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.

ذِكْرُ الْبَيَانِ بِأَنْ لَا حَرَجَ عَلَى قَاتِلِ النَّمْلَةِ إِذَا قَرَصَتْهُ

ibnhibban:5647ʿAbdullāh b. Muḥammad > Isḥāq > al-Naḍr > Ashʿath > al-Ḥasan > Nazal Nabī from al-Anbiyāʾ Taḥt Shajarah

[Machine] A prophet from among the prophets sat under a tree and was bitten by an ant. He ordered the ants' house to be burned with everyone inside it. Then, Allah revealed to him, "Should not only one ant be sufficient?"  

ابن حبّان:٥٦٤٧أَخْبَرَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ مُحَمَّدٍ حَدَّثَنَا إِسْحَاقُ أَخْبَرَنَا النَّضْرُ حَدَّثَنَا أَشْعَثُ عَنِ الْحَسَنِ قَالَ

«نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَقَالَ تَحْتَهَا فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِبَيْتِهِنَّ فَتُحْرَقَ عَلَى مَنْ فِيهَا فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ هَلَّا نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً»  


See similar narrations below:

Collected by Bukhārī, Muslim, Nasāʾī, Abū Dāwūd, Aḥmad, Bayhaqī, Suyūṭī
bukhari:3319Ismāʿīl b. Abū Ūways > Mālik > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, "Once while a prophet amongst the prophets was taking a rest underneath a tree, an ant bit him. He, therefore, ordered that his luggage be taken away from underneath that tree and then ordered that the dwelling place of the ants should be set on fire. Allah sent him a revelation:-- "Wouldn't it have been sufficient to burn a single ant? (that bit you): (See Page 162, chapter No. 153).  

البخاري:٣٣١٩حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ أَبِي أُوَيْسٍ قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي مَالِكٌ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ؓ

أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِجَهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِبَيْتِهَا فَأُحْرِقَ بِالنَّارِ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً  

muslim:2241bQutaybah b. Saʿīd > al-Mughīrah / Ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥman al-Ḥizāmī > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

An Apostle from amongst the Apostles of Allah encamped under a tree, and an ant bit him, and he commanded his belongings to be removed from underneath the tree. He then commanded and it was burnt, and Allah revealed to bin):" Why one ant (which had bitten you) was not killed?"  

مسلم:٢٢٤١bحَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ حَدَّثَنَا الْمُغِيرَةُ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ الْحِزَامِيَّ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِجِهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً  

muslim:2241cMuḥammad b. Rāfiʿ > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > Hammām b. Munabbih > Hadhā Mā > Abū Hurayrah

When an Apostle from amongst the Apostles of Allah came to sit under a tree an ant bit him. He commanded his luggage to be removed from under the tree and he commanded it to be burnt in the fire and Allah revealed to him:" Why one ant (which had bitten you) was not killed (and why did you burn the others)?  

مسلم:٢٢٤١cوَحَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ رَافِعٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ قَالَ هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ

عَنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَذَكَرَ أَحَادِيثَ مِنْهَا وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِجِهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا وَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ فِي النَّارِ قَالَ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً  

nasai:4359Isḥāq b. Ibrāhīm > al-Naḍr / Ibn Shumayl > Ashʿath

"One of the prophets stopped beneath a tree and an ant bit him, so he gave instructions that their nest be burned with all the ants inside it. Then Allah revealed to him" 'Why did you not punish just one ant?" Al-Ash' ath said: "A similar report was narrated from Ibn Sirin, from Abu Hurairah, from the Prophet, in which were added the words: 'for they glorify Allah."  

النسائي:٤٣٥٩أَخْبَرَنَا إِسْحَاقُ بْنُ إِبْرَاهِيمَ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا النَّضْرُ وَهُوَ ابْنُ شُمَيْلٍ قَالَ أَنْبَأَنَا أَشْعَثُ

عَنِ الْحَسَنِ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِبَيْتِهِنَّ فَحُرِّقَ عَلَى مَا فِيهَا فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً وَقَالَ الأَشْعَثُ عَنِ ابْنِ سِيرِينَ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ ﷺ مِثْلَهُ وَزَادَ فَإِنَّهُنَّ يُسَبِّحْنَ  

abudawud:5265Qutaybah b. Saʿīd > al-Mughīrah / Ibn ʿAbd al-Raḥman > Abū al-Zinād > al-Aʿraj > Abū Hurayrah

A prophet got down beneath a tree and he was stung by an ant. He ordered regarding the baggage and it was removed from beneath it. He then ordered regarding it and it was burnt. Allah then revealed to him : why not (just) one ant?  

أبو داود:٥٢٦٥حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ بْنُ سَعِيدٍ عَنِ الْمُغِيرَةِ يَعْنِي ابْنَ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ عَنْ أَبِي الزِّنَادِ عَنِ الأَعْرَجِ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ

أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ ﷺ قَالَ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِجَهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ فَأَوْحَى اللَّهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلاَّ نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً  

ahmad:8130

When an Apostle from amongst the Apostles of Allah came to sit under a tree an ant bit him. He commanded his luggage to be removed from under the tree and he commanded it to be burnt in the fire and Allah revealed to him:" Why one ant (which had bitten you) was not killed (and why did you burn the others)? (Using translation from Muslim 2241c)  

أحمد:٨١٣٠

وَقَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِجَهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا وَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ فِي النَّارِ قَالَ فَأَوْحَى اللهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلَّا نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً  

bayhaqi:10069Abū Ṭāhir al-Faqīh > Abū Bakr Muḥammad b. al-Ḥusayn al-Qaṭṭān > Aḥmad b. Yūsuf al-Sulamī > ʿAbd al-Razzāq > Maʿmar > Hammām b. Munabbih > Hadhā Mā > Abū Hurayrah

A prophet got down beneath a tree and he was stung by an ant. He ordered regarding the baggage and it was removed from beneath it. He then ordered regarding it and it was burnt. Allah then revealed to him : why not (just) one ant? (Using translation from Abū Dāʾūd 5265)   

البيهقي:١٠٠٦٩وَأَخْبَرَنَا أَبُو طَاهِرٍ الْفَقِيهُ أنا أَبُو بَكْرٍ مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ الْحُسَيْنِ الْقَطَّانُ ثنا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ يُوسُفَ السُّلَمِيُّ ثنا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أنا مَعْمَرٌ عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ قَالَ هَذَا مَا حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ قَالَ

قَالَ رَسُولُ اللهِ ﷺ نَزَلَ نَبِيٌّ مِنَ الْأَنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ فَأَمَرَ بِجَهَازِهِ فَأُخْرِجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا وَأَمَرَ بِهَا فَأُحْرِقَتْ فِي النَّارِ فَأَوْحَى اللهُ إِلَيْهِ فَهَلَّا نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً؟  

رَوَاهُ مُسْلِمٌ فِي الصَّحِيحِ عَنْ مُحَمَّدِ بْنِ رَافِعٍ عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّزَّاقِ
suyuti:23783a
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السيوطي:٢٣٧٨٣a

"نَزَلَ نَبيٌّ مِنَ الأنْبِيَاءِ تَحْتَ شَجَرَةٍ فَلَدَغَتْهُ نَمْلَةٌ، فَأَمَرَ بِجَهازِهِ فَأُخرجَ مِنْ تَحْتِهَا، ثُمَّ أَمَرَ بِبَيتهَا فَأُخرِقَ بِالنَّارِ، فَأوْحَى الله إِلَيهِ: فَهَلَّا نَمْلَةً وَاحِدَةً".  

[حم] أحمد [خ] البخاري [د] أبو داود [ن] النسائي عن أَبي هريرة