مسند امام احمد بن حنبل · Hadith 2518

It was narrated that Moosa bin Salamah said: Sinan bin Salamah and I did Hajj, and Sinan had a sacrificial animal with him, but it slowed him down and he got fed up with it. I said: If I reach Makkah, 1 will ask advice about this. When we came to Makkah, I said: Let us go to Ibn 'Abbas (RA). So we entered upon him, and there was a young girl with him. I had two questions and my companion had one. He said: Shall I ask first? I said: No. I said: I had a sacrificial animal with me but it slowed us dow'n, so I said: If I reach Makkah I shall ask advice about this. Ibn 'Abbas said: The Messenger of Allah (RA) sent the sacrificial animals with So and so, and told him what to do with them. When he left, he came back and said: O Messenger of Allah, what should I do if any of them slow me down? He said: "Slaughter it and dip its sandals [with which it is garlanded] in its blood and mark its sides with it, and do not eat any of it or let any of the people with you eat from it.” I said to him: During these military campaigns I acquire slaves as part of my booty and I set them free on behalf of my mother; will it be valid for her if I do that? Ibn 'Abbas said: The wife of Sinan bin 'Abdullah al- Juhani instructed Sinan to ask the Messenger of Allah (PBUH) about her mother who had died and had not performed Hajj - would it be acceptable for her to do Hajj on her behalf? The Prophet (PBUH) said: "Do you think that if her mother owed a debt and she paid it off for her, that it would be acceptable on behalf of her mother?” He said: Yes. He said: "Let her do Hajj on behalf of her mother.” And he asked him about sea water, and he said: "Sea water is a means of purification.”

Translated by Dr. Muhammad Muhsin Khan · Reviewed by Islamic University of Madinah · Published March 2020