Sunnis regard Sahih Bukhari’s Hadith compilation as the second most authoritative text after the Quran. Despite the book having no authority according to the Quran and being riddled with lies and contradictions, many Sunnis think that without works like Bukhari, the Quran would be unintelligible and the religion inaccessible.
With that in mind, let’s explore the wisdom Bukhari has to offer to live a long and healthy life.
Fly in the Drink
Imagine you are drinking a tasty beverage, and a fly falls into your glass. What do you do? According to Bukhari, you dip the whole fly into the drink. This is because one of the fly’s wings has the disease while the other has the cure. So, having the whole fly in your drink will cancel out any ailment the fly might have left behind.
Khalid ibn Makhlad narrated to us, who said: Sulaiman ibn Bilal narrated to us, who said: ‘Utbah ibn Muslim narrated to me, who said: ‘Ubayd ibn Hunayn informed me, who said: I heard Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him) say that the Prophet (peace be upon him) said: “ If a fly falls into the drink of any one of you, let him fully immerse it and then remove it, for indeed in one of its wings is a disease and in the other is a cure. “
حَدَّثَنَا خَالِدُ بْنُ مَخْلَدٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سُلَيْمَانُ بْنُ بِلاَلٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي عُتْبَةُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، قَالَ أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ بْنُ حُنَيْنٍ، قَالَ سَمِعْتُ أَبَا هُرَيْرَةَ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ يَقُولُ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ إِذَا وَقَعَ الذُّبَابُ فِي شَرَابِ أَحَدِكُمْ فَلْيَغْمِسْهُ، ثُمَّ لِيَنْزِعْهُ، فَإِنَّ فِي إِحْدَى جَنَاحَيْهِ دَاءً وَالأُخْرَى شِفَاءً ”.
Sahih al-Bukhari 3320
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:3320
Bloodletting
Bloodletting cupping therapy, also known as Hijama, is a traditional practice that combines two methods: bloodletting and cupping. In practice, a small incision is made, and suction cups are placed over the incision to extract blood from that location.
Al-Husayn narrated to me, who said: Ahmad ibn Mani’ narrated to us, who said: Marwan ibn Shuja’ narrated to us, from Salim al-Aftas, from Sa’id ibn Jubayr, from Ibn Abbas (may Allah be pleased with them), who said: (The Prophet (ﷺ) said), “ Healing is in three things: a drink of honey, an incision from cupping (bloodletting), and cauterization with fire. But I forbid my community from cauterization.”
The hadith is raised (i.e., attributed to the Prophet), and it was also narrated by Al-Qummi, from Layth, from Mujahid, from Ibn Abbas, from the Prophet (peace be upon him) regarding honey and bloodletting.
حَدَّثَنِي الْحُسَيْنُ، حَدَّثَنَا أَحْمَدُ بْنُ مَنِيعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا مَرْوَانُ بْنُ شُجَاعٍ، حَدَّثَنَا سَالِمٌ الأَفْطَسُ، عَنْ سَعِيدِ بْنِ جُبَيْرٍ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ ـ رضى الله عنهما ـ قَالَ “ الشِّفَاءُ فِي ثَلاَثَةٍ شَرْبَةِ عَسَلٍ، وَشَرْطَةِ مِحْجَمٍ، وَكَيَّةِ نَارٍ، وَأَنْهَى أُمَّتِي عَنِ الْكَىِّ ”. رَفَعَ الْحَدِيثَ وَرَوَاهُ الْقُمِّيُّ عَنْ لَيْثٍ عَنْ مُجَاهِدٍ عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ عَنِ النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم فِي الْعَسَلِ وَالْحَجْمِ.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5680
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5680
See also: https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5683
Camel Urine
If you are feeling ill, drink camel urine and milk.
Ali ibn Abdullah narrated to us, who said: Al-Walid ibn Muslim narrated to us, who said: Al-Awza’i narrated to us, who said: Yahya ibn Abi Kathir narrated to me, who said: Abu Qilaba al-Jarmi narrated to me, from Anas (may Allah be pleased with him) who said:
“A group of people from the tribe of `Ukl came to the Prophet (peace be upon him) and accepted Islam. However, they found the climate of Medina unfavorable, and they became ill. The Prophet (peace be upon him) ordered them to go to the camels of charity and drink their urine and milk. They did so and recovered. But then, they apostatized (reverted from the religion), killed the shepherds, and drove off the camels. The Prophet (peace be upon him) sent people after them, and they were brought to him. He had their hands and feet cut off and their eyes branded. He did not cauterize (their wounds), and they died.”
حَدَّثَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ، حَدَّثَنَا الْوَلِيدُ بْنُ مُسْلِمٍ، حَدَّثَنَا الأَوْزَاعِيُّ، حَدَّثَنِي يَحْيَى بْنُ أَبِي كَثِيرٍ، قَالَ حَدَّثَنِي أَبُو قِلاَبَةَ الْجَرْمِيُّ، عَنْ أَنَسٍ ـ رضى الله عنه ـ قَالَ قَدِمَ عَلَى النَّبِيِّ صلى الله عليه وسلم نَفَرٌ مِنْ عُكْلٍ، فَأَسْلَمُوا فَاجْتَوَوُا الْمَدِينَةَ، فَأَمَرَهُمْ أَنْ يَأْتُوا إِبِلَ الصَّدَقَةِ، فَيَشْرَبُوا مِنْ أَبْوَالِهَا وَأَلْبَانِهَا، فَفَعَلُوا فَصَحُّوا، فَارْتَدُّوا وَقَتَلُوا رُعَاتَهَا وَاسْتَاقُوا، فَبَعَثَ فِي آثَارِهِمْ فَأُتِيَ بِهِمْ، فَقَطَعَ أَيْدِيَهُمْ وَأَرْجُلَهُمْ وَسَمَلَ أَعْيُنَهُمْ، ثُمَّ لَمْ يَحْسِمْهُمْ حَتَّى مَاتُوا.
