 'From the Ansar.' Or, using 'Ansar' for all the Companions is permissible, even though custom restricts it to al-Aws and al-Khazraj. Abu Dawud narrated from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he said: 'When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the place of relief, I would bring him water in a jug and he would use it to clean himself.' It is possible that the boy mentioned in Anas's hadith is explained by this. This is supported by what the author narrated in the section on the jinn from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he used to carry the water vessel with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for his ablution and his needs. Also, in another narration by Muslim, Anas described him as young in that hadith, so it is unlikely that he was Ibn Mas'ud, and Allah knows best. The intended meaning of his statement: 'The youngest of us' is in terms of status, due to his recent conversion to Islam. In Muslim's long hadith of Jabir at the end of the book, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to relieve himself, and Jabir followed him with a water vessel. It is possible that the unspecified person is explained by this, especially since he was an Ansari. In al-Isma'ili's narration through the route of 'Asim ibn 'Ali from Shu'bah, it says: 'So I followed him while I was a boy,' with the waw placed before, making it a circumstantial clause. But al-Isma'ili followed up by stating that the correct version is: 'I and a boy,' meaning with the waw of conjunction".
The Shaykh : Is that it?
The Reader: "And Abu Dawud narrated from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he said: 'When the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to the place of relief, I would bring him water in a jug and he would use it to clean himself.' It is possible that the boy mentioned in Anas's hadith is explained by this. This is supported by what the author narrated in the section on the jinn from the hadith of Abu Hurayrah that he used to carry the water vessel with the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) for his ablution and his needs. Also, in another narration by Muslim, Anas described him as young in that hadith, so it is unlikely that he was Ibn Mas'ud, and Allah knows best. The intended meaning of his statement: 'The youngest of us' is in terms of status, due to his recent conversion to Islam. In Muslim's long hadith of Jabir at the end of the book, the Prophet (peace and blessings be upon him) went to relieve himself, and Jabir followed him with a water vessel. It is possible that the unspecified person is explained by this, especially since he was an Ansari. In al-Isma'ili's narration through the route of 'Asim ibn 'Ali from Shu'bah, it says: 'So I followed him while I was a boy,' with the waw placed before, making it a circumstantial clause. But al-Isma'ili followed up by stating that the correct version is: 'I and a boy,' meaning with the waw of conjunction".
The Shaykh : Is that it?