Caution: Translations of Quran and Ḥadīth may lead to possible misapplications and misinterpretations. This site is intended for students of sacred knowledge that are proficient in comprehending classical Arabic and have a strong foundation in Islamic sciences. Also note that religious injunctions rely on several aspects beyond what one may glean through reading individual aḥādīth.
bukhari:3406Yaḥyá b. Bukayr > al-Layth > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Abū Salamah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

We were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ picking the fruits of the 'Arak trees, and Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Pick the black fruit, for it is the best." The companions asked, "Were you a shepherd?" He replied, "There was no prophet who was not a shepherd."  

البخاري:٣٤٠٦حَدَّثَنَا يَحْيَى بْنُ بُكَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ أَنَّ جَابِرَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ؓ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَجْنِي الْكَبَاثَ وَإِنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالأَسْوَدِ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُهُ قَالُوا أَكُنْتَ تَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ قَالَ وَهَلْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ رَعَاهَا  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Mālik, Aḥmad, Ibn Ḥibbān, Nasāʾī's Kubrá, Suyūṭī
bukhari:5453Saʿīd b. ʿUfayr > Ibn Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Abū Salamah > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

We were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ collecting Al-Kabath at Mar-Az-Zahran. The Prophet ﷺ said, "Collect the black ones, for they are better." Somebody said, (O Messenger of Allah ﷺ!) Have you ever shepherded sheep?" He said, "There has been no prophet but has shepherded them. "  

البخاري:٥٤٥٣حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ عُفَيْرٍ حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ وَهْبٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي أَبُو سَلَمَةَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي جَابِرُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ بِمَرِّ الظَّهْرَانِ نَجْنِي الْكَبَاثَ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالأَسْوَدِ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ أَيْطَبُ فَقَالَ أَكُنْتَ تَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَهَلْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ رَعَاهَا  

muslim:2050Abū al-Ṭāhir > ʿAbdullāh b. Wahb > Yūnus > Ibn Shihāb > Abū Salamah b. ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ at Marr az-Zahran, and we were plucking the fruit of the Arak tree, whereupon Messenger of Allah (may peace he upon him) said: Pluck only its black ones (for they are the most pleasant). We said: Messenger of Allah, it seems you shepherded the flock. He said: Yes. Has there been a prophet who did not shepherd it (or some words like it)?  

مسلم:٢٠٥٠حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو الطَّاهِرِ أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ وَهْبٍ عَنْ يُونُسَ عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ بْنِ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ بِمَرِّ الظَّهْرَانِ وَنَحْنُ نَجْنِي الْكَبَاثَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالأَسْوَدِ مِنْهُ قَالَ فَقُلْنَا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ كَأَنَّكَ رَعَيْتَ الْغَنَمَ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَهَلْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلاَّ وَقَدْ رَعَاهَا أَوْ نَحْوَ هَذَا مِنَ الْقَوْلِ  

malik:54-18Mālik > Balaghah

Malik related to me that he had heard that the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "There is no Prophet who has not herded sheep," and someone asked, "You as well, Messenger of Allah?" He said, "Myself as well."  

مالك:٥٤-١٨وَحَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ أَنَّهُ بَلَغَهُ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ مَا مِنْ نَبِيِّ إِلاَّ قَدْ رَعَى غَنَمًا قِيلَ وَأَنْتَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ قَالَ وَأَنَا  

ahmad:14497ʿUthmān b. ʿUmar > Yūnus > al-Zuhrī > Abū Salamah > Jābir

[Machine] He said: "We used to be with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ , gathering the thorny shrubs. He said: "Use the black ones from them, as they are the best." We asked: "Did you used to herd sheep, O Messenger of Allah?" He replied: "Yes, and there was no Prophet except that he has herded them."  

