Hadith 11

Al-Adab Al-Mufrad

Book 25: Extravagance in Building

Chapter 212

Making buildings tall

بَابُ التَّطَاوُلِ فِي الْبُنْيَانِ

Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 452
وَبِالسَّنَدِ عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ، قَالَ‏:‏ أَخْبَرَنَا عَلِيُّ بْنُ مَسْعَدَةَ، عَنْ عَبْدِ اللهِ الرُّومِيِّ قَالَ‏:‏ دَخَلْتُ عَلَى أُمِّ طَلْقٍ فَقُلْتُ‏:‏ مَا أَقْصَرَ سَقْفَ بَيْتِكِ هَذَا‏؟‏ قَالَتْ‏:‏ يَا بُنَيَّ إِنَّ أَمِيرَ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ عُمَرَ بْنَ الْخَطَّابِ رَضِيَ اللَّهُ عَنْهُ كَتَبَ إِلَى عُمَّالِهِ‏:‏ أَنْ لاَ تُطِيلُوا بِنَاءَكُمْ، فَإِنَّهُ مِنْ شَرِّ أَيَّامِكُمْ‏.‏
'Abdullah ar-Rumi said, "I visited Umm Talq and exclaimed, 'How low the ceiling of your room is!' 'My son,' she replied, 'the Amir al-Mu'minin, 'Umar ibn al-Khattab, may Allah be pleased with him, wrote to his workers telling them:

"Do not make your buildings tall. That will come about in the worst of your days."'"