The Elderly
بَابُ فَضْلِ الْكَبِيرِ
The excellence of the older person
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عِيسَى، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِي صَخْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ قُسَيْطٍ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ، عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا، وَيَعْرِفْ حَقَّ كَبِيرِنَا، فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا.
Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who does not show mercy to our children nor acknowledge the right of our old people is not one of us."
بَابُ فَضْلِ الْكَبِيرِ
The excellence of the older person
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيٌّ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي جُرَيْجٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَامِرٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ، يَبْلُغُ بِهِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، قَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا، وَيَعْرِفْ حَقَّ كَبِيرِنَا، فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا.
'Abdullah ibn 'Amr ibn al-'As reported that it reached him that the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Anyone who does not show mercy to our children nor acknowledge the right of our old people is not one of us."
بَابُ فَضْلِ الْكَبِيرِ
The excellence of the older person
حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَةُ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ جَدِّهِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَعْرِفْ حَقَّ كَبِيرِنَا، وَيَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا.
The same from 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb.
بَابُ فَضْلِ الْكَبِيرِ
The excellence of the older person
حَدَّثَنَا مَحْمُودٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، أَخْبَرَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ جَمِيلٍ، عَنِ الْقَاسِمِ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ، عَنْ أَبِي أُمَامَةَ، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ: مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا، وَيُجِلَّ كَبِيرَنَا، فَلَيْسَ مِنَّا.
The same from Abu Umama.
بَابُ إِجْلالِ الْكَبِيرِ
Respect for the Old
حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللهِ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا عَوْفٌ، عَنْ زِيَادِ بْنِ مِخْرَاقٍ قَالَ: قَالَ أَبُو كِنَانَةَ، عَنِ الأَشْعَرِيِّ قَالَ: إِنَّ مِنَ إِجْلاَلِ اللهِ إِكْرَامَ ذِي الشَّيْبَةِ الْمُسْلِمِ، وَحَامِلِ الْقُرْآنِ، غَيْرِ الْغَالِي فِيهِ، وَلاَ الْجَافِي عَنْهُ، وَإِكْرَامَ ذِي السُّلْطَانِ الْمُقْسِطِ.
Al-Ash'ari said, "Part of respect for Allah is to show respect to an old Muslim and to someone who knows the Qur'an, as long as he does not go to excess in it nor turn away from it, and to respect a just ruler."
بَابُ إِجْلالِ الْكَبِيرِ
Respect for the Old
حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ سَلامٍ، قَالَ: أَخْبَرَنَا جَرِيرٌ، عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ بْنِ عَمْرِو بْنِ الْعَاصِ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: لَيْسَ مِنَّا مَنْ لَمْ يَرْحَمْ صَغِيرَنَا، وَيُوَقِّرْ كَبِيرَنَا.
Same as 354.
بَابُ يَبْدَأُ الْكَبِيرُ بِالْكَلاَمِ وَالسُّؤَالِ
The old person should be the first to speak and ask
حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ حَرْبٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا حَمَّادُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ، عَنْ يَحْيَى بْنِ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ بُشَيْرِ بْنِ يَسَارٍ مَوْلَى الأَنْصَارِ، عَنْ رَافِعِ بْنِ خَدِيجٍ، وَسَهْلِ بْنِ أَبِي حَثْمَةَ، أَنَّهُمَا حَدَثَا، أَوْ حَدَّثَاهُ، أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللهِ بْنَ سَهْلٍ، وَمُحَيِّصَةَ بْنَ مَسْعُودٍ، أَتَيَا خَيْبَرَ فَتَفَرَّقَا فِي النَّخْلِ، فَقُتِلَ عَبْدُ اللهِ بْنُ سَهْلٍ، فَجَاءَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ سَهْلٍ، وَحُوَيِّصَةُ وَمُحَيِّصَةُ ابْنَا مَسْعُودٍ إِلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي أَمْرِ صَاحِبِهِمْ، فَبَدَأَ عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ، وَكَانَ أَصْغَرَ الْقَوْمِ، فَقَالَ لَهُ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: كَبِّرِ الْكِبَرَ، قَالَ يَحْيَى: لِيَلِيَ الْكَلاَمَ الأَكْبَرُ، فَتَكَلَّمُوا فِي أَمْرِ صَاحِبِهِمْ. فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: اسْتَحِقُّوا قَتِيلَكُمْ، أَوْ قَالَ: صَاحِبَكُمْ، بِأَيْمَانِ خَمْسِينَ مِنْكُمْ، قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، أَمْرٌ لَمْ نَرَهُ، قَالَ: فَتُبْرِئُكُمْ يَهُودُ بِأَيْمَانِ خَمْسِينَ مِنْهُمْ، قَالُوا: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، قَوْمٌ كُفَّارٌ. فَفَدَاهُ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم مِنْ قِبَلِهِ.
