Hadith on about Jews

By Rabi Ben Abrahamson

There is an opinion in Rabbinic Judaism that all mankind should remember the Sabbath, in recognition when God created the world.  This doesn't mean they should keep it with various laws and regulations, but that it should be marked.  Rabbi Yoel Schwatz recently told me that Muslims fulfill this when they use the word al-Sabt for the seventh day of the week.

On that subject, here is an interesting hadith that seems to imply that keeping the Sabbath is sunnah for Jews.

Narrated Safwan bin Assal: "... So they [some Jews] went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to question him about nine clear signs. So he said to them:

1) 'Do not associate anything with Allah,

2) nor steal,

3) nor commit unlawful intercourse,

4) nor take a life which Allah has made prohibited prohibited, except for what is required (in the law),

5) nor hasten to damage the reputation of one of power so that he will be killed,

6) nor practice magic,

7) nor consume Riba,

8) nor falsely accuse the chaste woman,

9) nor turn to flee on the day of the march,

and for you Jews particularly, to not violate the Sabbath.'..." (Jami' al-Tirmidhi Book: 42, Hadith: 2733 )

The full hadith is:

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو كُرَيْبٍ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ إِدْرِيسَ، وَأَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ مُرَّةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ سَلِمَةَ، عَنْ صَفْوَانَ بْنِ عَسَّالٍ، قَالَ قَالَ يَهُودِيٌّ لِصَاحِبِهِ اذْهَبْ بِنَا إِلَى هَذَا النَّبِيِّ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ صَاحِبُهُ لاَ تَقُلْ نَبِيٌّ إِنَّهُ لَوْ سَمِعَكَ كَانَ لَهُ أَرْبَعَةُ أَعْيُنٍ ‏.‏ فَأَتَيَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم فَسَأَلاَهُ عَنْ تِسْعِ آيَاتٍ بَيِّنَاتٍ ‏.‏ فَقَالَ لَهُمْ ‏"‏ لاَ تُشْرِكُوا بِاللَّهِ شَيْئًا وَلاَ تَسْرِقُوا وَلاَ تَزْنُوا وَلاَ تَقْتُلُوا النَّفْسَ الَّتِي حَرَّمَ اللَّهُ إِلاَّ بِالْحَقِّ وَلاَ تَمْشُوا بِبَرِيءٍ إِلَى ذِي سُلْطَانٍ لِيَقْتُلَهُ وَلاَ تَسْحَرُوا وَلاَ تَأْكُلُوا الرِّبَا وَلاَ تَقْذِفُوا مُحْصَنَةً وَلاَ تُوَلُّوا الْفِرَارَ يَوْمَ الزَّحْفِ وَعَلَيْكُمْ خَاصَّةً الْيَهُودَ أَنْ لاَ تَعْتَدُوا فِي السَّبْتِ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ فَقَبَّلُوا يَدَهُ وَرِجْلَهُ فَقَالاَ نَشْهَدُ أَنَّكَ نَبِيٌّ ‏.‏ قَالَ ‏"‏ فَمَا يَمْنَعُكُمْ أَنْ تَتَّبِعُونِي ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالُوا إِنَّ دَاوُدَ دَعَا رَبَّهُ أَنْ لاَ يَزَالَ فِي ذُرِّيَّتِهِ نَبِيٌّ وَإِنَّا نَخَافُ إِنْ تَبِعْنَاكَ أَنْ تَقْتُلَنَا الْيَهُودُ ‏.‏ وَفِي الْبَابِ عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ الأَسْوَدِ وَابْنِ عُمَرَ وَكَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو عِيسَى هَذَا حَدِيثٌ حَسَنٌ صَحِيحٌ ‏.‏

Narrated Safwan bin Assal: "A Jew said to his companion: 'Accompany us to this Prophet.' So his companion said: 'Do not say: "Prophet". For if he hears you (say that) then he will be very happy.' So they went to the Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) to question him about nine clear signs. So he said to them: 'Do not associate anything with Allah, nor steal, nor commit unlawful intercourse, nor take a life which Allah has made prohibited prohibited, except for what is required (in the law), nor hasten to damage the reputation of one of power so that he will be killed, nor practice magic, nor consume Riba, nor falsely accuse the chaste woman, nor turn to flee on the day of the march, and for you Jews particularly, to not violate the Sabbath.'" He said: "So they kissed his hands and his feet, and they said: 'We bear witness that you are a Prophet.' So he (ﷺ) said: 'Then what prevents you from following me?' They said: 'Because Dawud supplicated to his Lord that his offspring never be devoid of Prophets and we feared that if we follow you then the Jews will kill us.'"