عن أبي هريرة رضي الله عنه عن النبيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم قال: "ما بَعَثَ اللهُ نبياً إلا رَعَى الغَنَمَ"، فقالَ أصحابُهُ: وأنتَ؟، قال: "نعم، كُنتُ أرعَاها على قَرَارِيطَ لأهلِ مكةَ".
Abu Hurayrah (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) said: "Allah did not send a prophet except that he tended sheep." His Companions said: "And you?" He said: "Yes, I used to tend sheep for the people of Makkah in return for some Qirāts."
Narrated by BukhariGradeAuthentic hadith
Explanation
All prophets tended sheep sometime during their life, and the apparent meaning of the Hadīth indicates that this was before their being prophets. Scholars said that the wisdom behind this (i.e. herding sheep) is for a person to be trained to look after people and direct them to what is good for them; because a shepherd sometimes directs the flock to the pasture, and sometimes keeps them standing still, and other times takes them back to the pasture. The Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) was being prepared for taking care of the Ummah and directing it to all what is good, based upon knowledge, guidance and insight; just as the shepherd who has knowledge of the best pastures, and sincerely directs the sheep to wherever there is good, nourishment and water for them. Sheep were chosen in particular because the one who tends sheep possesses the traits of tranquility, calmness and serenity, unlike the ones who tend camels, and who are mostly harsh and tough, because camels are harsh and tough too. That is why Allah, Glorified and Exalted, chose for His messengers to be shepherds to be trained and accustomed to taking care of people.
Reference
بهجة الناظرين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف سليم الهلالي، دار ابن الجوزي.
تطريز رياض الصالحين، تأليف فيصل آل مبارك، تحقيق د. عبدالعزيز آل حمد، دار العاصمة - الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1423هـ.
رياض الصالحين من كلام سيد المرسلين، للإمام أبي زكريا النووي، تحقيق د. ماهر الفحل، دار ابن كثير - دمشق، الطبعة الأولى، 1428هـ.
شرح رياض الصالحين، للشيخ محمد بن صالح العثيمين، مدار الوطن - الرياض، 1426هـ.
صحيح البخاري، للإمام أبي عبدالله محمد بن إسماعيل البخاري، عناية محمد زهير الناصر، دار طوق النجاة، الطبعة الأولى، 1422هـ.
فتح الباري بشرح صحيح البخاري، للحافظ أحمد بن علي بن حجر العسقلاني، دار المعرفة - بيروت.
كنوز رياض الصالحين، فريق علمي برئاسة أ.د. حمد العمار، دار كنوز إشبيليا - الرياض، الطبعة الأولى، 1430هـ.
نزهة المتقين شرح رياض الصالحين، تأليف د. مصطفى الخِن وغيره، مؤسسة الرسالة - بيروت، الطبعة الرابعة عشر، 1407هـ.
عن أنس بن مالك رضي الله عنه أن رسول الله صلى الله عليه وسلم أتَاه جبريل صلى الله عليه وسلم وهو يَلْعَب مع الغِلمان، فأخَذَه فصَرَعه، فشقَّ عن قلبه، فاستَخْرَج القلب، فاستخرج منه عَلَقة، فقال: هذا حَظُّ الشيطان منك، ثم غَسَله في طَسْت مِن ذَهَب بماء زمزم، ثم لَأَمَهُ، ثم أعاده في مكانه، وجاء الغِلْمان يَسْعَون إلى أُمِّه -يعني ظِئْرِه- فقالوا: إن محمدًا قد قُتِل، فاستَقْبَلُوه وهو مُنْتَقِعُ اللَّوْن، قال أنس: «وقد كنتُ أَرَى أثر ذلك المِخيط في صدره».
Anas ibn Mālik (may Allah be pleased with him) reported: Jibrīl came to the Messenger of Allah (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) while he was playing with his playmates. He took hold of him, laid him on the ground, split open his chest, took the heart out and then extracted a blood clot out of it and said: "That was the devil's share in you." Then he washed it with Zamzam water in a golden basin and then joined the wounded parts together after he restored the heart to its place. The boys came running to his mother, i.e. his wet nurse, and said: "Muhammad has been killed." They rushed to him and found his color was changed. Anas said: "I used to see the scar of this stitching on his chest."
Narrated by MuslimGradeAuthentic hadith
Explanation
Jibrīl came to the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) when he was a little child playing with his mates. He put him on his back on the ground, slit his heart and took out of it a clot of thick blood, which is the source of evils and sins in the heart. Jibrīl said that this would have been the devil's share in the Prophet if such a clot of blood had remained in him. Then, he washed his heart with Zamzam water in a golden basin. Then he fixed the split, put the heart back in its place, and stitched the wound. Children who were playing with the Prophet (may Allah's peace and blessings be upon him) rushed to his wet nurse Halīmah and told her that Muhammad was killed. They went to his place and found him pale.
Anas, who narrated this Hadīth, did not witness the incident himself. Yet, he must have heard it from a trustworthy Companion or through continuous chain of narrators. Anas said that he used to see the scar of stitching visible on the Prophet's chest. This is another proof that splitting the chest was physical, not spiritual.
One should take this Hadīth and similar ones at face value without interpreting them metaphorically. There is no need for a metaphorical interpretation, for the Hadīth is a report from the truthful Messenger about the power of Allah, the Omnipotent.
Reference
-صحيح مسلم، تحقيق: محمد فؤاد عبد الباقي، نشر: دار إحياء التراث العربي – بيروت.
-مرقاة المفاتيح شرح مشكاة المصابيح، لعلي بن سلطان الملا الهروي القاري، الناشر: دار الفكر، بيروت – لبنان، الطبعة: الأولى، 1422هـ - 2002م.
-إكمال المعلم بفوائد مسلم لعياض بن موسى بن عياض بن عمرون اليحصبي السبتي، المحقق: الدكتور يحيى إسماعيل، الناشر: دار الوفاء للطباعة والنشر والتوزيع، مصر، الطبعة: الأولى، 1419 هـ - 1998 م.
-فتح الباري شرح صحيح البخاري، لابن حجر العسقلاني، تحقيق: محب الدين الخطيب، نشر: دار المعرفة-بيروت، 1379ه.
-معجم اللغة العربية المعاصرة، للدكتور أحمد مختار عبد الحميد عمر بمساعدة فريق عمل، الناشر: عالم الكتب، الطبعة: الأولى، 1429 هـ - 2008 م.