Incidents of Sahaba Cursing/Abusing each other
(i) Some Incidents from Sahih Bukhari
Na 'Urwa from 'Aisha:
The wives of Allah’s Apostle were in two groups. One group consisted of 'Aisha, Hafsa, Safiyya and Sauda; and the other group consisted of Um Salama and the other wives of Allah’s Apostle. The Muslims knew that Allah’s Apostle loved 'Aisha, so if any of them had a gift and wished to give to Allah’s Apostle, he would delay it, till Allah’s Apostle had come to 'Aisha’s home and then he would send his gift to Allah’s Apostle in her home. The group of Um Salama discussed the matter together and decided that Um Salama should request Allah’s Apostle to tell the people to send their gifts to him in whatever wife’s house he was. Um Salama told Allah’s Apostle of what they had said, but he did not reply. Then they (those wives) asked Um Salama about it. She said, “He did not say anything to me.” They asked her to talk to him again. She talked to him again when she met him on her day, but he gave no reply. When they asked her, she replied that he had given no reply. They said to her, “Talk to him till he gives you a reply.” When it was her turn, she talked to him again. He then said to her, “Do not hurt me regarding Aisha, as the Divine Inspirations do not come to me on any of the beds except that of Aisha.” On that Um Salama said, “I repent to Allah for hurting you.” Then the group of Um Salama called Fatima, the daughter of Allah’s Apostle and sent her to Allah’s Apostle to say to him, “Your wives request to treat them and the daughter of Abu Bakr on equal terms.” Then Fatima conveyed the message to him. The Prophet said, “O my daughter! Don’t you love whom I love?” She replied in the affirmative and returned and told them of the situation. They requested her to go to him again but she refused. They then sent Zainab bint Jahsh who went to him and used harsh words saying, “Your wives request you to treat them and the daughter of Ibn Abu Quhafa on equal terms.” On that she raised her voice and abused 'Aisha to her face so much so that Allah’s Apostle looked at 'Aisha to see whether she would retort. 'Aisha started replying to Zainab till she silenced her. The Prophet then looked at 'Aisha and said, “She is really the daughter of Abu Bakr.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 47, Number 755
Na Anas:
It was said to the Prophet “Would that you see Abdullah bin Ubai.” So, the Prophet went to him, riding a donkey, and the Muslims accompanied him, walking on salty barren land. When the Prophet reached 'Abdullah bin Ubai, the latter said, “Keep away from me! By Allah, the bad smell of your donkey has harmed me.” On that an Ansari man said (to 'Abdullah), “By Allah! The smell of the donkey of Allah’s Apostle is better than your smell.” On that a man from 'Abdullah’s tribe got angry for 'Abdullah’s sake, and the two men abused each other which caused the friends of the two men to get angry, and the two groups started fighting with sticks, shoes and hands. We were informed that the following Divine Verse was revealed (in this concern):-- “And if two groups of Believers fall to fighting then, make peace between them.” (49.9)
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 3, Book 49, Number 856
More Sunni References:
Sahih Muslim Vol. 2, page 110, published in Delhi.
Tafseer Dure-Manthoor, vol. 2, page 90, published in Bairut.
Asbaabul Nazool, page 263, published by Taba Darul Nashar, Lahore, Pakistan
Lababul Naqool, page 97, published Al-Mashad-ul-Hussaini Cairo.
Tafseer Al-Qurtabi, vol. 16, page 207, published in Cairo.
Biyanul-Quran, vol.11, page 44, published by Matba Ashraf al-Mataba, Thana Bhoon.
Al-Taaleeq al-Mamjad ala Motta Muhammad, page 407, published by Maktaba Rahimiyah Deoband.
Alrozata al-Nadia, vol.2, page 358, published by Darul Maarifah, Bairut.
