Question: I read a H~adi#th
\which mentions that a house, horse and a woman are three things that
could either prove good or bring bad luck for a man. Could you explain
the meaning of this please? How can we label anything as a symbol of bad
luck?
Answer: In order to understand a single
H~adi#th,
it is imperative to study all the Ah~a#di#th
of similar texts. The H~adi#th
you have mentioned has come in most of the major books of H~adi#th
in the words near to the ones you have quoted. However, the following text
of it contained in the sixth volume of Imam Ah~mad
Ibn H~ambal’s Musnad presents the true
picture in this regard:
Abu# Hassa#n
reports that two people came to A%’ishah
and said to her that Abu# Hurayrah
narrates that the Prophet used to say that bad luck is to be found
only in women, horses and houses. At this A%’ishah
replied: By the God who revealed the Qur’a#n
to the Prophet! the Prophet never said this; what he did say was that
the People of the Ja#hilliyyah hold
this opinion ...
It is evident from this text of the H~adi#th
that this saying has been erroneously attributed to the Prophet (sws).
He had actually quoted the views held by the people of Ja#hilliyyah
(the age of ignorance). |