The Correct Chain for the hadith “Take Benefit of Five Before Five”


Benefit:

On the authority of Abdullah Ibn `Abbas (رضي الله عنهما) that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, “There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) health and free time for doing good.” [Bukhair:6412]

This hadith was narrated by Imaam Bukhari only. Imaam Muslim did not narrate this hadith. However some narrators mistaken the chain of narrators of this hadith with the hadith:

“Take benefit of five before five: your youth before your old age, your health before your sickness, your wealth before your poverty, your free time before your preoccupation and your life before your death.” [Al-Hakim, al-Bayhaqi]

And this was a mistake. But the actual chain of narrators is: Jaafir bin Burkaan on Ziaad ibn Jaraah on Amr bin Maymun, which is mursal مرسل (stops at a Taabi’ee/weak). Al-Haafih al-Bayhaqi mentioned this in his book, “Shurbah al-Imaan”. Where he said, “This chain of narrators is not correct. But rather this chain is for the hadith, “There are two blessings which many people lose, Health and free time for doing good.” This is a very important benefit with regards to this hadith.

Ibn Abi Dunyah also narrated this hadith with this same mistake in the chain of narrators in “Qisah al-Amal”. Likewise, Al-Haakam in his, “Mustdraq” and other than them. With a chain of narrators from Ibn Mubaaraq, on Abdullah bin Sai’d Ibn Abi Hind on his father on Ibn Abbas. And what even further confirms this mistake is that Ibn Mubaaraq has two hadith in the book, “Zuhd” this one after that one. So perhaps this caused the mistake when they were looking at the hadith on Ibn Mubaaraq. The hadith, “There are two blessings which many people lose: (They are) Health and free time for doing good”, this is the correct hadith for this chain of narrators. Abdullah bin Sai’d Ibn Abi Hind on his father on Ibn Abbas. And in some narration it is the hadith, “Take benefit of five before five” where Ibn Mubaaraq narrated on Jaafir bin Burkaan on Ziaad ibn Jaraah on Amr bin Maymun mursalah. Abdullah bin Dawud followed Ibn Mubaaraq in this mistake and he is trustworthy, as it comes in “I’tidaah Ilm Wal Aml” al-Khateeb.

And Allah knows best.

Benefited from: Shaikh Abu Abdillah Muhammad Ba Jamaal (May Allah preserve him)

Source: https://t.me/OfficialChannelShaykhBaajammaal/139

Translated by: Abu Yusuf Bilal ibn Howard Robinson