أحمد:١٤٤٩٧حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ حَدَّثَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ

أَنَّهُ قَالَ كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ نَجْنِي الْكَبَاثَ فَقَالَ عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْأَسْوَدِ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُهُ قَالَ قُلْنَا وَكُنْتَ تَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ نَعَمْ وَهَلْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا قَدْ رَعَاهَا  

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنَّ الْأَنْبِيَاءَ لَمْ تَكُنْ تَأْنَفُ مِنَ الْعَمَلِ ضِدَّ قَوْلِ مَنْ كَرِهَ الْكَسْبِ وَحَظَرَهُ

ibnhibban:5143Abū Yaʿlá > Ḥajjāj b. al-Shāʿir > ʿUthmān b. ʿUmar > Yūnus b. Yazīd > al-Zuhrī > Abū Salamah > Jābir b. ʿAbdullāh

[Machine] We were with the Messenger of Allah ﷺ when we were afflicted with a skin disease. He said, "Use black seed, for it is the best." We said, "And did you use to tend to sheep?" He replied, "Yes, there is no prophet except that he has tended to sheep."  

ابن حبّان:٥١٤٣أَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو يَعْلَى حَدَّثَنَا حَجَّاجُ بْنُ الشَّاعِرِ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ بْنُ يَزِيدَ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَجْتَنِي الْكَبَاثَ فَقَالَ «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْأَسْوَدِ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُ» فَقُلْنَا وَكُنْتَ تَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ قَالَ «نَعَمْ وَهَلْ مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا قَدْ رَعَاهَا»  

ذِكْرُ الْعِلَّةِ الَّتِي مِنْ أَجْلِهَا قَالَ ﷺ «لِلْكَبَاثِ الْأَسْوَدِ، إِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُ مِنْ غَيْرِهِ»

ibnhibban:5144ʿUmar b. Muḥammad al-Hamdānī > Bundār > ʿUthmān b. ʿUmar > Yūnus > al-Zuhrī > Abū Salamah > Jābir

[Machine] We were with the Prophet ﷺ while we were afflicted by hunger. So the Prophet ﷺ said, "You should have the black soup, for it is the tastiest, and I used to eat it in the time when I was a shepherd." They said, "O Messenger of Allah, were you a shepherd?" He said, "Indeed, every prophet has been a shepherd."  

ابن حبّان:٥١٤٤أَخْبَرَنَا عُمَرُ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ الْهَمْدَانِيُّ حَدَّثَنَا بُنْدَارٌ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ وَنَحْنُ نَجْتَنِي الْكَبَاثَ فَقَالَ النَّبِيُّ ﷺ «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْأَسْوَدِ مِنْهُ فَإِنَّهُ أَطْيَبُ وَإِنِّي كُنْتُ آكُلُهُ زَمَنَ كُنْتُ أَرْعَى» قَالُوا يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ وَكُنْتَ تَرْعَى؟ فَقَالَ «وَهَلْ بُعِثَ نَبِيٌّ إِلَّا وَهُوَ رَاعٍ»  

nasai-kubra:6701Hārūn b. ʿAbdullāh > ʿUthmān b. ʿUmar > Yūnus > al-Zuhrī > Abū Salamah > Jābir

We were with Messenger of Allah ﷺ picking the fruits of the 'Arak trees, and Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Pick the black fruit, for it is the best." The companions asked, "Were you a shepherd?" He replied, "There was no prophet who was not a shepherd." (Using translation from Bukhārī 3406)   

الكبرى للنسائي:٦٧٠١أَخْبَرَنَا هَارُونُ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللهِ قَالَ حَدَّثَنَا عُثْمَانُ بْنُ عُمَرَ قَالَ أَخْبَرَنَا يُونُسُ عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ عَنْ جَابِرٍ قَالَ

كُنَّا مَعَ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ نَجْنِي الْكَبَاثَ فَقَالَ «عَلَيْكُمْ بِالْأَسْوَدِ مِنْهُ؛ فَإِنَّهُ هُوَ أَطْيَبُهُ» قُلْنَا وَكُنْتَ تَرْعَى الْغَنَمَ يَا رَسُولَ اللهِ؟ قَالَ «وَمَا مِنْ نَبِيٍّ إِلَّا رَعَاهَا»  

suyuti:15661a
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السيوطي:١٥٦٦١a

"عَلَيكُمْ بالأسَودِ مِنْه -يعني الكُبَاث- فإنه أَطْيَبُهُ فإني كُنْتُ أجْنِيهِ، إِذ كُنْتُ أرعَى الْغَنَم، قالوا: وكُنْتَ تَرْعَى الغنم؟ ، قال: نعم وهَلْ مِنْ نَبيٍّ إلا وَقَد رَعَاهَا".  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [م] مسلم ابن سعد عن جابر