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To what extent is the story of Khawwat ibn Jubayr, as narrated by Al-Tabarani and Abu Nu'aym, authentic, and is it permissible to narrate it and benefit from its text and educational lessons even if it is weak?

1 min readAlso available in العربية

The summary of this story is that the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, saw Al-Khawwat bin Jubayr, may Allah be pleased with him, sitting with women. He asked him: "O Abu Abdullah, what makes you sit with them?" Al-Khawwat stammered and said: "A camel of mine has strayed, and I am looking for a tether for it." The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, continued to remind him of this camel whenever he met him. When the opportunity arose, Al-Khawwat confessed that no camel of his had ever strayed since he embraced Islam. The Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, said: "May Allah have mercy on you" three times, and then did not mention it afterwards.

Al-Tabarani narrated this hadith, and Al-Haythami said that the narrators of one of its chains of transmission are the narrators of the Sahih, except for one trustworthy narrator. A number of imams have included it in their books without comment, and it indicates the good character of the Prophet, peace and blessings be upon him, and his enjoining good and forbidding evil with wisdom. Therefore, there is nothing to prevent narrating it.

Summarized from the full answer at Ftawy · reviewed Sep 2, 2026

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