Sahih al-Bukhari — hadith #5712–#5736
The verbatim English translation of each narration. Use the interactive reader for search and themes.
Sahih al-Bukhari uses the standard numbering. A Bukhari number here is the same narration you will find under that number on sunnah.com or in a printed edition.
Sahih Muslim is different, and this matters. Our Muslim numbers are site reader numbers — a running count through this translation, in which each chain of narration is listed separately. That gives about 7,458 entries where the standard numbering has roughly 3,000. A Sahih Muslim number on this site will not find the same hadith on sunnah.com, and following it there will usually land you on a different narration entirely. To check a Muslim narration elsewhere, search for its wording rather than its number. We state this plainly because a number that looks authoritative and is not is worse than no number at all.
The themes are our own navigational grouping, and these translations are no substitute for study of the Arabic with qualified scholars (see our editorial policy). A small number of entries with no translated text are omitted rather than guessed at.
'Aishah (the Prophet's wife) recounts that during the Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) illness, she and others attempted to pour medicine into his mouth. The Prophet (peace be upon him) gestured to stop them, but they assumed he was merely expressing the typical patient's dislike of medicine. Once he recovered slightly, he explicitly rebuked them, asking why they had forced medicine into his mouth against his wishes. He then declared that everyone in the household would be forced to take medicine in the same manner while he watched—as a form of retaliation or lesson—except al-'Abbas (his uncle), who had not participated in the act.
This hadith is narrated by 'Aishah from her direct experience during one of the Prophet's illnesses. The incident illustrates the Prophet's (peace be upon him) teaching about respecting others' bodily autonomy and consent, even with good intentions. His response was not angry but instructive: it conveyed that forcing treatment on someone, regardless of beneficial purpose, requires either explicit permission or necessity. The exception given to al-'Abbas—who was absent and thus uninvolved—underscores that the lesson applied specifically to those who knowingly violated the Prophet's (peace be upon him) wishes.
This hadith teaches Muslims to respect individuals' consent and autonomy in matters affecting their bodies, even when we believe an action benefits them. Well-intentioned intervention without permission is still a violation of boundaries. Additionally, it demonstrates the Prophet's (peace be upon him) use of practical teaching methods: rather than mere verbal correction, he applied a reciprocal consequence so the household would understand the principle viscerally. Today, this principle applies to medical treatment, medication administration, and interpersonal dealings—always seek consent before acting on another's body or medical care.
Narrated Um Qais:I went to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) along with a a son of mine whose palate and tonsils I had pressed with my finger as a treatment for a (throat and tonsil) disease. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Why do you pain your children by pressing their throats! Use Ud Al-Hindi (certain Indian incense) for it cures seven diseases, one of which is pleurisy. It is used as a snuff for treating throat and tonsil disease and it is inserted into one side of the mouth of one suffering from pleurisy
Narrated `Aisha:(the wife of the Prophet) When the health of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) deteriorated and his condition became serious, he asked the permission of all his wives to allow him to be treated In my house, and they allowed him. He came out, supported by two men and his legs were dragging on the ground between `Abbas and another man. (The sub-narrator told Ibn `Abbas who said: Do you know who was the other man whom `Aisha did not mention? The sub-narrator said: No. Ibn `Abbas said: It was `Ali.) `Aisha added: When the Prophet entered my house and his disease became aggravated, he said, "Pour on me seven water skins full of water (the tying ribbons of which had not been untied) so that I may give some advice to the people." So we made him sit in a tub belonging to Hafsa, the wife of the Prophet (ﷺ) and started pouring water on him from those water skins till he waved us to stop. Then he went out to the people and led them in prayer and delivered a speech before them
Narrated Um Qais:that she took to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) one of her sons whose palate and tonsils she had pressed because he had throat trouble. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Why do you pain your children by getting the palate pressed like that? Use the Ud Al-Hindi (certain Indian incense) for it cures seven diseases one of which is pleurisy
Narrated Abu Sa`id:A man came to the prophet and said, 'My brother has got loose motions. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, Let him drink honey." The man again (came) and said, 'I made him drink (honey) but that made him worse.' The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Allah has said the Truth, and the `Abdomen of your brother has told a lie." (See Hadith No)
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, 'There is no 'Adwa (no disease is conveyed from the sick to the healthy without Allah's permission), nor Safar, nor Hama." A bedouin stood up and said, "Then what about my camels? They are like deer on the sand, but when a mangy camel comes and mixes with them, they all get infected with mangy." The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Then who conveyed the (mange) disease to the first one?
