Hadith 14097

Chapter 11

باب 11

(11) باب فِي شَرَابِ الْعَسَلِ

(11) Chapter: Regarding drinking honey
46
حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ حَنْبَلٍ، حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ، قَالَ قَالَ ابْنُ جُرَيْجٍ عَنْ عَطَاءٍ، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ عُبَيْدَ بْنَ عُمَيْرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عَائِشَةَ، - رضى الله عنها - زَوْجَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم تُخْبِرُ أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ يَمْكُثُ عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ فَيَشْرَبُ عِنْدَهَا عَسَلاً فَتَوَاصَيْتُ أَنَا وَحَفْصَةُ أَيَّتُنَا مَا دَخَلَ عَلَيْهَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَلْتَقُلْ إِنِّي أَجِدُ مِنْكَ رِيحَ مَغَافِيرَ فَدَخَلَ عَلَى إِحْدَاهُنَّ فَقَالَتْ لَهُ ذَلِكَ فَقَالَ " بَلْ شَرِبْتُ عَسَلاً عِنْدَ زَيْنَبَ بِنْتِ جَحْشٍ وَلَنْ أَعُودَ لَهُ " . فَنَزَلَتْ { لِمَ تُحَرِّمُ مَا أَحَلَّ اللَّهُ لَكَ تَبْتَغِي } إِلَى { إِنْ تَتُوبَا إِلَى اللَّهِ } لِعَائِشَةَ وَحَفْصَةَ رضى الله عنهما { وَإِذْ أَسَرَّ النَّبِيُّ إِلَى بَعْضِ أَزْوَاجِهِ حَدِيثًا } لِقَوْلِهِ " بَلْ شَرِبْتُ عَسَلاً " .

A'ishah said that the prophet (ﷺ) used to stay with Zainab, daughter of Jahsh, and drink honey. I and Hafsah counseled each other that if the Prophet (ﷺ) enters upon any of us, she must say :
I find the smell of gum (maghafir) from you. He then entered upon one of them; she said that to him. Thereupon he said : No, I drank honey at (the house of) Zainab daughter of jahsh, and I will not do it again. Then the following verse came down :''O Prophet !why holdest thou to be forbidden that which Allah has made lawful to thee ? ''Thou seekest. . . If you two turn in repentance to Allah '' refers to Hafsah and A'ishah , and the verse: ''When the Prophet disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his consorts'' refers to the statements of the Prophet (ﷺ) disclosed a matter in confidence to one of his consorts'' refers to the statement of the Prophet (ﷺ) :No, I drank honey.

Reference: Sunan Abi Dawud 3714

In-book reference: Book 27, Hadith 46

English translation: Book 26, Hadith 3705