Re: Bukhari 5917 explained

Question: Can you explain this hadith:

"The Prophet (ﷺ) used to copy the people of the Scriptures in matters in which there was no order from Allah."

Sahih al-Bukhari 5917

 Answer:

Praise be to Allah, 

Here is the full text of the hadith:

عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ كَانَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم يُحِبُّ مُوَافَقَةَ أَهْلِ الْكِتَابِ فِيمَا لَمْ يُؤْمَرْ فِيهِ، وَكَانَ أَهْلُ الْكِتَابِ يَسْدِلُونَ أَشْعَارَهُمْ، وَكَانَ الْمُشْرِكُونَ يَفْرُقُونَ رُءُوسَهُمْ، فَسَدَلَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَاصِيَتَهُ، ثُمَّ فَرَقَ بَعْدُ‏.‏

The Prophet ﷺ used to like to adopt the customs of the People of the Book in matters not specifically commanded by Allah. The People of the Book would let their hair hang down, while the polytheists would part their hair. So the Prophet ﷺ adopted the practice of letting his hair hang down from his forehead, and then parted it afterwards.  [Sahih al-Bukhari 5917]

Explanation:

Diverting from the practices of the disbelievers is a general principle, so that they could be distinguished by their actions and appearances. In this hadith, Abdullah bin Abbas, may Allah be pleased with him, informs that the Prophet ﷺ used to let his hair hang down - without dividing it into two halves - because the polytheists used to divide their heads from the middle into two parts. The people of the Book, the Jews and the Christians, used to let their hair hang down.

Therefore, the Prophet ﷺ agreed with the people of the Book and disagreed with the idolaters, because the people of the Book were closer to the truth than the polytheists. The Prophet ﷺ loved to agree with the people of the Book in matters where there was no revelation, and his agreement with them was because he had to agree with one of the two groups, so he chose to agree with the people of the Book because they were still following some of the remains of the religion of the prophets, which had not been distorted or changed. Later, when only the people of the Book remained and most Arabs entered the religion of Allah in masses, he parted his hair, contrary to the people of the Book, and ordered to part the hair contrary to the Jews and Christians.

This hadith explains the legitimacy of parting the hair.

The hadith ensure that the people of Islam are distinguished from others such as people of the Book and polytheists. [ See Hadith Encyclopedia ]

Imam Ibn Hajar commented:

وكأن السر في ذلك أن أهل الأوثان أبعد عن الإيمان من أهل الكتاب ، ولأن أهل الكتاب يتمسكون بشريعة في الجملة فكان يحب موافقتهم ليتألفهم ولو أدت موافقتهم إلى مخالفة أهل الأوثان ، فلما أسلم أهل الأوثان الذين معه والذين حوله واستمر أهل الكتاب على كفرهم تمحضت المخالفة لأهل الكتاب...

    وقد جمعت المسائل التي وردت الأحاديث فيها بمخالفة أهل الكتاب فزادت على الثلاثين حكما ، وقد أودعتها كتابي الذي سميته " القول الثبت في الصوم يوم السبت ".

"And it seems that the reason for that is that the people of idols are further from faith than the people of the Book, and because the people of the Book cling to a law as a whole, the Prophet ﷺ loved their agreement to draw them to Islam, even if their agreement led to opposition to the people of idols. So, when the people of idols, who were with him and around him, embraced Islam and the people of the Book continued in their disbelief, the opposition became purely to the people of the Book....

I have compiled the issues whose hadiths ordered to divert from the practice of People of the Book, and they have exceeded thirty rulings. I have deposited them in my book, which I named 'Al-Qawl Al-Thabit Fi Sawm Yawm Al-Sabt' (The Confirmed Statement Regarding Fasting on Saturday)."

In conclusion, Muslims used to consider people of the book more close to the truth because they have remnants of divine revelation (That's why they were happy when Romans defeated Persians).

Later, when Jews and Christians started to express enmity and aggression against Muslims, things changed and Prophet Muhammad ﷺ prohibited emulating them.

And Allah knows best!