Do not take two at a time, for indeed the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade taking two at a time. Then he said: Unless one asks for his brother's permission

Chapter: To eat two dates at a time

Authentic hadith of Sahih al-Bukhari Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 5446

حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا شُعْبَةُ، حَدَّثَنَا جَبَلَةُ بْنُ سُحَيْمٍ، قَالَ أَصَابَنَا عَامُ سَنَةٍ مَعَ ابْنِ الزُّبَيْرِ فَرَزَقَنَا تَمْرًا، فَكَانَ عَبْدُ اللَّهِ بْنُ عُمَرَ يَمُرُّ بِنَا وَنَحْنُ نَأْكُلُ وَيَقُولُ لاَ تُقَارِنُوا فَإِنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَهَى عَنِ

الْقِرَانِ‏.‏ ثُمَّ يَقُولُ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَأْذِنَ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ‏.‏

Jabalah ibn Suhaym reported: We were afflicted with a year of drought at the time of ‘Abdullāh ibn Az-Zubayr. We were provided with dates. ‘Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) used to pass by us while we were eating and he would say: "Do not take two at a time, for indeed the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade taking two at a time." Then he said: "Unless one asks for his brother's permission."

Reported by Al-Bukhari (No. 5446, 2455, 2490), Muslim (No. 2045a), Ahmad (No. 4794, 4819, 5178, 5274, 5540) and Ad-Darimi (No. 1970).

Explanation

Jabalah ibn Suhaym reported: We were afflicted with a year of drought with Ibn Az-Zubayr (may Allah be pleased with him) so he gave us dates. Ibn ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) would pass by us while we were eating and inform us that the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) forbade eating two dates at a time and any other food that is usually eaten one by one, when one is eating with a group, except with the permission of one's companions. Therefore, when you are with a group, do not eat two of the food that is normally eaten one by one – such as dates – at the same time because this harms your companions. So do not eat more than them unless you ask for their permission saying: Would you allow me to eat two dates at a time? If they agree, then there will be no harm in that. Note: A narration in Sahīh Al-Bukhāri reads: "He provided us with dates," meaning Ibn Az-Zubayr gave us the dates. In the narration of Al-Bayhaqi: "We were provided with dates," probably intending to say that the provider is Allah, the Exalted.

Explanation in Arabic

عن جبلة بن سحيم قال: أصابنا عام قحط مع ابن الزبير رضي الله عنهما ، فأعطانا تمرا، فكان ابن عمر رضي الله عنهما يمر بنا ونحن نأكل، فيخبرنا أن النبي صلى الله عليه وسلم نهى أن يقرن الرجل بين التمرتين ونحوهما مما يؤكل أفرادا، إذا كان مع جماعة إلا بإذن أصحابه.

فالشيء الذي جرت العادة أن يؤكل واحدة واحدة، كالتمر إذا كان معك جماعة فلا تأكل تمرتين في لقمة واحدة؛ لأن هذا يضر بإخوانك الذين معك، فلا تأكل أكثر منهم إلا إذا استأذنت، وقلت: تأذنون لي أن آكل تمرتين في آن واحد، فإن أذنوا لك فلا بأس.

ملحوظة: في صحيح البخاري: فرزقنا بأربع فتحات، والفاعل ابن الزبير، والمعنى أعطانا، وفي رواية البيهقي: فرزقنا بضم الراء بالبناء للمجهول، ويحتمل الرازق الله تعالى .

الاجتماع على الطعام سنة ممدوحة، وفيه بركة بخلاف الفُرقة.
جواز مراقبة العلماء لمن دونهم لتعليمهم السنة.
تحريم ظلم الآخرين في الأكل والشرب وكافة شؤون الحياة.
كراهة القران في الطعام من غير إذن لمن يأكل معهم لما فيه من ظلم لرفيقه.
قال العلماء: إن كان يعلم رضا الشركاء بقرنه بينهما جاز، والنهي عن القرآن من حسن الأدب في الأكل.

Classical commentary

Ibn Hajar al-Asqalani — Fath al-Bari

قَوْله ( جَبَلَةُ ) بِفَتْحِ الْجِيم وَالْمُوَحَّدَة الْخَفِيفَة. قَوْله ( اِبْن سُحَيْمٍ ) بِمُهْمَلَتَيْنِ مُصَغَّر كُوفِيّ تَابِعِيّ ثِقَة مَا لَهُ فِي الْبُخَارِيّ عَنْ غَيْر اِبْن عُمَر رَضِيَ اللَّه عَنْهُمَا شَيْءٌ. قَوْله ( أَصَابَنَا عَامُ سَنَةٍ ) بِالْإِضَافَةِ أَيْ عَام قَحْط , وَقَعَ فِي رِوَايَة أَبِي دَاوُدَ الطَّيَالِسِيِّ فِي مُسْنَده عَنْ شُعْبَة " أَصَابَتْنَا مَخْمَصَةٌ ". قَوْله ( مَعَ اِبْن الزُّبَيْر ) يَعْنِي عَبْد اللَّه لَمَّا كَانَ خَلِيفَة , وَتَقَدَّمَ فِي الْمَظَالِم مِنْ وَجْه آخَر عَنْ شُعْبَة بِلَفْظِ " كُنَّا بِالْمَدِينَةِ فِي بَعْض أَهْل الْعِرَاق ". قَوْله ( فَرُزِقْنَا تَمْرًا ) أَيْ أَعْطَانَا فِي أَرْزَاقنَا تَمْرًا , وَهُوَ الْقَدْر الَّذِي يُصْرَف لَ…

Scholar	Grade	Applies to	Work
Al-Bukharid. 256 AH	Authenticصحيح	The hadith	صحيح البخاري No. 5446

Other versions

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 2455

"We were in Medina with some of the Iraqi people, and we were struck with famine and Ibn Az- Zubair used to give us dates. Ibn `Umar used to pass by and say, "The Prophet (ﷺ) forbade us to eat two dates at a time, unless one takes the permission of one's companions."

عَنِ الإِقْرَانِ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَأْذِنَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْكُمْ أَخَاهُ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih al-Bukhari 2490

"While at Medina we were struck with famine. Ibn Az-Zubair used to provide us with dates as our food. Ibn `Umar used to pass by us and say, "Don't eat two dates together at a time as the Prophet (ﷺ) has forbidden eating two dates together at a time (in a gathering) unless one takes the permission…

عَنِ الإِقْرَانِ، إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَأْذِنَ الرَّجُلُ مِنْكُمْ أَخَاهُ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar

Authentic Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Sahih Muslim 2045a

Ibn Zubair used to provide us with dates during the time that the people were hard pressed because of famine (Once) as we were busy in eating there happened to appear before us Ibn 'Umar. He said: Don't eat two dates together, for Allah's Messenger (ﷺ) forbade eating them together but only after…

عَنِ الإِقْرَانِ إِلاَّ أَنْ يَسْتَأْذِنَ الرَّجُلُ أَخَاهُ ‏.‏

Narrated by Abdullāh ibn ‘Umar

Not graded Muttafaq ‘alayh (Bukhari and Muslim) Musnad Ahmad 4794