Select a passage to highlight it. Click or tap a highlight to remove it.
Text and translation
English translation
4. It was narrated from Abû Burdah that Abû Mûsa said: "I came to the Prophet ﷺ when he was using the Siwâk and with me were two men of the Ash'arîs - one on my right and the other on my left - who were seeking to be appointed as officials. I said: 'By the One Who sent you as a
Prophet with the truth, they did not tell me why they wanted to come with me and I did not realize that they were seeking to be appointed as officials.' And I could see his Siwâk beneath his lip, then it slipped and he said: 'We do not' – or; 'We will never appoint as an official anyone who seeks that. Rather you should go.'" So he sent him (Abû Mûsâ) to Yemen, then he sent Mu'âdh bin Jabal to go after him – may Allâh be pleased with them. (Sahîh)
Your commentary saves automatically in this browser, separate from the published commentary. It stays private unless you include it in a shared study file.
Commentary
1. Beyond the theme of the present chapter, this Hadûth makes it clear that a person acts inappropriately when, without being asked to do so, one seeks out a position of authority. Instead, nominating suitable candidates for leadership positions should be left to the discretion of the ruler. But if the ruler himself asks for petitions for any post or position, it is appropriate to offer oneself for it, particularly if one has the required skills and qualifications for the job. For instance, on the occasion of the Battle of the Trench, Allâh's Messenger ﷺ asked, "Which one of you will rise and go to see what the Quraish are about." Zubair ؓ then offered himself for the task [Sahîh Al-Bukhârî - 2846]. In other words, the modern-day practice of sending applications for employment has a precedent in Islam, and is therefore appropriate and correct.
2. Besides moving a Miswâk to the right and to the left, one should make upward and downward motions with it as well, so that the fibers of the tooth-stick may reach places between the teeth and remove any substance that forms on one's teeth or remains stuck between them. This is evidenced by the word, "Qalasat," which occurs in the Hadûth.
