Drinking in glass vessels

19-4-2016 | IslamWeb

Question:

Some people say that drinking from a cup made of glass is from the Sunnah, but I have not taken that as correct because I read in so many historical books about the era and the life of Prophet Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, but none of those books told us that he ever used the cup made of glass. Nevertheless, when I read the history of glass, it says that glass was invented in 3500 BC in Mesopotamia? Is it true that the Prophet used utensils or cups or anything made of glass?

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Answer:

All perfect praise be to Allaah, The Lord of the worlds. I testify that there is none worthy of worship except Allaah and that Muhammad, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, is His slave and Messenger. 

This was mentioned in a weak hadeeth reported on the authority of Ibn ʻAbbaas which reads, “The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, had a glass cup from which he would drink.” [Ibn Maajah - Al-Albaani graded it dha'eef (weak)] Ibn Maajah cited this hadeeth in a chapter in his book entitled 'Drinking from glass vessels'.

Al-Ameer As-Sanʻaani wrote, “The hadeeth reads, 'The Messenger of Allaah, sallallaahu ʻalayhi wa sallam, had a glass cup (qadah qawaareer) from which he would drink.' The author of Al-Mashaariq (book) said, 'It was a vessel made of glass big enough to carry what quenches the thirst of two or three men.' Ibn Al-Atheer said, ‘It was a vessel of medium size that was given to him as a gift from An-Najaashi (Negus of Abyssinia).’ The hadeeth was reported on the authority of Ibn ʻAbbaas followed with the compiler's symbol indicating its weakness.” [At-Tanweer Sharh Al-Jaamiʻ As-Sagheer]

Allaah knows best.