Gifts

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said: “Muslim women, let no neighbor disdain anything she gives to her neighbor, even a sheep’s lower leg.”

Aisha said to her nephew Urwa: “We would see one crescent, then another—three crescents in two months—and no fire was lit in the houses of the Messenger of Allah.” I asked, “Aunt, what sustained you?” She said, “The two dark things: dates and water. However, the Messenger of Allah had neighbors among the Ansar who owned milch animals and would give him some of their milk for us to drink.”

Abu Hurayra reported that the Prophet said: “If I were invited to eat a sheep’s foreleg or lower leg, I would accept; and if I were given a foreleg or lower leg as a gift, I would accept it.”

Sahl reported that the Prophet sent for a woman among the Muhajirun who had a carpenter as her servant. He said to her, “Tell your servant to make some wooden steps for the pulpit.” She instructed her servant, who went and cut tamarisk wood and made a pulpit for him. When it was finished, she sent word to the Prophet. He said, “Send it to me.” They brought it, and the Prophet carried it and placed it where you see it.

Abu Qatada reported: One day I was sitting with some Companions of the Prophet at a house on the road to Mecca. The Messenger of Allah had stopped ahead of us, and the people were in ihram while I was not. They spotted a wild donkey while I was occupied repairing my sandal. They did not tell me about it, though they wished I would see it. I looked up and saw it, saddled my horse, and mounted, but forgot my whip and spear. I asked them to hand them to me, but they said, “By Allah, we will not help you hunt it in any way.” I became angry, dismounted, took them, mounted again, charged the donkey, and brought it down. It died, and they ate from it. Then they doubted whether they could eat it while in ihram. We continued on, and I kept a foreleg with me. When we caught up with the Messenger of Allah, we asked him about it. He said, “Do you still have some of it?” I said, “Yes,” and handed him the foreleg. He ate it all while he was in ihram. Zayd ibn Aslam also narrated this from Ata ibn Yasar, from Abu Qatada, from the Prophet.

Anas reported that the Messenger of Allah came to their home and asked for a drink. They milked a sheep for him and diluted it with water from their well. Anas gave it to him; Abu Bakr was on his left, Umar facing him, and a Bedouin on his right. When he finished, Umar said, “This is Abu Bakr.” The Prophet gave it to the Bedouin and said, “Those on the right, those on the right; begin on the right.” Anas said three times, “This is the established practice.”

Anas reported that they startled a rabbit at Marr al-Zahran. The people pursued it and became tired, but I caught it and brought it to Abu Talha, who slaughtered it and sent its hind leg—or thighs; the narrator then said, “The thighs, without doubt”—to the Messenger of Allah. He accepted it. Anas asked whether he ate from it, and was told that he did; later he again said that the Prophet accepted it.

Al-Sa‘b ibn Jaththama reported that he gave the Messenger of Allah a wild donkey while he was at al-Abwa’ or Waddan, but the Prophet returned it. When he saw the disappointment on his face, he said, “We returned it to you only because we are in ihram.”

Aisha reported that people used to time their gifts for the day when she was with the Prophet, seeking the Messenger of Allah’s favor by doing so.

Ibn Abbas reported that Umm Hufayd, his maternal aunt, gave the Prophet dried yogurt, clarified butter, and a desert lizard. The Prophet ate the dried yogurt and clarified butter, but left the lizard because he found it distasteful. Ibn Abbas said that it was eaten at the Messenger of Allah’s table; if it had been forbidden, it would not have been eaten there.

Abu Hurayra reported that when food was brought to the Messenger of Allah, he would ask whether it was a gift or charity. If they said it was charity, he would tell his Companions to eat but would not eat himself. If they said it was a gift, he would reach out and eat with them.

Anas ibn Malik reported that meat was brought to the Prophet and someone said that it had been given as charity to Barira. He said, “For her it is charity, and for us it is a gift.”

Aisha wanted to buy Barira, but her owners stipulated that her wala’ would belong to them. The matter was mentioned to the Prophet, who said, “Buy her and free her, for the wala’ belongs only to the one who frees her.” Meat was then given to Barira, and someone told the Prophet, “This was given to Barira as charity.” He said, “For her it is charity, and for us it is a gift.” Barira was given the choice regarding her husband. Abd al-Rahman said that her husband was either free or enslaved; Shu‘ba said, “I asked Abd al-Rahman about her husband, and he said, ‘I do not know whether he was free or enslaved.’”

