Skip to content
Rasulullah.org

Seerah / Persecution

Reviewed

Insulted while in prostration

Date
Makkan period · approximate
Location
The Ka'bah, Makkah
People
Fatimah (RA), 'Uqba ibn Abi Mu'ayt, Abu Jahl

Ibn Mas'ud (RA) narrates in Sahih al-Bukhari that while the Prophet ﷺ prostrated near the Ka'bah, 'Uqba placed a camel's entrails on his back, and his daughter Fatimah (RA) came and removed them.

As it was narrated

The story, in the words of those who were there

Read slowly. These are the Companions' own words, from the verified hadith collections.

Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدَانُ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ بَيْنَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَاجِدٌ ح قَالَ وَحَدَّثَنِي أَحْمَدُ بْنُ عُثْمَانَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا شُرَيْحُ بْنُ مَسْلَمَةَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عَمْرُو بْنُ مَيْمُونٍ أَنَّ عَبْدَ اللَّهِ بْنَ…

Narrated `Abdullah:While Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was prostrating (as stated below). Narrated `Abdullah bin Mas`ud: Once the Prophet (ﷺ) was offering prayers at the Ka`ba. Abu Jahl was sitting with some of his companions. One of them said to the others, "Who amongst you will bring the Abdominal contents (intestines, etc.) of a camel of Bani so and so and put it on the back of Muhammad, when he prostrates?" The most unfortunate of them got up and brought it. He waited till the Prophet (ﷺ) prostrated and then placed it on his back between his shoulders. I was watching but could not do any thing. I wish I had some people with me to hold out against them. They started laughing and falling on one an…

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 240 · Ablutions (Wudu')
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source
Hadith
Hadith collection

حَدَّثَنِي مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ بَشَّارٍ، حَدَّثَنَا غُنْدَرٌ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ أَبِي إِسْحَاقَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مَيْمُونٍ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَيْنَا النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم سَاجِدٌ وَحَوْلَهُ نَاسٌ مِنْ قُرَيْشٍ جَاءَ عُقْبَةُ بْنُ أَبِي مُعَيْطٍ بِسَلَى جَزُورٍ، فَقَذَفَهُ عَلَى ظَهْرِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم، فَلَمْ يَرْفَعْ رَأْسَهُ فَجَاءَتْ فَاطِمَةُ ـ عَلَيْهَا السَّلا…

Narrated `Abdullah:While the Prophet (ﷺ) was prostrating, surrounded by some of Quraish, `Uqba bin Abi Mu'ait brought the intestines (i.e. Abdominal contents) of a camel and put them over the back of the Prophet. The Prophet (ﷺ) did not raise his head, (till) Fatima, came and took it off his back and cursed the one who had done the harm. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O Allah! Destroy the chiefs of Quraish, Abu Jahl bin Hisham, `Utba bin Rabi`a, Shaiba bin Rabi`a, Umaiya bin Khalaf or Ubai bin Khalaf." (The sub-narrator Shu`ba, is not sure of the last name.) I saw these people killed on the day of Badr battle and thrown in the well except Umaiya or Ubai whose body parts were mutilated but he was not…

Sahih al-Bukhari · Hadith 3854 · Merits of the Helpers in Madinah (Ansaar)
Translation: Sahih al-Bukhari — English. Hadith data: fawazahmed0/hadith-api (numbering and gradings as published there).

Grading information unavailable in source data · from a collection regarded as sahih

Open source

Lessons

  • He kept his prayer through humiliation.
  • Family who stand by you in hardship are a mercy.

Lessons are editorial reflections drawn from the event and its sources.

Pause for a moment

Which moment of your own life does this remind you of? Sit with it for a minute, then send salawat on the one who lived it ﷺ.

Send salawat ﷺ

Bibliography

  • Sahih al-Bukhari 240, 3854 (Ibn Mas'ud) · primary source
  • Ibn Hisham, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
  • Ibn Kathir, al-Sirah al-Nabawiyyah (further reading)
  • Safiur Rahman Mubarakpuri, Ar-Raheeq al-Makhtum (further reading)

Related events