Examining the Authenticity of Hadiths Related to Safarjal (Quince)
The Truth of the Hadiths Related to Safarjal
Safarjal (Arabic word) is a fruit resembling an apple, commonly known in Urdu as “Bahi,” in Hindi as “Bail,” in Persian as “Shubal,” in Sanskrit as “Goddess of Expansion,” and in English as “Quince.” This fruit is often associated with various health benefits, especially among Greek physicians, and is popular in many circles. One of the common beliefs is that if a pregnant woman consumes this fruit, she will give birth to a beautiful child. Let us now examine the hadiths related to Safarjal.
- Hadith of Jabir ibn Abdullah:
كُلوا السَّفَرْجَلَ، فإنَّه يجلِّي عنِ الفؤادِ، و يَذهبُ بِطَخَاءِ الصدرِ
Translation: “Eat Safarjal, for it clears the heart and removes the heaviness from the chest.”
Ruling: This hadith has been classified as weak (Da’if) by Sheikh Al-Albani. (Da’if al-Jami: 4205) - Hadith of Anas ibn Malik:
كُلُوا السَّفَرْجَلَ على الرِّيقِ ؛ فإنه يُذْهِبُ وَغَرَ الصدرِ
Translation: “Eat Safarjal on an empty stomach, for it removes the heaviness and heat from the chest.”
Ruling: This hadith has been classified as weak (Da’if) by Sheikh Al-Albani. (Silsilat al-Da’ifah: 4099)
There are also these words narrated from the same companion:
أكْلُ السّفَرْجَلِ يَذْهَبُ بِطَخاءِ القَلْبِ
Translation: “Eating Safarjal removes the heaviness of the heart.”
Ruling: Sheikh Al-Albani has classified this as fabricated (Mawdu’). (Silsilat al-Da’ifah: 7044) - Hadith of Auf ibn Malik al-Ashja’i:
كُلوا السَّفرجلَ ، فإنَّهُ يُجمُّ الفؤادَ ، ويُشجِّعُ القلبَ ويحسِّنُ الوَلدَ
Translation: “Eat Safarjal, for it strengthens the heart, invigorates the mind, and beautifies the offspring.”
Ruling: This hadith has been classified as weak (Da’if) by Sheikh Al-Albani. (Da’if al-Jami: 4206) - Hadith of Sa’d ibn Abi Waqqas:
أتاني جبريلُ عليه الصلاةُ والسلامُ بسفرْجلةِ من الجنةِ ؛ فأكلتُها ليلةَ أُسريَ بي، فعلقتْ خديجةُ بفاطمةَ، فكنت إذا اشتقتُ إلى رائحةِ الجنةِ ؛ شممتُ رقبةَ فاطمةَ
Translation: “Jibril (Gabriel) brought me a Safarjal from Jannah (Paradise), and I ate it on the night of my Isra (night journey). As a result, Khadijah (may Allah be pleased with her) became pregnant with Fatimah (may Allah be pleased with her). Whenever I desired the scent of Jannah, I would smell Fatimah’s neck.”
Ruling: This hadith has been classified as fabricated (Mawdu’) by Sheikh Al-Albani. (Silsilat al-Da’ifah: 5027) - Hadith of Talhah ibn Ubaydullah:
دخَلتُ علَى النَّبيِّ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ وبيدِهِ سفَرجَلةٌ : فقالَ : دونَكَها يا طَلحةُ فإنَّها تُجِمُّ الفؤادَ
Translation: “I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ while he was holding a Safarjal (Quince), and he said, ‘Take it, O Talhah, for it brings comfort to the heart.'”
Ruling: The chain of this hadith has been classified as weak (Da’if) by Sheikh Al-Albani. (Da’if Ibn Majah: 675)
Also narrated from Talhah ibn Ubaydullah:
دخلت على رسول الله صلى الله عليه وآله وسلم ، وفي يده سفرجلة فرماها إلي أو قال : ألقاها إلي ، وقال : ” دونكها أبا محمد ، فإنها تجم الفؤاد
Translation: “I entered upon the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, and in his hand was a Safarjal. He gave it to me, saying, ‘Take it, O Abu Muhammad, for it brings comfort to the heart.'”
Ruling: Although Al-Hakim classified this as having a correct chain (Sahih), other scholars have classified it as weak. As noted above, Sheikh Al-Albani ruled it weak, and Al-Dhahabi said that the chain contains Abdul Rahman ibn Hamad al-Tulahi, who is considered unreliable by Abu Hatim, and Ibn Hiban stated he is not to be relied upon. (Mizan al-I’tidal: 2/557)
(6) Hadith of Abdullah ibn Umar:
أن النبيَّ صلى اللهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ أهدي إليه سفرجلاتٌ من الطائفِ فأعطاهن معاويةَ وقال تلقاني بها في الجنةِ
Translation: Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ was gifted some Safarjal (quince) from Ta’if, and he gave them to Muawiyah, saying, “You will meet me with them in Jannah.”
