The Book of Virtues — Hadith 5794

Arabic Text

وَحَدَّثَنِي سَلَمَةُ بْنُ شَبِيبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ أَعْيَنَ، حَدَّثَنَا مَعْقِلٌ، عَنْ أَبِي الزُّبَيْرِ، عَنْ جَابِرٍ، أَنَّ أُمَّ مَالِكٍ، كَانَتْ تُهْدِي لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي عُكَّةٍ لَهَا سَمْنًا فَيَأْتِيهَا بَنُوهَا فَيَسْأَلُونَ الأُدْمَ وَلَيْسَ عِنْدَهُمْ شَىْءٌ فَتَعْمِدُ إِلَى الَّذِي كَانَتْ تُهْدِي فِيهِ لِلنَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَتَجِدُ فِيهِ سَمْنًا فَمَا زَالَ يُقِيمُ لَهَا أُدْمَ بَيْتِهَا حَتَّى عَصَرَتْهُ فَأَتَتِ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَقَالَ ‏"‏ عَصَرْتِيهَا ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَتْ نَعَمْ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ لَوْ تَرَكْتِيهَا مَا زَالَ قَائِمًا ‏"‏ ‏.‏

English Translation

Jabir reported that Umm Malik used to send clarified butter in a small skin to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ). Her sons would come to her and ask for seasoning when they had nothing with them (in the form of condiments) and she would go to that (skin) in which she offered (clarified butter) to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ), and she would find in that clarified butter and it kept providing her with seasoning for her household until she had (completely) squeezed it. She came to Allah's Apostle (ﷺ) and (informed him about it). Thereupon, he (the Holy Prophet) said: Did you squeeze it? She said: Yes. Thereupon he said: If you had left it in that very state, it would have kept on provid- ing you (the clarified butter) on end.