Umm Atiyya reported that the Prophet visited Aisha and asked, “Do you have anything?” She said, “No, except for some meat that Umm Atiyya sent from the sheep she had been given as charity.” He said, “It has reached its proper destination.”

Aisha said that people used to time their gifts for her day. Umm Salama said that her co-wives had gathered and asked her to speak to the Messenger of Allah so he would tell people to give gifts to him wherever he was among his wives. Umm Salama spoke to him, but he gave her no reply. They asked her what he had said, and she said, “Nothing.” They urged her to speak again. When he came to her another time, she spoke to him, but he again gave no reply. They asked her, and she said, “He said nothing.” They urged her to keep speaking until he answered. When he came to her, she spoke to him, and he said, “Do not trouble me concerning Aisha, for revelation has not come to me while I was under any wife’s cover except Aisha’s.” She said, “Messenger of Allah, I repent to Allah for troubling you.” Then the women sent for Fatima, the Messenger of Allah’s daughter, and asked her to tell him, “Your wives implore you by Allah to be fair regarding the daughter of Abu Bakr.” Fatima spoke to him, and he said, “My daughter, do you not love what I love?” She replied, “Of course.” She returned and told them. They asked her to go back, but she refused. Then they sent Zaynab bint Jahsh. She came to him and spoke sharply, saying, “Your wives implore you by Allah to be fair regarding the daughter of Ibn Abi Quhafa.” She raised her voice and reproached Aisha, who was sitting there, insulting her. The Messenger of Allah was watching Aisha to see whether she would respond. Aisha did respond to Zaynab until she silenced her. The Prophet looked at Aisha and said, “She is the daughter of Abu Bakr.” Al-Bukhari noted that the final account about Fatima is also related through another chain. Abu Marwan reported from Hisham, from Urwa, that people used to time their gifts for Aisha’s day. Another chain reports that Aisha said, “I was with the Prophet when Fatima asked permission to enter.”

Aisha reported that the wives of the Messenger of Allah were divided into two groups: one included Aisha, Hafsa, Safiyya, and Sawda; the other included Umm Salama and the rest of his wives. The Muslims knew that the Messenger of Allah loved Aisha, so anyone who had a gift for him would wait until he was at Aisha’s home and send it there. The group with Umm Salama asked her to speak to the Messenger of Allah and ask him to tell people to give gifts wherever he was among his wives. Umm Salama spoke to him, but he said nothing. When they asked her about it, she said, “He said nothing to me.” They urged her to speak again. She did so when he came around to her, but he again said nothing. They asked her, and she said, “He said nothing to me.” They told her to speak until he answered. When he came around to her again, she spoke, and he said, “Do not trouble me concerning Aisha, for revelation has not come to me while I was under any wife’s cover except Aisha’s.” Umm Salama said, “Messenger of Allah, I repent to Allah for troubling you.” The women then called for Fatima, the Messenger of Allah’s daughter, and sent her to say, “Your wives implore you by Allah to be fair regarding the daughter of Abu Bakr.” Fatima spoke to him, and he said, “My daughter, do you not love what I love?” She replied, “Of course.” She went back and told them. They asked her to return, but she refused. Then they sent Zaynab bint Jahsh. She came to him, spoke sharply, and said, “Your wives implore you by Allah to be fair regarding the daughter of Ibn Abi Quhafa.” She raised her voice and reproached Aisha, who was sitting there, insulting her. The Messenger of Allah watched Aisha to see whether she would respond. Aisha did respond to Zaynab until she silenced her. The Prophet looked at Aisha and said, “She is the daughter of Abu Bakr.” Al-Bukhari noted that the final account about Fatima is related through another chain. Abu Marwan reported from Hisham, from Urwa, that people used to time their gifts for Aisha’s day. Another chain relates Aisha’s report that she was with the Prophet when Fatima asked permission to enter.

Anas reported that Thumama ibn Abdullah brought him perfume. Anas never used to refuse perfume, and he said that the Prophet never used to refuse it either.

Al-Miswar ibn Makhrama and Marwan reported that when the Hawazin delegation came, the Prophet stood among the people, praised Allah, and said: “Your brothers have come to us repentant, and I think we should return their captives. Whoever wishes to relinquish his share may do so; whoever wishes to retain his share may do so until we compensate him from the first booty Allah grants us.” The people replied, “We willingly agree for you.”

Aisha reported that the Messenger of Allah used to accept gifts and give something in return. Waki and Muhadir did not mention this report through Hisham, from his father, from Aisha.