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Narrations about the Prophet, sallallaahu 'alayhi wa sallam, speaking with animals

Question

I want to ask about people who make Hadeeths from themselves in order to attract people's attention as big orators. A so-called scholar was narrating a Hadeeth in which the Holy Prophet (peace be upon him) was talking with a lion and a deer. Please guide me if such kinds of narrations do exist.

Answer

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the Worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah, and that Muhammad  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) is His slave and Messenger.

It is not permissible to fabricate Ahaadeeth and attribute them to the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) because lying about him is lying about Allaah The Almighty and Allaah The Almighty Says (what means): {“Indeed, those who invent falsehood about Allaah will not succeed.”} [Quran, 10:69] There are also narrations in the Sunnah (Prophetic tradition) that clarify a severe threat as to those who lie about the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) who said: “Whoever deliberately tells lies about me, let him take his place in Hellfire.” [Al-Bukhari and Muslim] Besides, the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) said: “Whoever narrates a Hadeeth from me which is seen as a lie, then he is one of the liars.” [Muslim]

This is in general. As regards the Hadeeth that states that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) spoke with a deer, then it was reported by At-Tabaraani in Al-Mu’jam and by Abu Nu’aym in Dalaa’il An-Nubuwwah. Besides, Shaykh Al-Albaani  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him said in (his book) Silsilat Al-Ahaadeeth Adh-Dha’eefah that it is very Dha’eef [weak]. Therefore, a Muslim should not narrate this Hadeeth except to clarify that it is a Dha’eef Hadeeth.

On the other hand, we have not come across a Hadeeth that states that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) talked to a lion. What is well-known in this regard is that Safeenah, the freed slave of the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) spoke with a lion, and it is an authentic story that was reported by Al-Haakim who classified it as Saheeh (sound), and Ath-Thahabi  may  Allaah  have  mercy  upon  him agreed with him about its classification as Saheeh.

However, there are authentic Ahaadeeth that indicate that the Prophet  sallallaahu  `alayhi  wa  sallam ( may  Allaah exalt his mention ) spoke with animals, trees, and stones and so forth, and all these are among his miracles.

Allaah Knows best.

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