قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا حُسَيْنٌ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ بْنُ بَهْرَامَ عَنْ شَهْرِ بْنِ حَوْشَبٍ قَالَ قَالَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عَبَّاسٍ حَضَرَتْ عِصَابَةٌ مِنْ الْيَهُودِ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صَلَّى اللَّهُ عَلَيْهِ وَسَلَّمَ فَقَالُوا يَا أَبَا الْقَاسِمِ حَدِّثْنَا عَنْ خِلَالٍ نَسْأَلُكَ عَنْهُنَّ لَا يَعْلَمُهُنَّ إِلَّا نَبِيٌّ فَكَانَ فِيمَا سَأَلُوهُ أَيُّ الطَّعَامِ حَرَّمَ إِسْرَائِيلُ عَلَى نَفْسِهِ قَبْلَ أَنْ تُنَزَّلَ التَّوْرَاةُ قَالَ فَأَنْشُدُكُمْ بِاللَّهِ الَّذِي أَنْزَلَ التَّوْرَاةَ عَلَى مُوسَى هَلْ تَعْلَمُونَ أَنَّ إِسْرَائِيلَ يَعْقُوبَ عَلَيْهِ السَّلَام مَرِضَ مَرَضًا شَدِيدًا فَطَالَ سَقَمُهُ فَنَذَرَ لِلَّهِ نَذْرًا لَئِنْ شَفَاهُ اللَّهُ مِنْ سَقَمِهِ لَيُحَرِّمَنَّ أَحَبَّ الشَّرَابِ إِلَيْهِ وَأَحَبَّ الطَّعَامِ إِلَيْهِ فَكَانَ أَحَبَّ الطَّعَامِ إِلَيْهِ لُحْمَانُ الْإِبِلِ وَأَحَبَّ الشَّرَابِ إِلَيْهِ أَلْبَانُهَا فَقَالُوا اللَّهُمَّ نَعَمْ
مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2471
It was narrated that Shahr bin Hawshab said: 'Abdullah bin 'Abbas (RA) said: A group of Jews came to the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) and said: O Abul-Qasim, tell us about some matters we are going to ask you about, which no one will know except a Prophet. Among the things that they asked him was: What food did sra'eel forbid to himself before the Torah was revealed? He said: "I adjure you by Allah, Who revealed the Torah to Moosa, do you know that Isra'eel Ya'qoob became very sick and his sickness lasted for a long time, then he vowed that if Allah healed him from his sickness, he would forbid to himself the drink that he liked best and the food that he liked best. The food that he liked best was camel meat and the drink that he liked best was camel's milk." They said: Yes, by Allah.
Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020