Part 1 · Page 235
Ibn Hisham on the Meaning of Tahannuth
English rendering of the source section
Local English translation from the Arabic text; variant readings and editorial commentary are distinguished from the transmitted narrative.
This local English rendering may condense the Arabic narration and editorial notes. It is not a complete published English edition. Consult the Arabic source for exact wording and context.
Read the corresponding Arabic sectionIbn Hisham says Arabs used tahannuth and tahannuf to mean the Hanifiyyah, exchanging the sounds fa’ and tha’, as they did in other words. He cites a verse by Ru’bah ibn al-‘Ajjaj. The note also records Abu Dharr’s alternative explanation: tahannuth may mean leaving sin, without requiring the proposed sound substitution. The report continues that the Messenger spent the month in retreat feeding any poor person who came to him, and, when the retreat ended, first circumambulated the Ka‘bah before returning home.