Hadith Research Libraryمكتبة الحديث والرجال

Chapter 101.0

Deception During War

باب الْمَكْرِ فِي الْحَرْبِ

2 hadiths

Sunan Abi Dawud, 2636sahih

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

4 transmitters

Narrated by Sa'id bin Mnswr bin Sh'bhfromSufyan bin 'Uyaynahfrom'Amr bin DinarfromJabir ibn 'Abdullah

Hadith text · Matn

‏ الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ ‏

‏ ‏.‏

English translation

Jabir reported the Messenger of Allaah(ﷺ) as saying “War is deception.”

Original Arabic chain wording

حَدَّثَنَا سَعِيدُ بْنُ مَنْصُورٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُفْيَانُ، عَنْ عَمْرٍو، أَنَّهُ سَمِعَ جَابِرًا، أَنَّ رَسُولَ اللَّهِ صلى الله عليه وسلم قَالَ ‏

Sunan Abi Dawud, 2637

Chain of narration · Isnād

Each narrator name opens their biography and classical source evidence.

5 transmitters

Narrated by Muhammad bin 'Ubaid al-TanafasifromMa'mar bin Rashidfromal-Zuhrifrom'Abdur Rahman bin Ka'b bin MalikfromKa'b bin Malik bin Abi Ka'b

Hadith text · Matn

حَدَّثَنَا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ عُبَيْدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ ثَوْرٍ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عَبْدِ الرَّحْمَنِ بْنِ كَعْبِ بْنِ مَالِكٍ، عَنْ أَبِيهِ، أَنَّ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم كَانَ إِذَا أَرَادَ غَزْوَةً وَرَّى غَيْرَهَا وَكَانَ يَقُولُ ‏"‏ الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ قَالَ أَبُو دَاوُدَ لَمْ يَجِئْ بِهِ إِلاَّ مَعْمَرٌ يُرِيدُ قَوْلَهُ ‏"‏ الْحَرْبُ خُدْعَةٌ ‏"‏ ‏.‏ بِهَذَا الإِسْنَادِ إِنَّمَا يُرْوَى مِنْ حَدِيثِ عَمْرِو بْنِ دِينَارٍ عَنْ جَابِرٍ وَمِنْ حَدِيثِ مَعْمَرٍ عَنْ هَمَّامِ بْنِ مُنَبِّهٍ عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ‏.‏

English translation

Narrated Ka'b ibn Malik:

When the Prophet (ﷺ) intended to go on an expedition, he always pretended to be going somewhere else, and he would say: War is deception. Abu Dawud said: Only Ma'mar has transmitted this tradition. By this he refers to his statement "War is deception" through this chain of narrators. He narrated it from the tradition of 'Amr b. Dinar from Jabir, and from the tradition of Ma'mar from Hammam b. Munabbih on the authority of Abu Hurairah.