Ruling: Al-Khaliyli said that the Hafiz (scholars) have stated that this hadith has no basis. (Al-Irshad: 1/271)
أنَّ النَّبيَّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم دفع إلى معاويةَ بنِ أبي سفيانَ سفرجلةً وقال : الْقني بها في الجنَّةِ
Translation: Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that the Prophet ﷺ gave a Safarjal to Muawiyah ibn Abi Sufyan, saying, “Meet me with it in Jannah.” The narrator said, “I left and did not return to him.”
Ruling: Ibn al-Jawzi classified this as fabricated (Mawdu’). (Mawdu’at Ibn al-Jawzi: 2/261)
أنَّ جعفرَ بنَ أبي طالبٍ أهدَى إلى النَّبيِّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم سفرجلًا فأعطَى معاويةَ ثلاثَ سفرجلاتٍ وقال : الْقني بهنَّ في الجنَّةِ
Translation: Abdullah ibn Umar narrated that Ja’far ibn Abi Talib gifted the Prophet ﷺ some Safarjal, and he gave three of them to Muawiyah, saying, “Meet me with them in Jannah.”
Ruling: Ibn al-Jawzi classified this as fabricated (Mawdu’). (Mawdu’at Ibn al-Jawzi: 2/260)
(7) Hadith of Abdullah ibn Abbas:
دخلتُ على النَّبيِّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم وبيدِه سفرجَلةٌ فقال لي : دونَكها يا عبَّاسُ فإنَّها تُذكي الفؤادَ
Translation: Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated: “I entered upon the Prophet ﷺ, and he had a Safarjal (quince) in his hand. He said to me, ‘Take it, O Abbas, for it purifies the heart.'”
Ruling: Ibn Adi in Al-Kamil and Lisān al-Mīzān, and Ibn al-Qaysarani in Dhakhīrat al-Ḥafiz have deemed this hadith as weak. (Dhakhīrat al-Ḥafiz: 3/1328)
جاء جابرُ بنُ عبدِ اللهِ إلى النبيِّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم بسفرجلةٍ قدم بها من الطائفِ فناوله إياها فقال النبيُّ صلَّى اللهُ عليه وسلَّم إنه يذهبُ بطخاوةِ الصدرِ ويجلو الفؤادَ
Translation: Abdullah ibn Abbas narrated: “Jabir ibn Abdullah came to the Prophet ﷺ, bringing a Safarjal from Ta’if. The Prophet ﷺ ate it and said, ‘It removes the heaviness of the chest and clears the heart.'”
Ruling: Al-Haythami said that the chain of this hadith contains Ali al-Qurashi, whom he did not recognize, while the other narrators are reliable. (Majma’ al-Zawa’id: 5/48)
(8) Hadith of Abdullah ibn Zubair:
أنَّ النَّبيَّ صلَّى اللَّهُ عليهِ وسلَّمَ كانت في يدِه سفرجلٌ فجاءَ طلحةُ فقالَ دونَكَها يا أبا محمَّدٍ فإنَّها يُجِمُّ الفؤادَ
Translation: Abdullah ibn Zubair narrated that the Prophet ﷺ had a Safarjal (quince) in his hand. When Talhah came, he said, “Take it, O Abu Muhammad, for it brings comfort to the heart.”
Ruling: This hadith was recorded by Ibn al-Jawzi in his book Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanahiya fi al-Ahadith al-Wahiyya, which includes weak hadiths. (Al-‘Ilal al-Mutanahiya fi al-Ahadith al-Wahiyya: Hadith 1074)
The eight narrations related to Safarjal (quince) above have been presented along with their rulings, from which it is clear that there is no authentic hadith related to Safarjal. Therefore, we should not attribute the benefits of Safarjal to the Prophet ﷺ, as all the narrations related to it are weak. Weak hadiths cannot be used as evidence.
It is also worth noting that, based on medical experiences, we do not deny the benefits of Safarjal. Eating it is not forbidden, but it should not be claimed that these benefits are specifically mentioned by the Prophet ﷺ, as all the hadiths related to this fruit are weak.
Furthermore, it is important to mention that some Shia books elaborate on the significant benefits of Safarjal, and some individuals among us circulate these famous sayings from their books, believing them to be prophetic sayings. For example, it is mentioned in the Shia book Mustadrak al-Wasa’il that eating Safarjal gives the strength of forty men, but this idea has gained some fame in our circles, even though it originates from their sources.
Lastly, it should be noted that the idea of pregnant women eating Safarjal is mentioned in a weak hadith, and therefore we should avoid presenting this claim.
Maqbool Ahmad Salafi
Islamic Da’wah Center, Northern Taif (Masrah)
