باب آداب السير والنزول والمبيت والنوم في السفر واستحباب السري والرفق بالدواب ومراعاة مصلحتها وجواز الإرداف علي الدابة إذا كانت تطيق ذلك
Travel exposes a person, their body tires, their patience thins, and the creatures they depend on cannot speak for themselves. This chapter gathers the Prophet's guidance for the road, and a thread runs through all of it, mercy. Mercy toward the riding animal, mercy toward your own rest, and an awareness that even on a journey the believer moves with care and not carelessness.
Watch how concrete the teaching is. Give a grazing camel its share of the green earth, hurry across barren ground before its strength fails, keep off the road when you sleep, stay close together rather than scattering, and never let a beast in your charge go hungry. The Arabic word to hold onto is rifq, gentleness, the quiet kindness that the Prophet showed even to a weeping camel.
Hadith 962
Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : “إذا سافرتم في الخصب فأعطوا الإبل حظها من الأرض وإذا سافرتم في الجدب فأسرعوا عليها السير وبادروا بها نقيها، وإذا عرستم، فاجتنبوا الطريق، فإن طرق الدواب، ومأوي الهوام بالليل” ((رواه مسلم)). معنى: “أعطوا الإبل حظها من الأرض” أي: ارفقوا بها في السير لترعي في حال سيرها وقوله: نقيها وهو بكسر النون، وإسكان القاف، وبالياء المثناة من تحت وهو: المخ، معناه: أسرعوا بها حتي تصلوا المقصد قبل أن يذهب مخها من ضنك السير. و التعريس النزول في الليل.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "When you travel through green and lush land, give the camels their due from the ground, and when you travel through a dry and barren land, make them walk quickly lest their strength falters. When you encamp at night, keep away from the roads, for beasts pass there and they are the resort of insects at night." [Muslim].
In plain words
The Prophet taught travellers to be kind to their mounts: let them graze their fill on green land, move them briskly across barren ground before their strength fails, and avoid camping on the roads where animals and insects pass.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 962 In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 7
Hadith 963
Abu Qatadah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي قتادة، رضي الله عنه، قال: كان رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، إذا كان في سفر، فعرس بليل اضطجع علي يمينه وإذا عرس قبيل الصبح نصب ذراعه، ووضع رأسه علي كفه" ((رواه مسلم)). قال العلماء: إنما نصب ذراعه لئلا يستغرق في النوم، فتفوته صلاة الصبح عن وقتها أو عن أول وقتها.
When the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) encamped at night during a journey, he would lie down on his right side, and when he stayed a little before dawn he would raise his forearm and place his head on the palm of his hand. [Muslim].
In plain words
On the journey the Prophet rested lying on his right side, and shortly before dawn he would raise his arm and rest his head on his hand, a simple glimpse of how he managed sleep while travelling.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 963 In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 8
Hadith 964
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
عن أنس، رضي الله عنه، قال: قال رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم : "عليكم بالدلجة، فإن الأرض تطوي بالليل" ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد حسن)) الدلجة : السير في الليل
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, "Keep to travelling by night because the earth is folded (traversed more easily) during the night." [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
The Prophet recommended travelling by night, since distances are covered more easily then.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 964 In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 9
Hadith 965
Abu Tha'labah Al-Khushani (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أبي ثعلبة الخشني، رضي الله عنه، قال: كان الناس إذا نزلوا منزلاً تفرقوا في الشعاب والأودية. فقال رسول الله، صلى الله عليه وسلم : "إن تفرقكم في هذه الشعاب والأودية إنما ذلكم من الشيطان!" فلم ينزلوا بعد ذلك منزلا إلا انضم بعضهم إلي بعض. ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد حسن)).
