Question:
Assalamualaikum SS Mufti. What is the status of the story of Ukasyah?
Answer:
Waalaikumussalam wrt wbt,
Alhamdulillah, praise and thanks to Allah for the countless blessings He has blessed us all with. Blessings and salutations to the Prophet Muhammad PBUH, his wives, his family, companions and all those that follow his teachings to the day of judgement.
His name is Ukasyah bin Mihsan bin Hurthan bin Qais bin Murrah and his moniker is Abu Muhsin. He is one of the people who participated in the battle of Badar and fought so hard that he broke his sword in the battle. Then the Prophet PBUH replace it with a branch. This incident is recorded by Imam al-Zahabi in his book:
وَقَدْ أَبْلَى عُكَّاشَةُ يَوْم بَدْرٍ بَلاَءً حَسَناً، وَانْكَسَرَ سَيْفُهُ فِي يَدِهِ، فَأَعْطَاهُ النَّبِيُّ -صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ- عُرْجُوْناً مِنْ نَخْلٍ، أَوْ عُوْداً، فَعَادَ بِإِذْنِ اللهِ فِي يَدِهِ سَيْفاً، فَقَاتَلَ بِهِ
“Ukasyah was tested during the battle of Badar with a great test where his sword broke. The Prophet PBUH then handed him a branch or leaves of a date tree. Then with the will of Allah SWT the branch in his hands changed into a sword.” (See Siyar A’lam al-Nubala’, 308/1)
Furthermore, he also participated in the battle of Uhud, al-Khandaq and other battles. When the Prophet PBUH passed away he was 44 years old. He died as a martyr in the battle of al-Riddah during the time of Abu Bakar al-Siddiq RA. (See Tahzib al-Asma’ wa al-Lughat, 338/1)
Moreover, the Prophet PBUH told him that he would enter paradise without accountability during the day of Judgement. This is recorded in a long hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari and Sahih Muslim. Among them are:
From Abu Hurairah RA, the Prophet PBUH said:
يَدْخُلُ مِنْ أُمَّتِي الْجَنَّةَ سَبْعُونَ أَلْفًا بِغَيْرِ حِسَابٍ، فَقَالَ رَجُلٌ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، ادْعُ اللهِ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنِي مِنْهُمْ، قَالَ: اللهُمَّ اجْعَلْهُ مِنْهُمْ، ثُمَّ قَامَ آخَرُ، فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، ادْعُ اللهِ أَنْ يَجْعَلَنِي مِنْهُمْ قَالَ: سَبَقَكَ بِهَا عُكَّاشَةُ
“Seventy thousand (persons) of my Ummah would enter Paradise without rendering an account. Upon this a person said: Messenger of Allah. pray to Allah that He make me one of them. He (the Holy Prophet) said: O Allah! make him one of them. Then another stood up and said: Messenger of Allah, pray to Allah that He make me one of them. He (the Holy Prophet) said: 'Ukkasha has preceded you in this matter.”
Sahih Muslim (367)
According to the above question, the story that Ukasyah kisses the stomach of the Prophet PBUH is said to be narrated by Ibn Abbas RA in Mu’jam al-Kabir by Imam al-Thabarani in depth. Here, we include a part of the text or matan:
ثُمَّ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ: يَا عُكَّاشَةُ اضْرِبْ إِنْ كُنْتَ ضارِبًا. فَقَالَ: يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ، ضَرَبْتَني وَأَنَا حاسِرٌ عَنْ بَطْنِي. فَكَشَفَ عَنْ بَطْنِهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ، وَصَاحَ الْمُسْلِمُونَ بِالْبُكَاءِ، وَقَالُوا: أَتُرَى عُكَّاشَةُ ضَارِبٌ رَسُولَ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ؟ فَلَمَّا نَظَرَ عُكَّاشَةُ إِلَى بَيَاضِ بَطْنِ رَسُولِ اللهِ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ كَأَنَّهُ، وَقَبَّلَ بَطْنَهُ
“The Messenger of Allah PBUH said: O Ukasyah hit me if it is true that I hit you before,” Ukasyah said: “O Messenger of Allah, you hit me on my exposed stomach.” The Prophet PBUH then expose his stomach while the Muslim ummah who are witnessing this was crying. They said, “Will you be able bear seeing Ukasyah hitting the Prophet PBUH?”. When Ukasyah saw the white stomch of the Prophet PBUH, he kisses it.”
