Hadith on Abraham: The story of Zaid ibn Amr’s search for the true religion of Abraham

Ibn Umar reported: Zaid ibn Amr ibn Nufail went to Syria to ask about a ture religion to follow. He met a Jewish scholar and he asked them about their religion. Zaid said, “I intend to embrace your religion, so tell me something about it.” The Jew said, “You cannot embrace our religion until you receive a share of Allah’s anger.” Zaid said, “I do not run except from Allah’s anger and I will never bear it if I can avoid it; can you tell me about another religion?” He said, “I do not know of any other religion but the Haneef.” Zaid said, “What is the Haneef?” He said, “Haneef is the religion of Abraham who was neither a Jew nor a Christian.” Then Zaid left and he met a Christian scholar and he told him the same as before. The Christian said, “You cannot embrace our religion until you receive a share of Allah’s curse.” Zaid said, “I do not run except from Allah’s curse and I will never bear it if I can avoid it; can you tell me about another religion?” He said, “I do not know of any other religion but the Haneef.” Zaid said, “What is the Haneef?” He said, “Haneef is the religion of Abraham, who was neither a Jew nor a Christian, and he would worship none but Allah.” When Zaid heard this about Abraham, he left that place and he raised both of his hands and he said, “O Allah, you are my witness that I am upon the religion of Abraham.”

[Sahih Bukhari, Book 58, Number 169]

عَنْ ابْنِ عُمَرَ أَنَّ زَيْدَ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ خَرَجَ إِلَى الشَّأْمِ يَسْأَلُ عَنْ الدِّينِ وَيَتْبَعُهُ فَلَقِيَ عَالِمًا مِنْ الْيَهُودِ فَسَأَلَهُ عَنْ دِينِهِمْ فَقَالَ إِنِّي لَعَلِّي أَنْ أَدِينَ دِينَكُمْ فَأَخْبِرْنِي فَقَالَ لَا تَكُونُ عَلَى دِينِنَا حَتَّى تَأْخُذَ بِنَصِيبِكَ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ قَالَ زَيْدٌ مَا أَفِرُّ إِلَّا مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَحْمِلُ مِنْ غَضَبِ اللَّهِ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا وَأَنَّى أَسْتَطِيعُهُ فَهَلْ تَدُلُّنِي عَلَى غَيْرِهِ قَالَ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ حَنِيفًا قَالَ زَيْدٌ وَمَا الْحَنِيفُ قَالَ دِينُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَا يَعْبُدُ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَخَرَجَ زَيْدٌ فَلَقِيَ عَالِمًا مِنْ النَّصَارَى فَذَكَرَ مِثْلَهُ فَقَالَ لَنْ تَكُونَ عَلَى دِينِنَا حَتَّى تَأْخُذَ بِنَصِيبِكَ مِنْ لَعْنَةِ اللَّهِ قَالَ مَا أَفِرُّ إِلَّا مِنْ لَعْنَةِ اللَّهِ وَلَا أَحْمِلُ مِنْ لَعْنَةِ اللَّهِ وَلَا مِنْ غَضَبِهِ شَيْئًا أَبَدًا وَأَنَّى أَسْتَطِيعُ فَهَلْ تَدُلُّنِي عَلَى غَيْرِهِ قَالَ مَا أَعْلَمُهُ إِلَّا أَنْ يَكُونَ حَنِيفًا قَالَ وَمَا الْحَنِيفُ قَالَ دِينُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ لَمْ يَكُنْ يَهُودِيًّا وَلَا نَصْرَانِيًّا وَلَا يَعْبُدُ إِلَّا اللَّهَ فَلَمَّا رَأَى زَيْدٌ قَوْلَهُمْ فِي إِبْرَاهِيمَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام خَرَجَ فَلَمَّا بَرَزَ رَفَعَ يَدَيْهِ فَقَالَ اللَّهُمَّ إِنِّي أَشْهَدُ أَنِّي عَلَى دِينِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ كَتَبَ إِلَيَّ هِشَامٌ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَسْمَاءَ بِنْتِ أَبِي بَكْرٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُمَا قَالَتْ رَأَيْتُ زَيْدَ بْنَ عَمْرِو بْنِ نُفَيْلٍ قَائِمًا مُسْنِدًا ظَهْرَهُ إِلَى الْكَعْبَةِ يَقُولُ يَا مَعَاشِرَ قُرَيْشٍ وَاللَّهِ مَا مِنْكُمْ عَلَى دِينِ إِبْرَاهِيمَ غَيْرِي وَكَانَ يُحْيِي الْمَوْءُودَةَ يَقُولُ لِلرَّجُلِ إِذَا أَرَادَ أَنْ يَقْتُلَ ابْنَتَهُ لَا تَقْتُلْهَا أَنَا أَكْفِيكَهَا مَئُونَتَهَا فَيَأْخُذُهَا فَإِذَا تَرَعْرَعَتْ قَالَ لِأَبِيهَا إِنْ شِئْتَ دَفَعْتُهَا إِلَيْكَ وَإِنْ شِئْتَ كَفَيْتُكَ مَئُونَتَهَا

3616 صحيح البخاري كِتَاب مَنَاقِبِ الْأَنْصَارِ أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم لقي زيد بن عمرو بن نفيل بأسفل بلدح

Hadith on Forgiveness: The Prophet pardons the Jewish woman who poisoned him to death

Anas ibn Malik reported: A Jewish woman came to the Prophet, peace be upon him, with a poisoned sheep and he ate from it. She was brought to him and it was said, “Should we kill her?” He said, “No.” I continued to see the effects of the poison upon the Messenger of Allah, peace be upon him.

[Sahih Bukhari, Book 47, Number 786]

عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ أَنَّ يَهُودِيَّةً أَتَتْ النَّبِيَّ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ بِشَاةٍ مَسْمُومَةٍ فَأَكَلَ مِنْهَا فَجِيءَ بِهَا فَقِيلَ أَلَا نَقْتُلُهَا قَالَ لَا فَمَا زِلْتُ أَعْرِفُهَا فِي لَهَوَاتِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ

2474 صحيح البخاري كِتَاب الْهِبَةِ وَفَضْلِهَا وَالتَّحْرِيضِ عَلَيْهَا لمناديل سعد بن معاذ في الجنة أحسن من هذا