روي أنه وجد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ريح ثوم في المسجد فقال: من أكل من هذه الشجرة فلا يغشانا في مسجدنا – يؤذينا بريح الثوم – حتى يذهب ريحها، فإن الملائكة تأذى مما يتأذى منه الإنس.

It is reported that [once, when] the Prophet (sws) sensed the odour of garlic1 in the mosque, he said: “Whoever eats of this tree, he should not come near us in our mosques2 – distressing us with the odour of garlic – till its odour subsides; for the angels too are distressed3 by things that distress humans.”4

Notes on the Text of the Narrative

This narrative or a part of it with some variations has been reported in Bukhārī (Nos. 815, 816) Muslim (Nos. 563, 564) Mu’attā Imām Mālik (No. 30), Tirmidhī (No. 1806) Ibn Mājah (No. 1015, 1016), Abū Dā’ūd (No. 3824), Nisāī (No. 707), Ahmad Ibn Hanbal (Nos. 4619, 4715, 7573, 7599, 9540, 12960, 15056, 15111, 15198, 15334), Nisāī’s al-Sunan al-Kubrā (Nos. 786, 6679), al-Dārimī  (No. 2053) Ibn Khuzaymah (Nos. 1661, 1662, 1663, 1664, 1665, 1668), Bayhaqī (Nos. 4828, 4829, 4830, 4831, 4832, 4833, 4834) Musnad Abū Ya‘lā (Nos. 1889, 2321, 2322, 4291, 4960, 5916, 6118), ‘Abd al-Razzāq (No. 1736) Ibn Abī Shaybah (No. 1669), Ibn Hibbān (Nos. 1634, 1644, 1645, 1646, 2086, 2088, 2089, 2090), Musnad al-Humaydī (No. 1229). The preferred text has been reported in Bukhārī (No. 816).

The words وجد النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم ريح ثوم في المسجد (the Prophet (sws) sensed the odour of garlic in the mosque) has been reported in Musnad Ahmad ibn Hambal (No. 9540).

In some narratives, as in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 9540), the words من أكل من هذه الشجرة (whoever eats of this tree) have been reported as من أكل من هذه الشجرة الخبيثة (whoever eats of this vicious tree); in some other narratives, as in Abū Dā’ūd (No. 3824), these words have been reported as: من أكل من هذه البقلة الخبيثة (whoever eats of this vicious plant) by من أكل ثوما أو بصلا (whoever eats a garlic or an onion) in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 15334); by من أكل من هذه الشجرة المنتنة (whoever eats of this stenchy tree) in Ibn Hibbān (No. 2090); by إذا أكلتم هذه الخضرة فلا تجالسونا في المجلس (when you eat of this plant, do not participate in our sittings) in al-Humaydī (No. 1299).

In some narratives, as in Ibn Mājah (No. 1016), there is an addition of the word شيئا (anything) after the clause من أكل من هذه الشجرة (whoever eats of this tree).

