أَخْبَرَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ النَّضْرِ الرَّمْلِيُّ، عَنْ مَسَرَّةَ بْنِ مَعْبَدٍ، مِنْ بَنِي الْحَارِثِ بْنِ أَبِي الْحَرَامِ مِنْ لَخْمٍ عَنِ الْوَضِينِ، أَنَّ رَجُلًا أَتَى النَّبِيَّ ﷺ فَقَالَ يَا رَسُولَ اللَّهِ إِنَّا كُنَّا أَهْلَ جَاهِلِيَّةٍ وَعِبَادَةِ أَوْثَانٍ فَكُنَّا نَقْتُلُ الْأَوْلَادَ وَكَانَتْ عِنْدِي ابْنَةٌ لِي فَلَمَّا أَجَابَتْ وَكَانَتْ مَسْرُورَةً بِدُعَائِي إِذَا دَعَوْتُهَا فَدَعَوْتُهَا يَوْمًا فَاتَّبَعَتْنِي فَمَرَرْتُ حَتَّى أَتَيْتُ بِئْرًا مِن أَهْلِي غَيْرَ بَعِيدٍ فَأَخَذْتُ بِيَدِهَا فَرَدَّيْتُ بِهَا فِي الْبِئْرِ وَكَانَ آخِرَ عَهْدِي بِهَا أَنْ تَقُولَ يَا أَبَتَاهُ يَا أَبَتَاهُ فَبَكَى رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ حَتَّى وَكَفَ دَمْعُ عَيْنَيْهِ فَقَالَ لَهُ رَجُلٌ مِنْ جُلَسَاءِ رَسُولِ اللَّهِ ﷺ أَحْزَنْتَ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَقَالَ لَهُ كُفَّ فَإِنَّهُ يَسْأَلُ عَمَّا أَهَمَّهُ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ أَعِدْ عَلَيَّ حَدِيثَكَ فَأَعَادَهُ فَبَكَى حَتَّى وَكَفَ الدَّمْعُ مِنْ عَيْنَيْهِ عَلَى لِحْيَتِهِ ثُمَّ قَالَ لَهُ إِنَّ اللَّهَ قَدْ وَضَعَ عَنِ الْجَاهِلِيَّةِ مَا عَمِلُوا فَاسْتَأْنِفْ عَمَلَكَ
Reported to us Walid bin al-Nadr al-Ramliyy From Sabrah bin Ma’bad (who was from the tribe of Bani’l-Harith bin abi’l-Haram which is a branch of the tribe of Lakhm) from Wadin that a man came to the Prophet ﷺ and said: ” O The Messenger of Allah, We were the people of Jahiliyyah (Ignorant) and worshiped idols. We used to put the children to death. There was a daughter of mine. When [I called out to her], she responded. And it gave her much pleasure to respond to my call. One day I called out to her and she followed me. I went out so that I reached the well of my family, which was not very far off. When I reached the well, I suddenly caught hold of her hands and threw her down in the well. My last contact with her was that she cried and cried: ” O My Beloved Father !, O My Beloved Father !”. RasoolAllah ﷺ cried upon hearing this until tears could be seen in his eyes. On seeing this one of the companions of RasoolAllah ﷺ said to the man ” You have caused grief and worry to RasoolAllah ﷺ. ” RasoolAllah ﷺ said to his companion ” Stop! Leave this man. He wants to enquire about something that disturbs him.” Then he ﷺ said to the man, ‘Repeat to me your story.’ As soon as he had repeated what he told earlier, RasoolAllah ﷺ again started weeping till his eyes were full of tears and started dripping and falling on his beard. Then He ﷺ said to him ” Indeed Allah has forgiven of whatever the people had done at the time of Jahiliyyah ( Pre-Islamic period) . Now start your deeds afresh.”
Grade: Mursal ( Ansar -us – Sunnah Publications, Lahore )
Note: This hadith is narrated by a Tabi’i directly from the Prophet ﷺ without mentioning the name of the Sahaabi in this chain. Hence it is ‘Mursal’ a category of Hadith.
All the narrators in the chain are trustworthy and only Imam Darmi has narrated this hadith. It may or may not be true, but it is acceptable to narrate it as Tabi’i are considered upright. And Allah Knows Best.
( Chapter on the period of Jahiliyyah and misguidance of the people before the dawn of Prophet Muhammad (ﷺ) , Volume 1, Hadith No.2 Sunan Daarmi )