Narrated Um Oais:that she took to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) one of her sons whose palate and tonsils she had pressed to treat a throat trouble. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Be afraid of Allah! Why do you pain your children by having their tonsils pressed like that? Use the Ud Al-Hindi (a certain Indian incense) for it cures seven diseases, one of which is pleurisy
Narrated Anas bin Malik:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) allowed one of the Ansar families to treat persons who have taken poison and also who are suffering from ear ailment with Ruqya. Anas added: I got myself branded cauterized) for pleurisy, when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was still alive. Abu Talha, Anas bin An-Nadr and Zaid bin Thabit witnessed that, and it was Abu Talha who branded (cauterized) me
Narrated Anas bin Malik:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) allowed one of the Ansar families to treat persons who have taken poison and also who are suffering from ear ailment with Ruqya. Anas added: I got myself branded cauterized) for pleurisy, when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was still alive. Abu Talha, Anas bin An-Nadr and Zaid bin Thabit witnessed that, and it was Abu Talha who branded (cauterized) me
Narrated Anas bin Malik:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) allowed one of the Ansar families to treat persons who have taken poison and also who are suffering from ear ailment with Ruqya. Anas added: I got myself branded cauterized) for pleurisy, when Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) was still alive. Abu Talha, Anas bin An-Nadr and Zaid bin Thabit witnessed that, and it was Abu Talha who branded (cauterized) me
Narrated Sahl bin Sa`d As-Sa`idi:When the helmet broke on the head of the Prophet (ﷺ) and his face became covered with blood and his incisor tooth broke (i.e. during the battle of Uhud), `Ali used to bring water in his shield while Fatima was washing the blood off his face. When Fatima saw that the bleeding increased because of the water, she took a mat (of palm leaves), burnt it, and stuck it (the burnt ashes) on the wound of Allah's Apostle, whereupon the bleeding stopped
Narrated Nazi':`Abdullah bin `Umar said, "The Prophet (ﷺ) said, 'Fever is from the heat of Hell, so put it out (cool it) with water.' " Nafi` added: `Abdullah used to say, "O Allah! Relieve us from the punishment," (when he suffered from fever)
Narrated Fatima bint Al-Mundhir:Whenever a lady suffering from fever was brought to Asma' bint Abu Bakr, she used to invoke Allah for her and then sprinkle some water on her body, at the chest and say, "Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) used to order us to abate fever with water
Narrated `Aisha:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "Fever is from the heat of Hell, so abate fever with water
Narrated Rafi` bin Khadij:I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, "Fever is from the heat of Hell, so abate fever with water
Narrated Anas bin Malik:Some people from the tribes of `Ukl and `Uraina came to Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) and embraced Islam and said, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! We are owners of livestock and have never been farmers," and they found the climate of Medina unsuitable for them. So Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) ordered that they be given some camels and a shepherd, and ordered them to go out with those camels and drink their milk and urine. So they set out, but when they reached a place called Al-Harra, they reverted to disbelief after their conversion to Islam, killed the shepherd and drove away the camels. When this news reached the Prophet (ﷺ) he sent in their pursuit (and they were caught and brought). The Prophet (ﷺ) ordered that their eyes be branded with heated iron bars and their hands be cut off, and they were left at Al-Harra till they died in that state
Narrated Saud:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "If you hear of an outbreak of plague in a land, do not enter it; but if the plague breaks out in a place while you are in it, do not leave that place