Whenever the people encamped during the journey, they would disperse in the mountain passes and valleys. (When) the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) noticed this he said, "Your act of scattering in the mountain passes and valleys is from Satan." Afterwards the Companions kept close together whenever they encamped. [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
When the Companions scattered into the passes and valleys at camp, the Prophet told them such scattering is from Satan, so afterward they kept close together.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 965 In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 10
Hadith 966
Sahl bin 'Amr known as Ibn Al-Hanzaliyyah reported:
وعن سهل بن عمرو -وقيل سهل بن الربيع بن عمرو الأنصاري المعروف بابن الحنظلية، وهو من أهل بيعة الرضوان، رضي الله عنه، قال: مر رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ببعير قد لحق ظهره بطنه، فقال: "اتقوا الله في هذه البهائهم المعجمة، فاركبوها صالحة وكلوها صالحة" ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد صحيح)).
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) happened to pass by a camel whose belly was sticking to its back (because of hunger), whereupon he said, "Fear Allah in respect of these dumb (animals). Ride them while they are fit, and slaughter them and eat their meat when they are fit." [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
Seeing a camel starved to the bone, the Prophet urged people to fear Allah regarding these animals that cannot speak, riding and using them while they are healthy and well cared for.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 966 In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 11
Hadith 967
Abu Ja'far 'Abdullah bin Ja'far (May Allah be pleased with them) reported:
وعن أبي جعفر عبد الله بن جعفر، رضي الله عنهما، قال: أردفني رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم ، ذات يوم خلفه، وأسر إلي حديثاً لا أحدث به أحداً من الناس وكان أحب ما أستتر به رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم لحاجته هدف أو حائش نخل. يعنى: حائط نخل" ((رواه هكذا مختصراً)). وزاد فيه البرقاني بإسناد مسلم بعد قوله: حائش نخل: فدخل حائطاً لرجل من الأنصار، فإذا فيه جمل، فلما رأي رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم جرجر وذرفت عيناه، فأتاه النبي صلى الله عليه وسلمى الله عليه وسلم الله عليه وسلم ، فمسح سراته -أى: سنامه- وذفراه فسكن؛ فقال: من رب هذا الجمل، لمن هذا الجمل؟ فجاء فتى من الأنصار، فقال: هذا لي يا رسول الله، فقال: أفلا تتقي الله في هذه البهيمة التي ملكك الله إياها؟ فإنه يشكو إلي أنك تجيعه وتدئبه ((رواه أبو داود كرواية البرقاني)). قوله: ذفراه وهو بكسر الذال المعجمة وإسكان الفاء، وهو لفظ مفرد مؤنث. قال أهل اللغة: الذفري: الموضع الذي يعرق من البعير خلف الأذن، وقوله: تذئبه أي: تتعبه.
The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) made me ride behind him one day and confided something to me which I shall never disclose to anyone. ('Abdullah added:) He ((ﷺ) preferred to screen himself from others when responding to the call of nature, either behind a wall or the trunk of a date-palm. [Muslim]. Al-Barqani added: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) entered an orchid belonging to an Ansari and saw there a camel. When it saw him, it began to groan and its eyes shed tears. The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) approached it and patted it on the hump and the base of its head until it quieted down. Then he (ﷺ) asked, "Who is the owner of this camel? To whom does it belong?" An Ansari youth stepped forward and said: "It is mine O Messenger of Allah!" He said, "Do you not fear Allah in respect of this beast which Allah has placed in your possession? This camel is complaining to me that you starve it and put it to toil." [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
Among these reports, the Prophet found a camel weeping from hunger and overwork, comforted it, and rebuked its owner for starving and overworking the animal Allah had placed in his care.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 967 In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 12
Hadith 968
Anas (May Allah be pleased with him) reported:
وعن أنس، رضي الله عنه، قال: كنا إذا نزلنا منزلا لا نسبح حتي نحل الرحال. ((رواه أبو داود بإسناد علي شرط مسلم)). وقوله: لا نسبح : أي لا نصلي النافلة، ومعناه: أنا -مع حرصنا علي الصلاة- لا نقدمها على حط الرحال وإراحة الدواب
When we encamped, we would not offer (voluntary) prayers until we had unsaddled our beasts. [Abu Dawud].
In plain words
The Companions would not even pray voluntary prayers at a stop until they had first unsaddled and relieved their animals, putting the beasts' comfort first.
Reference : Riyad as-Salihin 968 In-book reference : Book 7, Hadith 13