The livelihood of the family of Muhammad ﷺ

It was narrated that ‘Aishah said:
“We, the family of Muhammad ﷺ, would stay for a month during which no fire would be lit (for cooking) and we had only dates and water.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ نُمَيْرٍ، وَأَبُو أُسَامَةَ عَنْ هِشَامِ بْنِ عُرْوَةَ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ إِنْ كُنَّا آلَ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ لَنَمْكُثُ شَهْرًا مَا نُوقِدُ فِيهِ بِنَارٍ مَا هُوَ إِلاَّ التَّمْرُ وَالْمَاءُ . إِلاَّ أَنَّ ابْنَ نُمَيْرٍ قَالَ نَلْبَثُ شَهْرًا .

It was narrated from Abu Salamah that ‘Aishah said:
“There would come a month when no smoke was seen in any of the households of the family of Muhammad ﷺ. I said: "What did you eat?" She said: "The two black ones - dates and water." But we had neighbors among the Ansar, sincere neighbors, who had domestic sheep, and they used to send some of their milk to us. (One of the narrators) Muhammad said: "And they were nine households."

حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو بَكْرِ بْنُ أَبِي شَيْبَةَ، حَدَّثَنَا يَزِيدُ بْنُ هَارُونَ، حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عَمْرٍو، عَنْ أَبِي سَلَمَةَ، عَنْ عَائِشَةَ، قَالَتْ لَقَدْ كَانَ يَأْتِي عَلَى آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ ﷺ الشَّهْرُ مَا يُرَى فِي بَيْتٍ مِنْ بُيُوتِهِ الدُّخَانُ . قُلْتُ فَمَا كَانَ طَعَامُهُمْ قَالَتِ الأَسْوَدَانِ التَّمْرُ وَالْمَاءُ غَيْرَ أَنَّهُ كَانَ لَنَا جِيرَانٌ مِنَ الأَنْصَارِ جِيرَانُ صِدْقٍ وَكَانَتْ لَهُمْ رَبَائِبُ فَكَانُوا يَبْعَثُونَ إِلَيْهِ أَلْبَانَهَا . قَالَ مُحَمَّدٌ وَكَانُوا تِسْعَةَ أَبْيَاتٍ .

It was narrated that Nu’man bin Bashir said:
“I heard ‘Umar bin Khattab say: ‘I saw the Messenger of Allah ﷺ writhing with hunger during the day, and he could not even find the worst of dates with which to fill his stomach.’”

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، حَدَّثَنَا بِشْرُ بْنُ عُمَرَ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، عَنْ سِمَاكٍ، عَنِ النُّعْمَانِ بْنِ بَشِيرٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ، يَقُولُ رَأَيْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَلْتَوِي فِي الْيَوْمِ مِنَ الْجُوعِ مَا يَجِدُ مِنَ الدَّقَلِ مَا يَمْلأُ بِهِ بَطْنَهُ .

It was narrated that Anas bin Malik said:
“I heard the Messenger of Allah ﷺ say several times: ‘By the One in Whose Hand is the soul of Muhammad, the family of Muhammad does not have a Sa’ of food grains or a Sa’ of dates.’ And at that time he had nine wives.”

حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الْحَسَنُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَنْبَأَنَا شَيْبَانُ، عَنْ قَتَادَةَ، عَنْ أَنَسِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ ﷺ يَقُولُ مِرَارًا " وَالَّذِي نَفْسُ مُحَمَّدٍ بِيَدِهِ مَا أَصْبَحَ عِنْدَ آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ صَاعُ حَبٍّ وَلاَ صَاعُ تَمْرٍ " . وَإِنَّ لَهُ يَوْمَئِذٍ تِسْعَ نِسْوَةٍ .

It was narrated from Abu ‘Ubaidah that ‘Abdullah said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ said: ‘The family of Muhammad has only a Mudd of food,’ or ‘The family of Muhammad does not have even a Mud of food.’”

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ يَحْيَى، حَدَّثَنَا أَبُو الْمُغِيرَةِ، حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ الْمَسْعُودِيُّ، عَنْ عَلِيِّ بْنِ بَذِيمَةَ، عَنْ أَبِي عُبَيْدَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، قَالَ قَالَ رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ " مَا أَصْبَحَ فِي آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ إِلاَّ مُدٌّ مِنْ طَعَامٍ " . أَوْ " مَا أَصْبَحَ فِي آلِ مُحَمَّدٍ مُدٌّ مِنْ طَعَامٍ " .

It was narrated that Sulaiman bin Surad said:
“The Messenger of Allah ﷺ came to us and we stayed for three nights without having anything to eat.”

حَدَّثَنَا نَصْرُ بْنُ عَلِيٍّ، أَخْبَرَنِي أَبِي، عَنْ شُعْبَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الأَكْرَمِ، - رَجُلٌ مِنْ أَهْلِ الْكُوفَةِ - عَنْ أَبِيهِ، عَنْ سُلَيْمَانَ بْنِ صُرَدٍ، قَالَ أَتَانَا رَسُولُ اللَّهِ ﷺ فَمَكَثْنَا ثَلاَثَ لَيَالٍ لاَ نَقْدِرُ - أَوْ لاَ يَقْدِرُ - عَلَى طَعَامٍ .