Hadithcore
Sahih al-Bukhari, 2901
sahih

Narrated Abu Huraira:

While some Ethiopians were playing in the presence of the Prophet, `Umar came in, picked up a stone and hit them with it. On that the Prophet (ﷺ) said, "O `Umar! Allow them (to play)." Ma`mar (the subnarrator) added that they were playing in the Mosque.

حَدَّثَنَا إِبْرَاهِيمُ بْنُ مُوسَى، أَخْبَرَنَا هِشَامٌ، عَنْ مَعْمَرٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنِ ابْنِ الْمُسَيَّبِ، عَنْ أَبِي هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ بَيْنَا الْحَبَشَةُ يَلْعَبُونَ عِنْدَ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم بِحِرَابِهِمْ دَخَلَ عُمَرُ، فَأَهْوَى إِلَى الْحَصَى فَحَصَبَهُمْ بِهَا‏.‏ فَقَالَ ‏

‏ دَعْهُمْ يَا عُمَرُ ‏

‏‏.‏ وَزَادَ عَلِيٌّ حَدَّثَنَا عَبْدُ الرَّزَّاقِ أَخْبَرَنَا مَعْمَرٌ فِي الْمَسْجِدِ‏.‏

References2 variants
In-Book Reference
Book 56, Hadith 115
USC-MSA web (English) reference
Vol. 4, Book 52, Hadith 150 (deprecated numbering scheme)
Sharh · explanationclick to expand
Training for war and making the proper preparations for meeting the enemy are recommended, because it is part of the enjoined preparation of power (and steeds of war) stated in the ayah that reads (what means): {And prepare against them whatever you are able of power and of steeds of war by which you may terrify the enemy of Allah and your enemy and others besides them whom you do not know [but] whom Allah knows.} [Quran 8:60]. In this hadeeth, AbooHurayrah narrated that ‘Umar ibn Al-Khattaab(may Allah be pleased with them) came into the Prophet’s Mosque once while some Ethiopians were playing in the presence of the Prophet ﷺ. He (may Allah be pleased with him) picked up a stone and hit them with it. On that the Prophetﷺ said, "O ‘Umar! Allow them (to play)." The Prophet ﷺ said so because he believed that their recreational activity was beneficial for Muslims, as it involved training and getting ready for fighting. It is deduced from the hadeeth that whoever acts on his own personal reasoning and commits a mistake, should not be blamed, because the Prophet ﷺ did not rebuke ‘Umar (may Allah be pleased with him) in that incident..
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