Na Aisha:
…On our return, Um Mistah stumbled and said, “Let Mistah. be ruined” I said to her, “O mother Why do you abuse your Son” On that Um Mistah became silent for a while, and stumbling again, she said, “Let Mistah be ruined” I said to her, “Why do you abuse your son?” She stumbled for the third time and said, “Let Mistah be ruined” whereupon I rebuked her for that. She said, “By Allah, I do not abuse him except because of you.” I asked her, “Concerning what of my affairs?” So she disclosed the whole story to me…
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 6, Book 60, Number 281
Also Urwa and Hisham’s father na that:
Na 'Urwa: I started abusing Hassan in front of 'Aisha, whereupon she said. “Don’t abuse him, for he used to defend the Prophet (with his poetry).”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 4, Book 56, Number 731
Na Hisham’s father:
I started abusing Hassan in front of 'Aisha. She said, "Do not abuse him as he used to defend Allah’s Apostle (against the infidels). 'Aisha added, “Once Hassan took the permission from the Prophet to say poetic verses against the infidels. On that the Prophet said, 'How will you exclude my forefathers (from that)? Hassan replied, 'I will take you out of them as one takes a hair out of the dough.” Hisham’s father added, “I abused Hassan as he was one of those who spoke against 'Aisha.”
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 5, Book 59, Number 466
Na Abu 'Uthman:
'Abdur Rahman bin Abi Bakr said, “The Suffa Companions were poor people and the Prophet said, ‘Whoever has food for two persons should take a third one from them (Suffa companions). And whosoever has food for four persons he should take one or two from them’ Abu Bakr took three men and the Prophet took ten of them.”
'Abdur Rahman added, my father my mother and I were there (in the house). (The sub-narrator is in doubt whether 'Abdur Rahman also said, 'My wife and our servant who was common for both my house and Abu Bakr’s house). Abu Bakr took his supper with the Prophet and remained there till the ‘Isha’ prayer was offered. Abu Bakr went back and stayed with the Prophet till the Prophet took his meal and then Abu Bakr returned to his house after a long portion of the night had passed. Abu Bakr’s wife said, ‘What detained you from your guests (or guest)?’ He said, ‘Have you not served them yet?’ She said, 'They refused to eat until you come. The food was served for them but they refused." 'Abdur Rahman added, "I went away and hid myself (being afraid of Abu Bakr) and in the meantime he (Abu Bakr) called me, ‘O Ghunthar (a harsh word)!’ and also called me bad names and abused me and then said (to his family), ‘Eat. No welcome for you.’ Then (the supper was served). Abu Bakr took an oath that he would not eat that food. The narrator added: By Allah, whenever any one of us (myself and the guests of Suffa companions) took anything from the food, it increased from underneath. We all ate to our fill and the food was more than it was before its serving.
Sahih Bukhari, Volume 1, Book 10, Number 576
Na 'Anbasa bin Said:
Abu Huraira came to the Prophet and asked him (for a share from the Khaibar booty). On that, one of the sons of Said bin Al-'As said to him, “O Allah’s Apostle! Do not give him.” Abu Huraira then said (to the Prophet ) “This is the murderer of Ibn Qauqal.” Sa’id’s son said, “How strange! A guinea pig coming from Qadum Ad-Dan!”
Al-Mustaraf fi Kul Fan Mustaraf, vol. 1, page 82, published by Darul Kutub al-Arbia, Egypt.
With slight variation in words same tradition can be found in, Tarikh-e-Khulafa by Syutti, page 139, published by Taba Majeedi, Kanpur, India.
Ibne Hajar Makki reported:
"When Abdullah Ibne Umar, the son of Hadhrat Umar, abused the companion of Rasool Allah (saww) Maqdad bin Aswad, then Hadhrat Umar threatened to cut his toungue. But later he freed him (without any punishment).
Sawaiq-e-Muhariqqah, Page 257, Published in Cairo, Egypt
Famous Hanafi Alim Sheikh Muhammad bin Qasim Al-Hanafi wrote in his compilation “Roz al-Akhyaar al-Muntakhib” page 195, published in Egypt:
“Muawiyyah bin Abi Sufyan was famous for his cool temperament and no one was able to make him angry. Thus, one person claimed that he will make him angry. He came to Muawiyyah and said, I would like to marry your mother to meas her vagina is large and sweet (Naudabillah).” Muawiyyah laughed and replied, ‘That’s why my father loved her’. Then Muawiyyah ordered his treasurer to give him 1000 coins, so that he might buy a slave girl for him.
We have only cited a few examples of such episode, the texts of Ahl’ul Sunnah are replete with Sahaba shouting abuse at one another.
