Question

Kindly explain the words فَجَعَلَ يَتَوَقَّصُ به that have appeared in the following Hadith:

عن جابر بن سمرة رضي الله عنه قال: صَلّى رَسولُ اللهِ ﷺ على ابْنِ الدَّحْداحِ: ثُمَّ أُتِيَ بفَرَسٍ عُرْيٍ فَعَقَلَهُ رَجُلٌ فَرَكِبَهُ، فَجَعَلَ يَتَوَقَّص به، وَنَحْنُ نَتَّبِعُهُ نَسْعى خَلْفَهُ، قالَ: فَقالَ رَجُلٌ مِنَ القَوْمِ: إنَّ النبيَّ ﷺ قالَ: كَمْ مِن عِذْقٍ مُعَلَّقٍ، أَوْ مُدَلًّى، في الجَنَّةِ لاِبْنِ الدَّحْداحِ. أَوْ قالَ شُعْبَةُ لأَبِي الدَّحْداحِ

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 965)

 

Answer

فجعل يتوقص به means to have the horse move or ride at a canter, i.e at a speed slightly faster than walking (between a trot and gallop).

(Ikmalul Mu’lim, Hadith: 965, An-Nihayah Fi Gharibil Hadith, Letters: و ق ص, and Tajul ‘Urus, vol. 18 pg. 208; Also see: Al-Minhaj, Hadith: 2236 and Tuhfatul Ahwadhi, Hadith: 1013)

 

Translation

It has been reported on the authority of Sayyidina Jabir bin Samurah (radiyallahu ‘anhu) that he said: “Rasulullah (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) performed Janazah Salah over Ibn Dahdah (radiyallahu ‘anhu). Thereafter, he was brought an unsaddled horse. A man held it and then he [i.e Nabi – sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam] mounted it. He then began to have it move [or ride it] at a canter whilst we followed, pursuing him from behind [i.e we were walking and following him from the back].”

He [i.e Jabir – radiyallahu ‘anhu – continued and] said: “A man from among the people said:

“Verily Nabi (sallallahu ‘alayhi wasallam) commented: ‘So many a hanging date palm branches are in Jannah for Ibn Dahdah!’”

(Sahih Muslim, Hadith: 965; Also see: Al-Minhaj, Hadith: 2236, Mirqat, Hadith: 1666, and Faydul Qadir, Hadith: 6414)

 

And Allah Ta’ala knows best.

 

Answered by: Moulana Farhan Shariff

 

Approved by: Moulana Muhammad Abasoomar