Narrated `Abdullah bin `Abbas:`Umar bin Al-Khattab departed for Sham and when he reached Sargh, the commanders of the (Muslim) army, Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah and his companions met him and told him that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. `Umar said, "Call for me the early emigrants." So `Umar called them, consulted them and informed them that an epidemic had broken out in Sham. Those people differed in their opinions. Some of them said, "We have come out for a purpose and we do not think that it is proper to give it up," while others said (to `Umar), "You have along with you. other people and the companions of Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) so do not advise that we take them to this epidemic." `Umar said to them, "Leave me now." Then he said, "Call the Ansar for me." I called them and he consulted them and they followed the way of the emigrants and differed as they did. He then said to them, Leave me now," and added, "Call for me the old people of Quraish who emigrated in the year of the Conquest of Mecca." I called them and they gave a unanimous opinion saying, "We advise that you should return with the people and do not take them to that (place) of epidemic." So `Umar made an announcement, "I will ride back to Medina in the morning, so you should do the same." Abu 'Ubaida bin Al-Jarrah said (to `Umar), "Are you running away from what Allah had ordained?" `Umar said, "Would that someone else had said such a thing, O Abu 'Ubaida! Yes, we are running from what Allah had ordained to what Allah has ordained. Don't you agree that if you had camels that went down a valley having two places, one green and the other dry, you would graze them on the green one only if Allah had ordained that, and you would graze them on the dry one only if Allah had ordained that?" At that time `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf, who had been absent because of some job, came and said, "I have some knowledge about this. I have heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) saying, 'If you hear about it (an outbreak of plague) in a land, do not go to it; but if plague breaks out in a country where you are staying, do not run away from it.' " `Umar thanked Allah and returned to Medina
Narrated `Abdullah bin 'Amir:`Umar went to Sham and when he reached Sargh, he got the news that an epidemic (of plague) had broken out in Sham. `Abdur-Rahman bin `Auf told him that Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "If you hear that it (plague) has broken out in a land, do not go to it; but if it breaks out in a land where you are present, do not go out escaping from it
Narrated Abu Huraira:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "Neither Messiah (Ad-Dajjal) nor plague will enter Medina
Narrated Anas bin Malik:Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) said, "(Death from) plague is martyrdom for every Muslim
Narrated Abu Huraira:The Prophet (ﷺ) said, "He (a Muslim) who dies of an abdominal disease is a martyr, and he who dies of plague is a martyr
Narrated `Aisha:(the wife of the Prophet) that she asked Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) about plague, and Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) informed her saying, "Plague was a punishment which Allah used to send on whom He wished, but Allah made it a blessing for the believers. None (among the believers) remains patient in a land in which plague has broken out and considers that nothing will befall him except what Allah has ordained for him, but that Allah will grant him a reward similar to that of a martyr
Narrated `Aisha:During the Prophet's fatal illness, he used to recite the Mu'auwidhat (Surat An-Nas and Surat Al- Falaq) and then blow his breath over his body. When his illness was aggravated, I used to recite those two Suras and blow my breath over him and make him rub his body with his own hand for its blessings." (Ma`mar asked Az-Zuhri: How did the Prophet (ﷺ) use to blow? Az-Zuhri said: He used to blow on his hands and then passed them over his face
Narrated Abu Sa`id Al-Khudri:Some of the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) came across a tribe amongst the tribes of the Arabs, and that tribe did not entertain them. While they were in that state, the chief of that tribe was bitten by a snake (or stung by a scorpion). They said, (to the companions of the Prophet (ﷺ) ), "Have you got any medicine with you or anybody who can treat with Ruqya?" The Prophet's companions said, "You refuse to entertain us, so we will not treat (your chief) unless you pay us for it." So they agreed to pay them a flock of sheep. One of them (the Prophet's companions) started reciting Surat-al-Fatiha and gathering his saliva and spitting it (at the snake-bite). The patient got cured and his people presented the sheep to them, but they said, "We will not take it unless we ask the Prophet (whether it is lawful)." When they asked him, he smiled and said, "How do you know that Surat-al-Fatiha is a Ruqya? Take it (flock of sheep) and assign a share for me