Sahih al-Bukhari 6802
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:6802
Black Cummin
Camel urine and milk didn’t work for you? Try black cumin.
Yahya ibn Bukayr narrated to us, who said: Al-Layth narrated to us, from ‘Uqayl, from Ibn Shihab, who said: Abu Salama and Sa’id ibn al-Musayyib informed me that Abu Huraira informed them that he heard the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) say, “ There is a healing in black cumin for all diseases except death. “ Ibn Shihab said: “Al-Sam ( السَّام) means death, and the black seed is al-shuniz (a type of black cumin or Nigella sativa).”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5688
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5688
If you thought you were supposed to eat the black cummin, guess again. Instead, crush the seeds into powder, mix them with oil, and put them in your nostrils.
Abdullah ibn Abi Shaybah narrated to us, who said: Ubaydullah narrated to us, who said: Isra’il narrated to us, from Mansur, from Khalid ibn Sa’d, who said: We went out and Ghalib bin Abjar was accompanying us. He fell ill on the way and when we arrived at Medina he was still sick. Ibn Abi ‘Atiq came to visit him and said to us, “ Treat him with black cumin. Take five or seven seeds and crush them, then pour them into his nostril with a few drops of oil on this side and that side,” for Aisha has narrated to me that she heard the Prophet (ﷺ) saying, ‘This black cumin is healing for all diseases except As-Sam.’ Aisha said, ‘What is As-Sam?’ He said, ‘Death.”
Sahih al-Bukhari 5687
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5687
Ajwa Dates
But what about being protected from poison or magic, you may ask? Don’t worry; Bukhari has you covered for that as well; just eat seven ‘Ajwa dates every morning, and you will be immune from such things.
Jum’ah ibn Abdullah narrated to us, who said: Marwan narrated to us, who said: Hashim ibn Hashim informed us, who said: ‘Amir ibn Sa’d narrated from his father, who said: The Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) said: “ Whoever eats seven Ajwa dates in the morning, neither poison nor magic will harm him on that day. “
Sahih al-Bukhari 5445
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5445
How to Avoid The Angel of Death?
But here is where things get interesting. Eventually you will die, but in order to die, you will need to be visited by the angel of death. Yet, according to Bukhari angels will not enter your home if it contains a dog or pictures. So as long as you stay home and get a pet dog and lots of pictures in your house, you can effectively ward off death.
Adam narrated to us, who said: Ibn Abi Dhi’b narrated to us, from Az-Zuhri, from ‘Ubaydullah ibn ‘Abdullah ibn ‘Utbah, from Ibn Abbas, from Abu Talha (may Allah be pleased with them), who said: The Prophet (peace be upon him) said:
“Angels do not enter a house in which there is a dog or images (pictures or statues).”
And Al-Layth said: Yunus narrated to me, from Ibn Shihab, who informed me that ‘Ubaydullah heard Ibn Abbas, who said: I heard Abu Talha, who said: I heard the Prophet (peace be upon him) say this.
حَدَّثَنَا آدَمُ، حَدَّثَنَا ابْنُ أَبِي ذِئْبٍ، عَنِ الزُّهْرِيِّ، عَنْ عُبَيْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عَبْدِ اللَّهِ بْنِ عُتْبَةَ، عَنِ ابْنِ عَبَّاسٍ، عَنْ أَبِي طَلْحَةَ ـ رضى الله عنهم ـ قَالَ قَالَ النَّبِيُّ صلى الله عليه وسلم “ لاَ تَدْخُلُ الْمَلاَئِكَةُ بَيْتًا فِيهِ كَلْبٌ وَلاَ تَصَاوِيرُ ”. وَقَالَ اللَّيْثُ حَدَّثَنِي يُونُسُ، عَنِ ابْنِ شِهَابٍ، أَخْبَرَنِي عُبَيْدُ اللَّهِ، سَمِعَ ابْنَ عَبَّاسٍ، سَمِعْتُ أَبَا طَلْحَةَ، سَمِعْتُ النَّبِيَّ صلى الله عليه وسلم.
Sahih al-Bukhari 5949
https://sunnah.com/bukhari:5949
LAST RESORT: Punch THE ANGEL OF DEATH IN the eye
But what if you step outside for a minute and become vulnerable to the angel of death? If all else fails, there is one last hope. When the angel of death comes for you, just slap him really hard, ideally in the eye, and he will back off.
Mahmoud narrated to us, who said: ‘Abd al-Razzaq narrated to us, who said: Ma’mar narrated to us, from Ibn Tawus, from his father, from Abu Huraira (may Allah be pleased with him), who said: The angel of death was sent to Moses and when he went to him, Moses slapped him severely, spoiling one of his eyes. The angel went back to his Lord, and said, “You sent me to a slave who does not want to die.” Allah restored his eye and said, “Go back and tell him (i.e. Moses) to place his hand over the back of an ox, for he will be allowed to live for a number of years equal to the number of hairs coming under his hand.” (So the angel came to him and told him the same). Then Moses asked, “O my Lord! What will be then?” He said, “Death will be then.” He said, “(Let it be) now.” He asked Allah that He bring him near the Sacred Land at a distance of a stone’s throw. Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) (p.b.u.h) said, “Were I there I would show you the grave of Moses by the way near the red sand hill.”