Arabic (Original)
Ḥadīth | Ṭabarānī (الطبراني) tabarani:6393 حَدَّثَنَا إِسْمَاعِيلُ بْنُ الْحَسَنِ الْخَفَّافُ الْمِصْرِيُّ ثنا مُحَمَّدُ بْنُ صَالِحِ بْنِ وَهْبٍ أَخْبَرَنِي أُسَامَةُ بْنُ زَيْدٍ عَنْ عَمْرِو بْنِ شُعَيْبٍ عَنْ أَبِيهِ عَنْ جَدِّهِ أَنَّ بَنِي شَبَابَةَ بَطْنٌ مِنْ فَهْمٍ كَانُوا يُؤَدُّونَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ عَلَى نَحْلٍ كَانَ لَهُمُ الْعُشْرَ مِنْ كُلِّ عَشْرِ قِرَبٍ قِرْبَةٌ وَكَانَ يَحْمِي وَادِيَيْنِ لَهُمْ فَلَمَّا كَانَ عُمَرُ ؓ اسْتَعْمَلَ عَلَى مَا هُنَاكَ سُفْيَانَ بْنَ عَبْدِ اللهِ الثَّقَفِيَّ فَأَبَوْا أَنْ يُؤَدُّوا إِلَيْهِ شَيْئًا وَقَالُوا إِنَّمَا كُنَّا نُؤَدِّيهِ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَكَتَبَ سُفْيَانُ إِلَى عُمَرَ ؓ بِذَلِكَ فَكَتَبَ إِلَيْهِ عُمَرُ ؓ «إِنَّمَا النَّحْلُ ذُبَابُ غَيْثٍ يَسُوقُهُ اللهُ ﷻ رِزْقًا إِلَى مَنْ يَشَاءُ فَإِنْ أَدُّوا إِلَيْكَ مَا كَانُوا يُؤَدُّونَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ فَاحْمِ لَهُمْ أَوْدِيَتَهُمْ وَإِلَّا فَخَلِّ بَيْنَهُ وَبَيْنَ النَّاسِ فَأَدَّوْا إِلَيْهِ مَا كَانُوا يُؤَدُّونَ إِلَى رَسُولِ اللهِ ﷺ وَحَمَى لَهُمْ أَوْدِيَتَهُمْ»
English Translation
It is narrated from 'Amr ibn Shu'ayb from his father from his grandfather that Banu Shababah — a clan of Fahm — used to pay the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him) a tithe on their honey: one waterskin out of every ten. He would protect two valleys for them. When 'Umar became caliph, he appointed Sufyan ibn 'Abdullah al-Thaqafi over that region. They refused to pay him anything and said: "We only used to pay it to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him)." Sufyan wrote to 'Umar about this, and 'Umar wrote back: "Honey bees are but insects of the rain that Allah the Almighty sends as provision to whomever He wills. If they pay you what they used to pay to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), then protect their valleys for them; otherwise, release them for the people." So they paid him what they used to pay to the Messenger of Allah (peace be upon him), and he protected their valleys for them.