In some narratives, as in Bukhārī (No. 815), the words فلا يغشانا في مسجدنا (he should not come near us in our mosques) have been reported as فلا يقربن مسجدنا (he should not come near our mosque). However, in some other narratives, as in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 15111), these words have been replaced with فلا يغشنا في مسجدنا (he should not come near us in our mosque); in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 4619), these words have been replaced with فلا يأتين المسجد (he should not come to our mosque) and by فلا يأتين المساجد (he should not come to our mosques) in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 4715); by فلا يغشنا في مساجدنا (he should not come near us in our mosques) in Ibn Hibbān (No. 2089); by فلا يقربن المساجد (he should not come near our mosques) in Ibn Khuzaymah (No. 1661); by لا يصلين معنا (he should not offer prayers with us) in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 12960); by فليعتزلنا (he should stand apart from us) and فليعتزل مسجدنا وليقعد في بيته (he should stand apart from our mosque and should sit in his house) in Ahmad ibn Hanbal (No. 15334); by فليعتزلنا وليعتزل مسجدنا وليقعد في بيته (he should stand apart from us and should stand apart from our mosque and sit in his house) in Nisāī’s Sunan al-Kubrā (No. 6679); by فلا يقربنا في مسجدنا (he should not come near us in our mosque) in Tirmidhī (No. 1806); by فلا يغشى مسجدي هذا (he should not come near this mosque of mine) in ‘Abd al-Razzāq (No. 1736); by فلا يأتي مسجدنا (he should not come to this mosque) in Bayhaqī (No. 4828); by فلا يقربنا ولا يصلينا معنا in Bayhaqī (No. 4830); by فلا يقربن من مصلانا (he should not come near our place of prayers) in Abū Ya‘lā (No. 4291); by فلا يدخل في مسجدنا (he should not enter in our mosque) in Abū Ya‘lā (No. 6118); by فلا يقربن مسجدنا ولا يؤذينا بريح الثوم (he should not come near our mosque and should not distress us with the odour of garlic) in Muslim (No. 563); by فلا يؤذينا بها في مسجدنا (he should not distress us with it in our mosque) in Ahmad ibn Hambal (No. 7573); by فلا يؤذينا بها في مسجدنا هذا (he should not distress us with it in this mosque of ours) in Ibn Khuzaymah (No. 1662); by فلا يؤذينا في مسجدنا (he should not distress us in our mosque) in Bayhaqī (No. 4831); by فلا يؤذينا في مجالسنا (he should not distress us in our gatherings) in Ibn Hibbān (No. 1645).

The phrase يؤذينا بريح الثوم (distressing us with the odour of garlic) have been reported in Mu’attā Imām Mālik (No. 30).

The words حتى يذهب ريحها (till its odour subsides) have been reported in Bayhaqī (No. 4829).

The sentence فإن الملائكة تأذى مما يتأذى منه الإنس (for the angels too are distressed by things that distress humans) have been reported in Muslim (No. 564). However, in some narratives, as in Nisāī (No. 707), the sentence has alternatively been reported as فإن الملائكة تتأذى... (same meaning) and in some narratives, as for instance in Ibn Hibbān (No. 2086), the preposition منه (from it) has been reported as يه (with it).

In some narratives, as in Bayhaqī (No. 4832), the word الإنس (human) has been replaced with its synonym الإنسان (human); in Al-Humaydī (No. 1299) by الناس (people) and in Abū Ya‘lā (No. 2321) by ابن آدم (children of Adam).

According to some narratives, as for instance Tirmidhī (No. 1806), this directive of the Prophet (sws) relates to الثوم والبصل والكراث (garlic, onion and leek).

The reported subject matter has also been alternatively reported in some narratives, as for instance in Muslim (No. 564), as under:

روي أنه نهى رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم عن أكل البصل والكراث فغلبتنا الحاجة فأكلنا منها فقال من أكل من هذه الشجرة المتنة فلا يقربن مسجدنا فإن الملائكة تأذى مما يتأذى منه الإنس.

It is reported that the Prophet (sws) stopped people from eating onions and leeks. However, being overcome by hunger, we ate it. The Prophet (sws) said: Whoever eats from this odourous tree should not come near our mosque, for angels too are distressed by things that distress humans.

 (This write-up is prepared by the Hadīth Cell of Javed Ahmad Ghamidi)

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1. It is clear from other narratives of this group that the following directive relates to all such things that leave a pungent odour in one’s breath, such as raw garlic or onions or leeks etc.

2. It seems that the Prophet (sws) directed people to avoid getting too close to others, thereby saving them from any distress because of the pungent odour in their breaths.

3. Anything that causes distress and discomfort to people who have specially gathered to worship God in a place that is specially made for the purpose causes distress to God’s angels as well. This part of the narrative does not necessarily imply that the tastes and senses of angels are always the same as those of humans.

4. The narrative, in fact, teaches us the etiquette of being extremely mindful of others’ comfort, whenever we intend to participate in a gathering or a congregation. People should not be put through any form of discomfort by the odour of our bodies or that of our breaths. If one keeps in mind the fact that the pre-Islamic Arabs were an uncouth and a rugged tribal people, who generally gave no importance to social etiquette and decency, one would then be in a position to understand that the Prophet (sws) did not only deliver God’s message to his nation but also taught them how to live as better human beings in the society and to improve the quality of their social interactions with others.