Narrated by al-Thabarani (2676)
Status of the Hadith
Among the scholars who evaluated the hadith:
- Imam Ibn Jauzi said the hadith is fake and may Allah SWT punish anyone whose intention is to harm the shariah with cold confusion and speech which should not be referred to be from the Prophet PBUH or his companions. (See al-Mawdhu’at, 301/1)
- Imam Ibn Hajar al-Haithami said that Abd al-Mun’im bin Idris is a liar and fabricator of hadith. (See Majma’ al-Zawaid, 31/9)
- Imam al-Suyuthi evaluated the hadith or narration as fake. (See al-La’aali al-Masnu’ah, 257/1)
- Imam Ibn Iraq al-Kinani said one of the narrators in the hadith is a liar and he is Abd al-Mun’im bin Idris. (See Tanzih al-Syari’ah, 331/1)
- Imam al-Syaukani in his book said the hadith is damaged because of Abd al-Mun’im bin Idris bin Sinan. (See al-Fawaid al-Majmu’ah, 324)
Considering the above opinions of scholars, we are inclined to state that the narration about Ukasyah is fake. The reason is one of its narrators is a liar and fabricator of hadith. Furthermore, in the matan or text of the hadith there are several characteristics that show that it is a fake or fabricated hadith.
Conclusion
In a conclusion, the story of Ukasyah is fake and we are prohibited from conveying it to others unless in stating that it is fake. However, there is a similar incident happened to Usaid bin Hudhair and not Ukasyah. The hadith is as the following:
بَيْنَمَا هُوَ يُحَدِّثُ الْقَوْمَ وَكَانَ فِيهِ مِزَاحٌ بَيْنَا يُضْحِكُهُمْ فَطَعَنَهُ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فِي خَاصِرَتِهِ بِعُودٍ. فَقَالَ: أَصْبِرْنِي. فَقَالَ: اصْطَبِرْ. قَالَ: إِنَّ عَلَيْكَ قَمِيصًا وَلَيْسَ عَلَيَّ قَمِيصٌ، فَرَفَعَ النَّبِيُّ صَلَّى اللهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ عَنْ قَمِيصِهِ، فَاحْتَضَنَهُ وَجَعَلَ يُقَبِّلُ كَشْحَهُ، قَالَ إِنَّمَا أَرَدْتُ هَذَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ
“While he was given to jesting and was talking to the people and making them laugh, the Prophet (ﷺ) poked him under the ribs with a stick. He said: Let me take retaliation. He said: Take retaliation. He said: You are wearing a shirt but I am not. The Prophet (ﷺ) then raised his shirt and the man embraced him and began to kiss his side. Then he said: This is what I wanted, Messenger of Allah!”
Sunan Abu Daud (5224) [Syeikh Syu’aib al-Arna’outh said that the narrators of the hadith is trustworthy (thiqah) but Abdurrahman bin Abi Layla did not meet Usaid bin Hudhair]
Other than Imam Abu Daud, Imam al-Baghawi in Syarh al-Sunnah, Imam al-Thabarani in al-Mu’jam al-Kabir, Imam al-Hakim in al-Mustadrak and Imam al-Baihaqi in Syu’aib al-Iman also recorded this hadith. Lastly, may Allah SWT make us from among the people that is loved by the Prophet PBUH and his companions and let us all enter paradise together with them. Amin.
Wallahua’lam.