What are the authentic, well-attested hadiths concerning the incident of pollinating palm trees that do not contradict Islamic Sharia?
There are multiple narrations of the "pollination of date palms" hadith, but they all agree that the Prophet (peace be upon him) expressed a judgmental opinion on worldly matters, not a legislative revelation, regarding the pollination of date palms. The Companions, based on this, stopped pollinating, which led to a decrease in fruit. So, the Prophet (peace be upon him) clarified to them that his opinion on worldly matters is based on conjecture, whereas what he conveys from Allah is a revelation that must be followed. Some scholars have favored the hadith narrated by Musa ibn Talha from his father as the most authentic, due to its inclusion in Sahih Muslim and its mention of the word "conjecture." This hadith does not contradict Allah's saying: (Nor does he speak of (his own) desire. It is no less than Inspiration sent down to him) because his statement regarding the pollination of date palms was an exertion of judgment in matters of livelihood, not a revelation.
Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026
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