Al-Adab Al-Mufrad 953

Unreviewed translation. All hadiths in this collection are available in five languages. Titles and introductions may remain in Arabic.

‘Ali ibn ‘Abdullah related to us, saying: al-Mughira ibn Salama Abu Hisham al-Makhzumi—who was reliable—related to us, saying: al-Sa‘q ibn Hazn related to us, saying: al-Qasim ibn Mutayyib related to me, from al-Hasan al-Basri, from Qays ibn ‘Asim al-Sa‘di, who said: I came to the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, and he said: “This is the chief of the desert-dwellers.” I said: “Messenger of Allah, what amount of wealth can I have without being liable to a requester or a guest?” The Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Forty is good wealth; more is sixty. Woe to those who own hundreds, except one who gives the choicest [female animal], lends a plentiful milker, slaughters a fat one, eats from it, and feeds the contented poor and the needy.” I said: “Messenger of Allah, what noble qualities these are! Yet my valley cannot accommodate my many herds.” He said: “What do you do with gifts?” I said: “I give a young she-camel and an old she-camel.” He said: “What do you do with a loan [of a milch animal]?” I said: “I lend a she-camel.” He said: “What do you do with a breeding camel?” He said: “People come in the morning with their ropes, and no man is prevented from taking a camel and putting a halter on it. He keeps it as long as he wishes, until the camel is returned.” The Prophet, may Allah bless him and grant him peace, said: “Which is dearer to you, your wealth or the wealth of those under your care?” He said: “My wealth.” He said: “Of your wealth, yours is only what you eat and use up, or give away and thereby send ahead; the rest belongs to those under your care.” I said: “Then, when I return, I will reduce the number of my animals.” When death came to him, he gathered his sons and said: “My sons, take advice from me, for you will find no one more sincere toward you than I am. Do not lament over me, for no lamenting was done over the Messenger of Allah, may Allah bless him and grant him peace. I heard the Prophet forbid lamentation. Shroud me in the clothes in which I used to pray. Give leadership to your elders, for when you honor your elders, your father will always have a successor among you; but if you give leadership to your younger men, your elders will be insignificant to people, and they will turn away from you. Put your livelihood in good order, for that will make you independent of asking people. Beware of asking, for it is a person’s last means of earning. When you bury me, level my grave, for there were some minor disputes between me and this clan of Bakr ibn Wa’il, and I do not feel secure that a foolish man might do something that brings you disgrace in your religion.”