Ahle Bayt Repo

عربي

The Monkey

Hadith No: 1

Narrated `Amr bin Maimun:

During the pre-lslamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them.

Reference: Saheeh al-Bukhari Book 63 Tradition No. 74
Hadith No: 2
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani - Al-Isabah fi Tamyiz al-Sahabah
Volume Three: Concerning Those Who Met the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) but Did Not See Him - Eye followed by Meem
6532 - 'Amr ibn Maymun al-Awdi
Part: (5) - Page Number: (120)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Al-Bukhari narrated through the chain of Husayn from 'Amr ibn Maymun, who said: "I saw in the Time of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah) monkeys that had engaged in sexual relations, and a group of monkeys gathered around them and stoned them, so I stoned them, too."
- .... Al-Isma'ili also narrated it from another source, from 'Isa ibn Hatthan, from 'Amr, at length, beginning with "I was with my family's sheep when a monkey came with a female monkey and rested its head on her hands. Then, a smaller monkey came and poked her, so she gently withdrew her hand and followed it. It jumped on her, and then she returned, woke up, sniffed her, and cried out." The monkeys gathered, and it began to shout and gesture to her. The monkeys dispersed to the right and left, and they came with that monkey, which I recognized. They dug a hole and stoned it. Indeed, I saw the stoning in a context other than that of the Children of Adam." This is a summarized version, and Ibn Abd al-Barr disapproved of this, saying: "If this is established, perhaps these were from the jinn." Al-Hamidi also denied its presence in Sahih al-Bukhari in his Jam'.
Reference: Al-Isaabah Fi Tamyeez al-Sahaabah Book 5
Hadith No: 3
Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani - Fath al-Bari Sharh Sahih al-Bukhari
Book of the Virtues of the Ansar - Chapter on Qisas (Retribution) in the Days of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah)
Volume: (7) - Page Number: (121)
- His statement: (I saw in the Days of Ignorance a group of monkeys): with a broken qaf and a silent ra, the singular of quruud. And his mention of a group of monkeys gathering around it, with a fatha on the ra, is a plural of qird. Isma'il ibn Ishaq narrated this story from another, more detailed source, through Isa ibn Hatqan, from Amr ibn Maymun, who said: "I was in Yemen tending to my family's sheep while I was on a high place, and a monkey came with a group of monkeys. It rested its head on the hand of one of them, and a smaller monkey came and nudged it. She slowly withdrew her hand from under the head of the first monkey, following it, and it fell onto her, while I watched. Then she returned and gently began to place her hand under the cheek of the first monkey. It woke up in fright, sniffed her, and shrieked. The monkeys gathered, and it started to yell and gesture to her with its hand. The monkeys then scattered to the right and left, and they came back with that monkey, which I recognized, and they dug a hole for them and stoned them." So I witnessed stoning occurring with beings other than the Children of Adam. Ibn al-Tin said: Perhaps these were descendants of those who were transformed, and thus that judgment remained among them.
Reference: Fath al-Baari fi Sharh Saheeh al-Bukhari Book 7
Hadith No: 4
Al-Isbahani - Ma'rifat al-Sahabah - Chapter on the letter 'Ayn - Those Named 'Amr
'Amr ibn Maymun al-Audi reached the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyyah) and accepted Islam during the lifetime of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny).
Volume: (4) - Page Number: (2047)
5141 - Abu Hamid ibn Jubalah narrated to us, saying: Muhammad ibn Ishaq narrated to us, saying: Rizq Allah ibn Musa narrated to us, saying: Shababah narrated to us, saying: Abd al-Malik ibn Muslim narrated from Isa ibn Hatthan, who said: I entered the Mosque of Kufa and saw 'Amr ibn Maymun al-Audi sitting with people around him. A man from the crowd said: Tell us the most amazing thing you witnessed from the Age of Ignorance. He replied: While I was in a field belonging to some people of Yemen, I saw a group of monkeys gathered. I noticed a monkey or a female monkey lying down, and the other monkeys were putting their hands under the neck of the monkey, then they embraced. Suddenly, another monkey came and poked it, so it raised its head and looked