Rafi' ibn Khudayj and Sahl ibn Abi Hathama reported that 'Abdullah ibn Sahl and Muhayyisa ibn Mas'ud came to Khaybar and parted when they were among the palm trees. 'Abdullah ibn Sahl was murdered. 'Abdu'r-Rahman ibn Sahl and Huwayyisa and Muhayyisa, the sons of Mas'ud came to the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and spoke to him about their (murdered) companion. 'Abdu'r-Rahman, the youngest of those present, began to speak, but the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said, "Let the oldest speak first." (or "Exalt the eldest.") They spoke about their companion and the Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, asked, "Will fifty of you take an oath that you are entitled to the blood-money of your murdered man?" They replied, "Messenger of Allah, this is something which we did not see." He said, "Then will the Jews exonerate themselves by the oaths of fifty of them?" They protested, "Messenger of Allah, they are unbelievers!" So the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, himself paid his blood money."
بَابُ إِذَا لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمِ الْكَبِيرُ هَلْ لِلأَصْغَرِ أَنْ يَتَكَلَّمَ؟
When an older person does not speak, can the youngest speak then?
حَدَّثَنَا مُسَدَّدٌ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ سَعِيدٍ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللهِ قَالَ: حَدَّثَنِي نَافِعٌ، عَنِ ابْنِ عُمَرَ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم: أَخْبِرُونِي بِشَجَرَةٍ مَثَلُهَا مَثَلُ الْمُسْلِمِ، تُؤْتِي أُكُلَهَا كُلَّ حِينٍ بِإِذْنِ رَبِّهَا، لاَ تَحُتُّ وَرَقَهَا، فَوَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي النَّخْلَةُ، فَكَرِهْتُ أَنْ أَتَكَلَّمَ، وَثَمَّ أَبُو بَكْرٍ وَعُمَرُ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا، فَلَمَّا لَمْ يَتَكَلَّمَا قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم: هِيَ النَّخْلَةُ، فَلَمَّا خَرَجْتُ مَعَ أَبِي قُلْتُ: يَا أَبَتِ، وَقَعَ فِي نَفْسِي النَّخْلَةُ، قَالَ: مَا مَنَعَكَ أَنْ تَقُولَهَا؟ لَوْ كُنْتَ قُلْتَهَا كَانَ أَحَبَّ إِلَيَّ مِنْ كَذَا وَكَذَا، قَالَ: مَا مَنَعَنِي إِلاَّ لَمْ أَرَكَ، وَلاَ أَبَا بَكْرٍ تَكَلَّمْتُمَا، فَكَرِهْتُ.
Ibn 'Umar said, "The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, 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.'"
بَابُ تَسْوِيدِ الأكَابِرِ
Making the old leaders
حَدَّثَنَا عَمْرُو بْنُ مَرْزُوقٍ، قَالَ: حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ: سَمِعْتُ مُطَرِّفًا، عَنْ حَكِيمِ بْنِ قَيْسِ بْنِ عَاصِمٍ، أَنَّ أَبَاهُ أَوْصَى عِنْدَ مَوْتِهِ بَنِيهِ فَقَالَ: اتَّقُوا اللَّهَ وَسَوِّدُوا أَكْبَرُكُمْ، فَإِنَّ الْقَوْمَ إِذَا سَوَّدُوا أَكْبَرَهُمْ خَلَفُوا أَبَاهُمْ، وَإِذَا سَوَّدُوا أَصْغَرَهُمْ أَزْرَى بِهِمْ ذَلِكَ فِي أَكْفَائِهِمْ. وَعَلَيْكُمْ بِالْمَالِ وَاصْطِنَاعِهِ، فَإِنَّهُ مَنْبَهَةٌ لِلْكَرِيمِ، وَيُسْتَغْنَى بِهِ عَنِ اللَّئِيمِ. وَإِيَّاكُمْ وَمَسْأَلَةَ النَّاسِ، فَإِنَّهَا مِنْ آخِرِ كَسْبِ الرَّجُلِ. وَإِذَا مُتُّ فَلاَ تَنُوحُوا، فَإِنَّهُ لَمْ يُنَحْ عَلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم. وَإِذَا مُتُّ فَادْفِنُونِي بِأَرْضٍ لاَ يَشْعُرُ بِدَفْنِي بَكْرُ بْنُ وَائِلٍ، فَإِنِّي كُنْتُ أُغَافِلُهُمْ فِي الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ.
Hakim ibn Qays ibn 'Asim reported that when his father was dying, he enjoined his sons: "Fear Allah and make the oldest among you your leaders. When people make the oldest among them their leaders, they follow their fathers. When they make the youngest among them their leaders, that lowers them in the sight of their peers. You must have wealth and use it well. It is an impetus for the generous and it will make you independent of critics. Beware of asking people. It is a man's last source of earning. When I die, do not wail. There was no wailing for the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. When I die, bury me in a land where the Bakr ibn Wa'il will not know where I am buried. I used to waylay on the roads in the time of the Jahiliyya."