Fatwa #62972 August 2002United States of America
When the time completed he went to the hujrah of Zainab RadhiAllahu Anha and she saw his shadow on the wall. Can you please give the full hadith since it proves that our Prophet saw had a shadow.
Question
I heard from a scholar that there is a hadith in Musnad Ahmad regarding the time when Rasool Allah Sal Allahu Alahi Wassalam stayed away from his wives. When the time completed he went to the hujrah of Hazrat Zainab Radhi Allahu Anha and she saw his shadow on the wall. Can you please give the full hadith since this hadith proves that our beloved Prophet Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam had a shadow.
Answer
Sayyiduna Aaisha (Radhiallaahu Anha) reports that once while Rasulullah%0D%0A(Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) was on a journey and the camel of his wife,%0D%0ASayyiduna Safiyya (Radhiallaahu Anhu) expired. And his other wife Sayyiduna%0D%0AZaynad (Radhiallaahu Anhu) had an extra camel, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu%0D%0AAlayhi Wasallam) asked Sayyiduna Zaynab (Radhiallaahu Anhu) to lend her a%0D%0ACamel. She replied, 'Should I give that Jew?' (Sayyiduna Safiyyah was%0D%0Aoriginally a Jew)%0D%0A%0D%0ASo, Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam) left her for 2 or 3 months and%0D%0Ahe did not go close to her. She says, 'Until one day I, at the time of%0D%0Amidday, I could see the shadow of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)%0D%0Aapproaching.' (Musnad Ahmad vol.6 pg.132; Hadith24883)%0D%0A%0D%0AThe fact that 3 great Ulama of their times had not mentioned this narration%0D%0Awhen they mentioned the speciality of Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi%0D%0AWasallam) not having a shadow made us also choose not to mention it in our%0D%0Aoriginal answer. Those three Uama are: Hafiz al-Suyyooti (ra) in Khasaaisul%0D%0AKubra, Hafiz Saalihiy (ra) in Subul hudaa and Haafiz Zurqaaniy in Sharh%0D%0Aal-Zurqaaniy%0D%0A%0D%0AHowever, in actual fact, it was this very narration that spurred me to%0D%0Amentioned my last words, 'However the authenticity of these narrations%0D%0Aremain unclear to us', not forgetting the possibility of 'Allah knows best.'%0D%0AThe narrator intending that she saw Rasulullah (Sallallaahu Alayhi Wasallam)%0D%0Ahimself approaching but referred to is as 'she saw his shadow' approaching.%0D%0A%0D%0AThis is a possibility and a way in which we could reconcile between the 2%0D%0Aoutwardly contradictory narrations.%0D%0A%0D%0Aand Allah Ta'ala Knows Best%0D%0A%0D%0AMoulana Muhammad ibn Moulana Haroon Abbassommar%0D%0AFACULTY OF SPECIALTY IN HADITH%0D%0A%0D%0ACHECKED AND APPROVED: Mufti Ebrahim Desai