Source: HadeethEnc.com, English v1.25.0
Arabic text
عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ قَالَ: قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: «اللهُمَّ إِنَّمَا أَنَا بَشَرٌ، فَأَيُّمَا رَجُلٍ مِنَ المُسْلِمِينَ سَبَبْتُهُ أَوْ لَعَنْتُهُ أَوْ جَلَدْتُهُ فَاجْعَلْهَا لَهُ زَكَاةً وَرَحْمَةً».
Translation
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said: "O Allah, I am only human. Any Muslim man whom I insulted, cursed, or flogged, make it a means of purification and mercy for him."
Explanation
The Prophet (ﷺ) supplicated, saying: O Allah, I am only human. I become angry as humans do. So, any believer whom I have harmed, insulted, reviled, cursed, prayed to be expelled from Your mercy, or flogged and struck, make that a source of purification, a means of nearness to You, an expiation, and a mercy by which You show him mercy.
Benefits
- The noble character of the Prophet (ﷺ).
- Ibn Hajar said: This Hadīth indicates the perfection of his compassion (ﷺ) for his Ummah, his beautiful character, and his noble nature, as he intended to compensate for what occurred from him with reparation and honor.
- An-Nawawi said: If it is asked: How could he (the Prophet) supplicate against someone who does not deserve it, or insult him, or curse him, and so forth? The answer is what the scholars have provided, summarized in two points: 1. The intended meaning is that the person is not deserving of that in the sight of Allah Almighty and in the unseen reality of the matter. However, based on outward appearances, he was deserving of it. An indication according to Shariah made it apparent to the Prophet (ﷺ) that the person deserved that, while in the unseen reality, he was not truly deserving. The Prophet (ﷺ) was commanded to judge by outward appearances, and hidden aspects are entrusted to Allah. 2. The insults, curses, and the like that occurred were not intended for their literal meaning. Rather, they were phrases that had become customary in Arabic speech to connect sentences without specific intent, such as saying: May your right hand be covered with dust, ‘Aqra Halqa (expressions of exasperation), and in this Hadīth: May you not grow old!" And in the Hadīth of Mu‘āwiyah: May Allah not fill your stomach, and similar phrases. They did not intend the literal meaning of the supplication in any of these instances. The Prophet (ﷺ) feared that any of these might coincidentally be answered (by Allah), so he asked his Lord, the Majestic and Exalted, and beseeched Him to make that a mercy, an expiation, a means of drawing near (to Allah), a purification, and a reward for the person. But this only occurred from him rarely and on exceptional occasions, and the Prophet (ﷺ) was neither indecent nor one who intentionally used foul language, nor was he someone who cursed others or sought revenge for himself.
Explanation: العربية
دعا النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم فقال: اللهم إنما أنا بشر، أغضب كما يغضب البشر، فأيُّ مؤمن آذيته أو سببته وشتمته، أو لعنته ودعوت عليه بالطرد من رحمتك، أو جلدته وضربته، فاجعل ذلك له زكاة وقربة وتطهيرًا وكفارة ورحمة ترحمه بها.
- عظيم خلق النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم.
- قال ابن حجر: في الحديث كمال شفقته صلى الله عليه وسلم على أمته وجميل خلقه وكرم ذاته حيث قصد مقابلة ما وقع منه بالجبر والتكريم.
- قال النووي: فإن قيل: كيف يدعو على من ليس هو بأهل للدعاء عليه أو يسبه أو يلعنه ونحو ذلك؟ فالجواب ما أجاب به العلماء، ومختصره وجهان: أحدهما: أن المراد ليس بأهل لذلك عند الله تعالى، وفي باطن الأمر، ولكنه في الظاهر مستوجب له، فيظهر له صلى الله عليه وسلم استحقاقه لذلك بأمارة شرعية، ويكون في باطن الأمر ليس أهلًا لذلك، وهو صلى الله عليه وسلم مأمور بالحكم بالظاهر، والله يتولى السرائر. والثاني: أن ما وقع من سبه ودعائه ونحوه ليس بمقصود، بل هو مما جرت به عادة العرب في وصل كلامها بلا نية، كقوله: تَرِبَت يمينك، وعَقْرَى حَلْقَى، وفي هذا الحديث: (لا كبرت سنك)، وفي حديث معاوية: لا أشبع الله بطنك، ونحو ذلك، لا يقصدون بشيء من ذلك حقيقة الدعاء، فخاف صلى الله عليه وسلم أن يصادف شيء من ذلك إجابة، فسأل ربه سبحانه وتعالى ورغب إليه في أن يجعل ذلك رحمة وكفارة، وقربة وطهورًا وأجرًا، وإنما كان يقع هذا منه في النادر والشاذ من الأزمان، ولم يكن صلى الله عليه وسلم فاحشًا ولا متفحِّشًا ولا لعانًا ولا منتقمًا لنفسه.