55. Asceticism and Softening of Hearts
٥٥۔ كتاب الزهد والرقائق
A group of Bani Isra'il was lost. I do not know what happened to it, but I think (that it 'underwent a process of metamorphosis) and assumed the shape of rats. Don't you see when the milk of the camel is placed before them, these do not drink and when the milk of goat is placed before them, these do drink. Abu Huraira said: I narrated this very hadith to Ka'b and he said: Did you hear this from Messenger of Allah ﷺ? I (Abu Huraira) said: Yes. He said this again and again, and I said: Have I read Torah? This hadith has been transmitted on the authority of Ishaq with a slight variation of wording.
قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فُقِدَتْ أُمَّةٌ مِنْ بَنِي إِسْرَائِيلَ لاَ يُدْرَى مَا فَعَلَتْ وَلاَ أُرَاهَا إِلاَّ الْفَأْرَ أَلاَ تَرَوْنَهَا إِذَا وُضِعَ لَهَا أَلْبَانُ الإِبِلِ لَمْ تَشْرَبْهُ وَإِذَا وُضِعَ لَهَا أَلْبَانُ الشَّاءِ شَرِبَتْهُ قَالَ أَبُو هُرَيْرَةَ فَحَدَّثْتُ هَذَا الْحَدِيثَ كَعْبًا فَقَالَ آنْتَ سَمِعْتَهُ مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قُلْتُ نَعَمْ قَالَ ذَلِكَ مِرَارًا قُلْتُ أَأَقْرَأُ التَّوْرَاةَ قَالَ إِسْحَاقُ فِي رِوَايَتِهِ لاَ نَدْرِي مَا فَعَلَتْ
Did you hear it from Messenger of Allah ﷺ? Thereupon he said: Has Torah been revealed to me?
الْفَأْرَةُ مَسْخٌ وَآيَةُ ذَلِكَ أَنَّهُ يُوضَعُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا لَبَنُ الْغَنَمِ فَتَشْرَبُهُ وَيُوضَعُ بَيْنَ يَدَيْهَا لَبَنُ الإِبِلِ فَلاَ تَذُوقُهُ فَقَالَ لَهُ كَعْبٌ أَسَمِعْتَ هَذَا مِنْ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ قَالَ أَفَأُنْزِلَتْ عَلَىَّ التَّوْرَاةُ