at him. It withdrew its hand from under the monkey's head, then both of them went a short distance and the other monkey mounted it while I was watching. Then the female monkeys returned to their place and tried to put their hand back under the neck of the monkey, but it woke up, stood up to her, sniffed her behind, and shouted. The other monkeys gathered around it. He then began to gesture towards her and the monkey. The female monkeys scattered, but I did not wait long before a monkey was brought to that one, and I recognized it by sight. He said: They took both of them and brought them to a place with lots of sand, dug a hole for them, and then stoned them until they killed them. He said: By God, I indeed saw the stoning before Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny).
Reference: Ma'refat As-Sahabah Book 4
Hadith No: 5
Ibn al-Athir - Asad al-Ghabah fi Ma'rifat al-Sahabah
Chapter on the letter 'Ayn - Chapter on the letters 'Ayn and Meem - 4027: Umar ibn Maymun al-Awdi
Volume: (3) - Page Number: (772/773)
4027 - Umar ibn Maymun al-Awdi: (B D A) Umar ibn Maymun al-Awdi Abu Abdullah reached the period of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) and had embraced Islam during the time of the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny). He performed one hundred pilgrimages, although some say seventy, and he gave his almsgiving to the Prophet (peace be upon him and his holy progeny). Umar ibn Maymun said: Mu'adh ibn Jabal came to us in Yemen as a messenger from the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him and his holy progeny) in the early morning, raising his voice in takbir (saying "Allahu Akbar"), and he was a man with a beautiful voice. I was filled with love for him, and I did not leave him until I had thrown dust upon him. He then accompanied Ibn Mas'ud and was considered one of the senior Tabi'un (the successors) among the Kufans. He is the one who narrated: "He saw in the time of ignorance (Jahiliyyah) a monkey commit adultery, and the monkeys gathered and stoned it." This is something that was included in Sahih al-Bukhari, and the entire story revolves around Abd al-Malik ibn Muslim narrating from Isa ibn Hatqan, neither of whom are considered reliable. This is, according to a group of scholars, an objectionable assertion, attributing adultery to one not morally responsible (mumtahan) and enforcing punishments on animals. Even if it were true, they would be considered jinn, as acts of worship are recognized among humans and jinn but not others. Stoning was indeed a practice in the Torah, and he died in the year seventy-five. The three (main hadith scholars) recorded him.
Reference: Osad al-Ghabah fi Ma'refah al-Shahabah Book 3
Hadith No: 6
Al-Mizzi - Tahdhib al-Kamal fi Asma' al-Rijal - Book on the letter 'Ayn - Those Named 'Amr
4457 - 'Amr ibn Maymun ibn Mehran al-Jazari
Volume: (22) - Page Number: (265/266)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Al-Bukhari said in his Tarikh: "He heard from Mu'adh ibn Jabal in Yemen and Damascus." He also said: Nu'aym ibn Hammad said: "Hisham narrated to us from Abu Balj and Husayn from 'Amr ibn Maymun: 'I saw in the days of ignorance (jahiliyya) a group of monkeys gathered around another monkey, and they stoned it, so I stoned it with them.'" He narrated this in the Sahih from Nu'aym ibn Hammad, from Hisham, from Husayn, and added: "It had committed adultery."
- .... And Shababah ibn Suwar said from Abd al-Malik ibn Muslim from Isa ibn Hattan: "I entered the Mosque of Kufa and saw 'Amr ibn Maymun al-Awdi sitting with some people. A man said to him, 'Tell us of the most astonishing thing you saw in the days of ignorance.' He replied, 'I was in a field belonging to the people of Yemen and saw many monkeys gathered. I saw a monkey and a female monkey lying down, then the female monkey put her hand under the neck of the male monkey and embraced it, and they both fell asleep. Then a male monkey came and nudged her from under her head, so she withdrew her hand from under the male monkey's head and followed him a short distance to mate, while I watched. Then she returned to her lying position and tried to put her hand under the neck of the male monkey again as before. The male monkey woke up, approached her, and sniffed her rear. The monkeys gathered, and he started to move towards her, but the other monkeys scattered. Soon, I saw that same male monkey being brought, and I recognized him. They went with it and the male monkey to a place with a lot of sand, dug a pit for them, and placed them in it, then stoned them until they died. By Allah, I saw the stoning before Allah sent Muhammad (peace be upon him and his holy progeny)."
