روي أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم أتي بقدر فيه خضرات من بقول. فوجد لها ريحا، فسأل فأخبر بما فيها من البقول فقال قربوها. فقربوها إلى بعض أصحابه كان معه. فلما رآه كره أكلها قال: كل فإني أناجي من لا تناجي.
It is reported that once a pot containing vegetables was brought to the Prophet (pbuh). At sensing a strong odor for its contents he asked about it and was told what was in the pot and was told about its contents. He then directed people to bring it closer. They brought it closer to one of the companions with him. When the companion saw it, he disliked to eat it. The Prophet said [to his companion]: ‘Eat. [I will not eat it] because I converse with them1, Whom you do not converse with2.’
General Notes:
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The accusative clause in this sentence may be angels or God. The narrative has been translated by preferring the former option. In case of the latter option, the translation would be ‘I converse with Him, whom you do not converse with.
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This narrative clearly shows that the Prophet (pbuh) did not like to eat the vegetable (probably garlic) with the strong odor, but allowed his companion to eat it. The reason given by the Prophet (pbuh) relates to his strong sense of cleanness, his esthetic sense and his carefulness and preparedness for conversing with God and His angels.
Notes on the Text of the Narrative
This narrative or a part of it with some variations has been reported in Bukhariy (narrative no. 817 and 6926); Muslim (narrative no. 564); Abu Dawood (narrative no. 3822); Bayhaqiy (narrative no. 4835 and 13108) and Nissay’s Sunan Al-Kubraa (narrative no. 6688). The preferred text is reported in Bukhariy’s narrative no. 817.
Regarding this narrative, Bukhariy observes: “فلا أدري هو من قول الزهري أو في الحديث“ (i.e., “I do not know if this is a statement of Al-Zuhriy (one of the narrators) or a part of the Hadith“).
In some narratives, as in Bukhariy’s narrative no. 6926, the word “قدر“ (i.e., ‘utensil’) has been replaced with its synonym “بدر“, while in Nissaiy’s Sunan al-Kubraa’s narrative no. 6688, it has been reported as “بشئ“ (i.e., ‘something’).
In some narratives, as in Bayhaqiy’s narrative no. 13108, the word “خضرات“ (i.e., ‘vegetables’) have been reported in its plural form as “خضروات“ (i.e., ‘vegetables’), while in Nissaiy’s Sunan al-Kubraa’s narrative no. 6688, it has been reported as “أخضران“ (i.e., ‘vegetables’).
In some narratives, as in Nissaiy’s Sunan al-Kubraa’s narrative no. 6688, the phrase “فوجد لها ريحا“ (i.e., ‘he sensed for it an odor’) have been reported as “فوجد بها ريحا“ (i.e., ‘he sensed in it an odor’).
The word “فقربوها“ (i.e., ‘they brought it close’) have been narrated in Bukhariy’s narrative no. 6926.
This write-up is prepared by the Hadith Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi