حَدَّثَنَا قُتَيْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا اللَّيْثُ، عَنْ يَزِيدَ بْنِ أَبِي حَبِيبٍ، عَنْ عَطَاءِ بْنِ أَبِي رَبَاحٍ، عَنْ جَابِرِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم يَقُولُ عَامَ الْفَتْحِ، وَهُوَ بِمَكَّةَ " إِنَّ اللَّهَ وَرَسُولَهُ حَرَّمَ بَيْعَ الْخَمْرِ وَالْمَيْتَةِ وَالْخِنْزِيرِ وَالأَصْنَامِ ". فَقِيلَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ، أَرَأَيْتَ شُحُومَ الْمَيْتَةِ فَإِنَّهَا يُطْلَى بِهَا السُّفُنُ، وَيُدْهَنُ بِهَا الْجُلُودُ، وَيَسْتَصْبِحُ بِهَا النَّاسُ. فَقَالَ " لاَ، هُوَ حَرَامٌ ". ثُمَّ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم عِنْدَ ذَلِكَ " قَاتَلَ اللَّهُ الْيَهُودَ، إِنَّ اللَّهَ لَمَّا حَرَّمَ شُحُومَهَا جَمَلُوهُ ثُمَّ بَاعُوهُ فَأَكَلُوا ثَمَنَهُ ". قَالَ أَبُو عَاصِمٍ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الْحَمِيدِ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ، كَتَبَ إِلَىَّ عَطَاءٌ سَمِعْتُ جَابِرًا ـ رضى الله عنه ـ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Narrated Jabir bin `Abdullah:
I heard Allah's Messenger (ﷺ), in the year of the Conquest of Mecca, saying, "Allah and His Apostle made illegal the trade of alcohol, dead animals, pigs and idols." The people asked, "O Allah's Messenger (ﷺ)! What about the fat of dead animals, for it was used for greasing the boats and the hides; and people use it for lights?" He said, "No, it is illegal." Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) further said, "May Allah curse the Jews, for Allah made the fat (of animals) illegal for them, yet they melted the fat and sold it and ate its price."
The universality of Islam’s teachings is one of the most striking features of the Prophet’s ﷺ guidance and the subsequent compilations of hadith by scholars. While the core of the religion is timeless, certain narrations also responded to issues arising in particular contexts, ensuring that people did not lose sight of Allah’s commands amidst evolving circumstances. One such narration comes through Jabir ibn ʿAbdillah (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu), a well-known Companion from the Ansar. He relates that the Prophet ﷺ declared that Allah and His Messenger have forbidden the sale of alcohol, dead animals, pigs, and idols. When people asked about alternative uses for the fat of dead animals—such as waterproofing ships, tanning hides, or fueling lamps—the Prophet ﷺ firmly prohibited such uses as well, emphasizing that when Allah forbids something, He also forbids benefiting from its price.
The Companions’ question reflects human reasoning: if consumption is forbidden, could not non-consumptive utility still be permitted? Yet the Prophet ﷺ cut off this line of rationalization by making clear that divine prohibition is comprehensive. This leads to an important principle derived by scholars of fiqh: “When Allah forbids something, He forbids its price as well.” Thus, alcohol cannot be sold even if one does not drink it, pork cannot be traded even if one does not eat it, and idols cannot be treated as commodities even if one claims not to worship them. The prohibition is not only about consumption, but about eradicating benefit, profit, and normalization of what Allah has declared impure.
This ruling is underscored by a historical warning. The Prophet ﷺ mentioned that the Jews of old, when prohibited from using the fat of dead animals, attempted to circumvent Allah’s law by melting it down, rebranding it as “grease,” and selling it for profit. In doing so, they sought to manipulate divine law for worldly gain. For this act of legal trickery (hiyal), they incurred Allah’s curse. The lesson is that changing the form or name of something forbidden does not alter its ruling. Substitution, rebranding, or outward legalism cannot escape the spirit of Allah’s command, for He is the All-Knowing. Islam demands submission (taslīm) to divine will, not clever maneuvering around it.
This theme connects with a Qur’anic principle of obedience that merges Allah’s authority with that of His Messenger ﷺ. In Surah At-Tawbah, Allah says:
﴿وَيَحْلِفُونَ بِاللَّهِ لَكُمْ لِيُرْضُوكُمْ وَاللَّهُ وَرَسُولُهُ أَحَقُّ أَنْ يُرْضُوهُ إِنْ كَانُوا مُؤْمِنِينَ﴾
“They swear by Allah to please you, but it is more fitting that they should please Allah and His Messenger if they are truly believers.” (9:62)
Here, the Arabic text employs a singular pronoun “هِ” (hu)—“to please him”—though two subjects, Allah and His Messenger, are mentioned. Classical scholars explain that this linguistic construction reflects what is known as the principle of al-aqrab yujʿalu ʿuddatan (the nearest subject governs the pronoun). Thus, the singular form is attached to the nearest subject (“His Messenger”), yet in context it includes both Allah and His Messenger ﷺ. The verse teaches that the pleasure of the Messenger is inseparable from the pleasure of Allah, and pleasing one entails pleasing the other. This unity in authority parallels the hadith’s use of singular and dual verb forms when declaring prohibitions. Whether the narration says “Allah forbade” or “Allah and His Messenger forbade,” the meaning is clear: both sources of guidance converge in defining what is lawful and unlawful.
The Qur’anic verse also carries a profound moral lesson. It criticizes those who sought to please people through oaths while neglecting the higher duty of pleasing Allah and His Messenger. This mirrors the behavior of those who twist divine law for worldly convenience: they seek social, financial, or personal satisfaction while neglecting the sincerity of true submission. Just as Allah condemned empty oaths designed to win human approval, the Prophet ﷺ condemned deceptive maneuvers that sought to exploit divine prohibitions. True faith requires that believers align their actions with Allah’s will, regardless of whether this leads to immediate worldly advantage.
From this narration and its Qur’anic backdrop, we derive essential principles of Islamic ethics and jurisprudence. First, prohibitions are holistic: they extend not only to direct consumption or use but also to any indirect benefit, sale, or normalization. Second, the believer must avoid hiyal (illicit circumventions) that attempt to trick the divine law, for Allah sees through every disguise. Third, obedience to Allah is inseparable from obedience to His Messenger ﷺ; the Qur’an itself collapses their pleasure into one referent, teaching us that loyalty to the Prophet’s guidance is loyalty to Allah. And finally, true submission is measured not by clever manipulation of rules, but by sincere alignment of heart and deed with the higher objectives (maqāṣid) of the Sharia.
Thus, the hadith of Jabir (raḍiyallāhu ʿanhu) and the verse from Surah At-Tawbah together teach that Islam is not merely a system of rules to be maneuvered around but a covenant of obedience and sincerity. The believer is called to a higher standard: to seek Allah’s pleasure over worldly profit, to avoid even the indirect benefits of what He has prohibited, and to understand that both law and spirit must be honored. This is the essence of living Islam as a comprehensive submission, where no loophole or renaming can deceive the One who knows what lies in the hearts.
Disclaimer:
Instructor: Sheikh Dr. Sajid Umar | STEPS TO JANNAH S4 | Forty Hadith Imam Nawawi
These are notes sharing from the Steps of Jannah classes online taught by Sheikh Dr Sajid Umar focusing on Hadith 40 an-Nawawi. The classes are still ongoing, every Monday 8pm UK time. If you would like to join, please email stepstojannah12@gmail.com
The notes written are from a student’s personal notes transcribed from the sessions. Should there be any error, May Allah forgive us, and do feedback (ain1810@gmail.com) so that it can get amended, and may it be beneficial to all of us and may Allah reward Jannah to Sh Sajid and his team for the beneficial ‘ilm being shared and to all of the students Steps to Jannah, Ameen.