Critics of Islam/Hadith rejectors usually mention this narration from ‘Amr bin Maimun (a Mukhadram, Rahimahullah) which is mentioned in a summarized form in Al-Bukhari. They say this is illogical and it’s not possible that monkeys apply an aspect of the Shariah upon themselves.
[Note: A Mukhadram is an individual who lived through both the pre-Islamic period (Jahiliyyah) and the era of Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam). Crucially, they embraced Islam but did not have the opportunity to meet the Prophet personally. They are considered a distinct class between the Companions and the Tabi’in.]
The narration in question:
Narrated `Amr bin Maimun: “During the pre-Islamic period of ignorance I saw a she-monkey surrounded by a number of monkeys. They were all stoning it, because it had committed illegal sexual intercourse. I too, stoned it along with them.” (Sahih al-Bukhari 3849)
There are many ways in which the Ulama answered this, it’s available in their books, and online as well. I personally follow the approach to believe in and prove every authentic Hadith or Athar (non-prophetic) narration, that has been declared authentic by a group of the ‘Ulama (Scholars of Islam).
Saying that- Let me mention the full narration recorded in other sources for our reference. InshaAllah.
(I am assuming that each and every detail here is authentic, InshaAllah. You may disagree, but I’m not out to debate that, because that’s not what this post is for.)
Abu Bakr al-Isma’ili, Abu Nu’aym al-Asbahani, and Ibn Asakir give us the most detailed version.
Ibn Hajar al-‘Asqalani (d. 852/1448) gives us al-Isma’ili’s version: Al-Isma’ili quoted a longer version of this story through another chain of narrators in which ‘Isa bin Hittan narrated from ‘Amr bin Maimun that he said:
“I was in Yemen grazing the sheep of my people upon an elevation. A male monkey came with a female one and laid his head on her hand. Then a younger monkey came and beckoned towards her, so she gently slipped her hand out from below the cheek of the first monkey and followed him. He mated with her as I watched. Then she returned and gently tried to slip her hand back under the cheek of the first monkey, but he woke up suddenly, smelled her, and cried out. Then the monkeys gathered round and he began screaming while pointing towards her with his hand. The monkeys went all about and came back with that monkey that I recognized. They dug a pit for the two of them and stoned them both. So I had witnessed stoning being carried out by other than humans“.
Al-‘Asqalani, Ibn Hajar, Fath al-Bari, (Beirut: Dar al-Ma’rifa, 1379 AH) Vol.7, 160. Source: icraa.org)
Points to consider:
1. This isn’t a direct Hadith from the Prophet Muhammad (Salallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam). This is an authentic Athar (narration) from the times of the Mukhadram Tabai Amr bin Maimun.
2. There is no reason or benefit for Amr bin Maimun (Radi Allahu Anhu) to lie about this incident.
3. This happened in Yemen, and he saw monkeys. Yes, there are monkeys in the Arabian Peninsula to this day and most of us have seen them.
4. Yes, it is possible that some animals display an emotional state or intelligence like human beings. It is observed from experience as well that animals like horses and dogs sometimes for example will not tolerate another one getting the same love out of their master.
Quote, “The empirical evidence gathered until now suggests that Rowlands may be on the right track and that some animals are indeed capable of behaving morally. Some studies, for instance, have found that animals are sometimes willing to help others when there is no direct gain involved, or even a direct loss.”
(Website reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov > pmcAnimal Morality: What It Means and Why It Matters – PMC – NCBI)
They (cats and/or dogs) may resort to harming the master or the competitor. We ourselves had a female cat (A) at home. When another cat (B) suddenly popped into our house one day and we started petting it. ‘A’ didn’t enter our house for 2 days, just stopping at the gate in a very distressed state. The third day ‘A’ found ‘B’ alone in the verandah and attacked it ferociously. After only a few screams, ‘B’ was never ever seen in our locality, and ‘A’ became our ‘queen’ again.
Another example of ants punishing a ‘liar’ ant. See the first two paras below.
These are two incidents reported by (non-Muslim) news channels about a pride of lions who saved a girl from a rape-kidnap attempt and a troupe of monkeys who saved a girl from an attempted rape.
5. Can monkeys hate fornication/adultery? See, we honestly don’t know which species of monkeys was ‘Amr bin Maimun speaking about. However many animals do hate promiscuous behaviour.
I remember watching a short video (probably from BBC) where a lioness from a particular pride strayed away from the pride and mated with a nomad male (not from her pride group). This lioness returned to her pride after she delivered the cubs…. (Readers may help me with that in the comments section!)
The two male lions of her pride immediately tried to attack and kill her cubs because they realized they didn’t belong to them. The video ended with the lioness being expelled from the pride for not allowing her cubs to be killed.
6. I was just wondering in which primate species could we find that only the alpha male has physical relations with his females and will not allow other males to come near his females. I got this name ‘Hamadryas baboons’.
Hamadryas Baboons (Papio hamadryas). In this species, the alpha male often maintains exclusive mating rights with the females in his group or harem, and he actively prevents other males from mating with them.
So we have at least one monkey (baboon) species that has groups where one alpha male controls the right of mating with the females. Where are these found? Are they found in the Arabian Peninsula? Yes!
There’s also a research paper about these baboons that alludes to this behaviour. I penned a summary.
Summary of the documents contents (By Mohammed Manna).
“Name of the research paper: One-Male Units and Clans in a Colony of Hamadryas Baboons (Papio hamadryas hamadryas): Effect of Male Number and Clan Cohesion on Feeding Success, PDF 17 pages”.
Summary: The document discusses various aspects of hamadryas baboon social structures but does not explicitly state that the alpha male prevents others from mating with his females. However, it describes the harem defense polygyny system of hamadryas baboons, where an alpha male, or “leader male,” controls a harem of females and has primary access to them. The leader male’s control over mating and the defense of his harem implies that he restricts other males’ access to his females, though the exact mechanism is not detailed in terms of preventing mating by others. (End quote.)
6. Thus it is highly likely that Amr bin Maimun saw hamadryas baboons.And that since the Muslims in that era did stone a few adulterous individuals out in the open in public view,it is possible that the monkeys used the same punishment for something the monkeys considered evil.
7. It is also possible that Allah wanted to show us the importance of establishing the Shariah. In the sense, ‘When the baboons can hate adultery, how can you as Muslims do it!’
Or, ‘Even the monkeys who’re not obliged to follow the Shariah of Muhammad (Salallahu Alaihi Wa Sallam), practiced stoning of the adulterer, so what makes you O Muslims abandon it!? Are you now worse than monkeys?’
8. Many things from the Ahadith or those narrated by the Salaf may appear illogical or irrational to us because of our lack of knowledge or experience or because we didn’t witness it. However if we inspect deeply, or wait for a while, we may realise it to be something of truth.
(Note: There have been other ways in which some Ulama explained this. Please check that out as well. In-sha-Allah. Hayyakumullah Alal Khair. If Allah wills we will translate some benefits in that regards and post it here in the future.)
Saheehus-Seerah 