- .... And Abdullah ibn Abi Ja'far al-Razi narrated from Abu Salam, who is Abd al-Malik ibn Muslim ibn Isa ibn Hattan, from 'Amr ibn Maymun, who said: "It was said to him, 'Tell us of the most astonishing thing you saw in the days of ignorance.' He replied: 'I saw stoning (rajm) not involving the Children of Adam. My family sent me to watch over their date palms and protect them from monkeys. One day, while I was in the garden, monkeys came and climbed a palm tree. The monkeys scattered and lay down. Then a male monkey and a female monkey came and lay down together. The female monkey placed her hand under the male monkey, and they seemed too heavy to move. Then a male monkey came and nudged the female monkey towards the male monkey, and she started to put her hand in the spot where it had been. The male monkey woke up, stood up, and smelled her rear, then let out a cry. The other monkeys gathered, and one of them stood up like a speaker. They went in search of the male monkey and brought it back, recognizing it. They dug a pit for them and stoned them."
Reference: Tahzeeb al-Kamaal fi Asmaa al-Rejaal Book 22
Hadith No: 7
Ibn Qutaybah al-Daynoori - Ta'wil Mukhtalif al-Hadith
Refutation of the Objections of the Opponents
They said: Judgments that have been unanimously agreed upon, which the Qur'an invalidates, and the Khawarij use as evidence
Volume: (1) - Page Number: (372/373)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- .... Muhammad ibn Khalid ibn Khudhash narrated to me, saying: Muslim ibn Qutaybah narrated to us from Hishim, from Husayn from Amr ibn Maymun, who said: A monkey engaged in adultery during the Jahiliyyah, and the other monkeys stoned it, and they stoned it along with them. Abu Muhammad said: It is also possible that the opinion of the monkeys was to stone a monkey, thinking it was stoning her because she committed adultery. This is something no one knows except by supposition, as monkeys do not express themselves, and one who sees them mating cannot know whether they engaged in adultery or not. This is mere conjecture, and perhaps the sheikh understood that she committed adultery in some way through signs that we do not know, for monkeys are the most promiscuous of animals, and the Arabs use them as an example, saying, "More promiscuous than a monkey" ....
Reference: Ta-weel Mukhtalif al-Hadith Book 1
Hadith No: 8
Ibn Asakir - Tarikh Damishq (History of Damascus) - Letter 'Ayn
5409 - Amr ibn Maymun, Abu Abdullah, also known as Abu Yahya al-Awdi al-Madhhaji
Volume: (46) - Page Number: (416)
[The text is lengthy, so only the relevant excerpt is provided here]
- Abu al-Mu'thafi al-Qushayri narrated to us, saying: Abu Othman al-Buhayri narrated to us, saying: Abu al-Husayn Muhammad ibn Abd Allah al-Mukhalladi al-Harawi narrated to us, saying: Abu Muhammad Abd Allah ibn Bashar al-Bukari narrated to us, from Sa'id ibn Yaqub al-Talqi, from Abd Allah ibn Abi Ja'far al-Razi, from Abu Salam, from Isa ibn Hatann from Amr ibn Maymun al-Awdi, who said: It was said to him, "Tell us of the most astonishing thing you saw in the Age of Ignorance (Jahiliyya)." He replied: "I saw stoning (the act of rajm) in someone other than the son of Adam. My family sent me to watch over their date palms, to protect them from the monkeys. While I was one day in the orchard, the monkeys came and climbed a palm tree, and then they scattered, lying down. Then a monkey and a female monkey came and lay down together. The female monkey reached under the male monkey, and they seemed heavy with sleep. Then a monkey came and nudged the female monkey, and she withdrew her hand from under the male monkey and went with him. The male monkey took advantage of this and engaged with her. Then the female monkey returned to the male monkey, trying to place her hand in the spot where it had been. The male monkey woke up, stood, and grabbed her waist, letting out a cry. The other monkeys gathered, and one of them stood up as if to give a speech. They then set out in pursuit of the male monkey, and they returned with him, the very same one. I witnessed this, and they dug a hole for both of them and stoned them.
Reference: Tarikh e Damishq Book 46