Bismillahir Rahmaanir Raheem
Ahadith on Surmah
One should use Surmah (kohl / antimony) with the intention of
Ajr (reward). It benefits the eye and one receives reward for following the
Sunnah also.
Hadith 1
Ibn Abbaas (RA)
says : “Rasulullah (Sallallaahu
‘alayhi wasallam) said
: ‘Use kohl made of Ithmid on the eye; it brightens the eyesight and
strengthens and increases the growth of the eye lashes.’”
Sayyidina
Ibn ‘Abbaas (RA) used to say : ‘Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) had a small container for keeping kohl from
which he applied kohl in each eye three times every night.’
Commentary
Ithmid is a special type
of kohl which is reddish black in colour. It is obtained in the Eastern
countries. Some Ulama say it means those who have good eyesight and it should
be used by those with whose eyesight it agrees, otherwise a sick person’s eye
will pain more by its use.
It is more beneficial to apply kohl at the time of
sleeping as it will remain longer in the eyes, and will penetrate more into the
pores. There are different narrations on the number of times it should be
applied in each eye.
In a few, it is stated
that it should be applied 3 times in each eye, as mentioned above. In other
narrations it is stated that it should be applied 3 times in the right eye and
2 times in the left eye. It is supposed that the variations are because of the
different times of the narrations.
At a certain time, Sayyidina
Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi
wasallam) applied it in one manner and at another time,
in the other manner.
Hafez Ibn Hajar, Mullah ‘Ali Qaari and other ‘Ulama have preferred the first
method. The first method has been narrated many times from Sayyidina Rasulullah
(Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam) .
Hadith 2
Hazrat Ibn
Abbaas (RA) reports : “Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)
applied kohl of Ithmid
three times in each eye before sleeping.”
In a narration also from Ibn Abbaas (RA),
it is reported : “Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)
had a small container for keeping kohl, from which he applied in
each eye, kohl three times before sleeping.”
Hadith 3
Hazrat Jaabir
bin Abdullah (RA) says : “Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)
said : ‘Use the kuhl
made from Ithmid for the eyes. It brightens the vision and strengthens the
growth of the eye lashes.’”
Hadith 4
Hazrat Ibn
Abbaas (RA) says : “Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi wasallam)
said : ‘The best from
among all the kohl used by you is the one made from ithmid. It brightens the
eyesight and strengthens the growth of the eye lashes.’”
Hadith 5
Hazrat
Abdullah bin Umar (RA) related the same Hadith from Rasulullah (Sallallaahu ‘alayhi
wasallam) that : ‘Verily use the kohl made from Ithmid.
It brightens the vision and strengthens the growth of the eye lashes.’
Commentary
In all the above
narrations the use of Kohl made from Ithmid has been stressed. Only those eyes
are meant that agree with the use of it, otherwise because of certain eye
conditions, kohl does not agree with some people, as was mentioned previously.
The Ulama have written that due to these commands and practices, it is Sunnah
to use Kohl and it is better to use the one made from Ithmid. If one uses kuhl
made from any other substance, it will be regarded as Sunnah, but the virtue is
obtained by using kohl made of Ithmid.
From ‘Shamaa`il Tirmidhi’.
